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West Virginia adds 11 more to Athletic Hall of Fame

By Bob Madison - For the Chronicle | Sep 18, 2020

Tony Robertson, who is playing in a game here, was one of the two men's basketball players added to WVU's Athletic Hall of Fame. Courtesy photo

SHEPHERDSTOWN — West Virginia University has selected 11 more athletes or coaches to its Athletic Hall of Fame.

Men’s basketball players honored with their selection were Da’Sean Butler and Tony Robertson. Football players brought to the Hall were Dick Leftridge and Ron Wolfley. Jedd Gyorko and Tom Shafer were the baseball players selected.

Clara Grandt (now Santucci) was a former cross country and track and field performer. John Rost represented the Mountaineer rifle team. Long-time men’s soccer coach John McGrath was a 2020 selection as was gymnast Janae Cox (now Asbury). Women’s basketball standout Janis Denise “J.D.” Drummonds was also honored.

Butler is WVU’s third-leading all-time scorer (2,095 points) behind only Jerry West and Hot Rod Hundley. He is the winningest player in school history with 107 wins in his career. WVU played in one Final Four in his career and won a Big East Title. He played from 2007 through 2010.

Robertson came to WVU from a junior college and totaled 1,026 points in his two seasons. He averaged 18 points per game. A fourth-round NBA draft pick by the Los Angeles Lakers, he was traded to Atlanta.

Leftridge became the highest drafted football player ever at the university when he was the third overall pick in 1965. His best season showed him with 774 rushing yards in his senior year (1965).

Wolfley played four seasons at fullback in the Coach Don Nehlen era. His overall record in those four seasons was 35-13. Wolfley became a fourth round draft selection by the NFL’s St. Louis franchise in 1985.

Gyrko is probably the best baseball player ever to play at WVU. The infielder finished his three-year career with a .404 batting average and was named to 10 different All-American teams. He is currently playing for the Milwaukee Brewers at age 31 after being a second round draft selection by San Diego, Calif. in 2010.

Shafer was a two-time All Southern Conference First Team honoree as a pitcher. He was 6-2 as a junior and 9-2 as a senior on teams that played about 32 games. His career ERA was 1.69. In 1961 and 1962 his Mountaineers reached the NCAA District 3 tournament in Gastonia, N.C.

Clara Grandt (now Santucci) became the third WVU runner to earn three All-American honors in the same season (indoor and outdoor seasons). In 2009, she finished fourth in the NCAA Meet in the 10,000 meters to gain All-American honors.

Rost was a member of multiple national championship rifle teams from 1979 through 1982. He earned seven All-America honors in smallbore and air rifle events for two seasons.

McGrath coached WVU men’s soccer from 1969 through 1995. His 207 victories make him the all-time winningest coach ever at WVU. He had five teams reach the NCAA national tournament.

Janae Cox (now Asbury) qualified for three NCAA gymnastics national events from 2004-2007. She was a one-time NCAA All-America selection and still holds the university career record with 2,070.65 career points scored. She performed in 50 meets, a career high at WVU.

Drummonds became the second player in university history to score over 1,000 points, and she did it in two seasons (1980-1981). Her 300 field goals in the 1981 season are still the most in women’s basketball history at WVU. She also holds the highest one-season scoring average (18.7) in school history.

Because of the covid virus there will be no induction ceremony until a later date.