ALIQUIPPA, Pa. - The annual Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Scholar-Athlete of the Year Banquet was held on Tuesday, May 12th. The evening of celebration was held at The Fez Banquet Center in Aliquippa, Pa. Recent Washington & Jefferson College graduates Claire Anderson (Jamestown, Pa./Jamestown) and Anthony Cestaro III (Memphis, Tenn./Christian Brothers) represented the college at the event. 

With overwhelming support from conference's presidents and athletic administrators, the PAC launched its Scholar-Athlete of the Year Banquet in 2014 as another way to recognize the league's student-athletes for their athletic achievements, excellence in the classroom and outstanding community service efforts. This was the 13th class of scholar-athletes recognized by the conference.

The event started with a reception for all attendees at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. and the introduction of the honorees. Over 120 guests were on hand to join in the celebration of the 25 recognized scholar-athletes. Each of the PAC's 12 full-time member institutions – Allegheny College, Bethany College, Chatham University, Franciscan University, Geneva College, Grove City College, Hiram College, Saint Vincent College, Thiel College, Washington & Jefferson College, Waynesburg University and Westminster College, along with football affiliate Case Western Reserve University – were represented by some of their most distinguished student-athletes at the event. 

Claire Anderson (Jamestown, Pa./Jamestown)
Washington & Jefferson College
Jamestown, Pennsylvania
Jamestown High School
Major: Political Science & Philosophy
Sports: Cross Country, Track & Field

Claire Anderson (Jamestown, Pa./Jamestown) will go down as one of the top women's student-athletes in recent memory after a record-breaking career with the cross country and track & field programs at Washington & Jefferson College. She is the only two-time All-American in program history in women's cross country and competed in six NCAA Championship events overall. At the 2025 NCAA Division III Women's Cross Country Championships, Anderson placed third with a time of 21:13.4, recording the best-ever finish by a Presidents' Athletic Conference runner at the national meet. Just weeks earlier, she helped lead the Presidents to their first PAC team title in program history despite battling illness. She finished her cross country career as a two-time All-American, two-time USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Region Athlete of the Year, three-time All-Region performer and two-time PAC Runner of the Year. During the 2026 indoor track & field season, Anderson earned Second Team All-American honors in the 5000 meters at the NCAA Championships and concluded her career with eight school records. Academically, the Political Science and Philosophy major maintained a 3.70 GPA while earning academic honors from the PAC, USTFCCCA and College Sports Communicators.

Anthony Cestaro III (Memphis, Tenn./Christian Brothers)
Washington & Jefferson College
Memphis, Tennessee
Christian Brothers High School
Major: Biology
Sport: Track & Field

Anthony Cestaro III (Memphis, Tenn./Christian Brothers) has excelled on and off the track for the Presidents. He is a four-year member of both the Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field programs at W&J Cestaro III is a multi-time USTFCCCA All-Region Mid-Atlantic performer. This past indoor season, he earned recognition in the 200 Meters. During his sophomore season, Cestaro was All-Region in the 100 Meters. As of April 28, he has been a part of 12 different top three finishes at respective PAC Championships. Anthony currently holds school records in indoor competition for the 60-meter, 200-meter, 4x400 relay and Distance Medley Relay events. Cestaro III also holds the outdoor school record in the 100 meters. Academically, he has been recognized both on the W&J Dean's List and the PAC Academic Honor Roll multiple times. Cestaro III has also been honored as a Beta Scholar. Following his junior year, he was selected as a College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honoree. He is a Matthew Brown Fellow at W&J, which is awarded to outstanding students with a basis of community service. He is also a member of the Phi Sigma Honor Society for Biology. Cestaro III holds a 3.85 cumulative grade point average while majoring in Biology.