Point Park University Pioneers: A Legacy of Athletic Excellence
Point Park University, nestled in the heart of Downtown Pittsburgh, has a rich and storied athletic history. From its early days as Point Park Junior College to its current status as a comprehensive university competing in the NCAA Division II, Point Park has fostered a tradition of athletic excellence across a variety of sports. The Point Park athletic teams are called the Pioneers. This article explores the key moments, individuals, and programs that have shaped the university's athletic identity.
Early Years and NAIA Success
Point Park has competed in the NAIA since fielding varsity sports in the 60s. Pioneers teams competed in the NAIA District 18 until 1995, when they joined the Keystone-Empire Collegiate Conference. Point Park was an NAIA Independent in 1998-99 before joining the American Mideast Conference for the 1999-00 year.
The 1970s marked a period of significant growth and achievement for Point Park athletics, particularly in baseball. Frank Gustine started the baseball program in 1968, coaching the team from 1968-74 and leading the Pioneers to fourth place in the 1974 NAIA World Series. Jim Ney pitched the Pioneers to the 1974 NAIA World Series, posting a 22-4 record with a 2.09 ERA. The decade culminated in the historic 1979 Point Park Pioneers Baseball Team, which was inducted into the Hall of Fame for the Class of 2019 on the 40th anniversary of its run in the NAIA World Series.
The 1979 Baseball Team's Historic Run
The 1979 team's journey to the NAIA World Series was nothing short of remarkable. The Pioneers posted a very strong record of 28-5 for one of the best winning percentages in program history of .848 for the season. They showcased exceptional talent and teamwork, earning the highest national placement for the program at that time. The Pioneers went 8-2 in the postseason for an impressive playoff run to end their season. First was a 5-0 sweep through the NAIA District 18 and Area 8 playoffs.
The Pioneers opened the NAIA World Series with a loss, but they responded to win three elimination games in a row to make it to the final three teams. Only a 10-6 loss in extra innings to High Point kept them from playing for the NAIA national championship. The team's success was built on a potent offense, batting an amazing .354 as a team in 1979. The offense pounded out 374 hits and 288 runs for an average of 12 hits and nine runs per game.
Read also: Decoding the 5.0 GPA Scale
The 1979 Pioneers were loaded with talent like Ed Haberle, Dave Duncan and Joe Fiori, who were all inducted to the Hall of Fame previously as individuals. The head coach was Ben Fiori, who took picked up right where Barry Hanburger left off in his first year. Hanburger was the architect of the Pioneers' teams that had their NAIA success in the late 1970s collecting some of the best talent that Pittsburgh college baseball or the NAIA had ever seen.
Matching the Feat: The 1986 Team
The third-place finish achieved by the 1979 team was later matched by the 1986 team, further solidifying Point Park's baseball legacy. This team is also enshrined in the Hall of Fame, a testament to their outstanding achievements and contribution to the university's athletic heritage.
Key Figures in Point Park Athletics
Throughout its history, Point Park has been fortunate to have dedicated coaches, athletes, and administrators who have left an indelible mark on the athletic program.
Jerry Conboy: Led Point Park as athletic director from 1973-89 and also served as the men’s basketball coach from 1969-89. Conboy’s teams made two trips to the NAIA National Tournament during his coaching career that included 305 victories.
Frank Gustine: Baseball players have Gustine to credit for starting their program in 1968, coaching the team from 1968-74 and leading the Pioneers to fourth place in the 1974 NAIA World Series.
Read also: Navigating the Queens DMV
Jim Ney: The only athlete in Point Park history named NAIA All-American in two different sports, Ney finished his four-year basketball career as the all-time leading scorer with 1,300 points that now stands for seventh all time. On the diamond, Ney pitched the Pioneers to the 1974 NAIA World Series, posting a 22-4 record with a 2.09 ERA.
Bob Rager: The all-time winningest coach among four-year college basketball programs in Pittsburgh, Rager has coached the men’s basketball team for 27 years, making three NAIA tournament appearances and one NAIA Final Four trip. Paul Zeise is one of the hundreds of players that played basketball under Bob Rager.
Melissa (Charles) Kubiscek: The Pioneers’ women’s basketball record holder in nearly every category, Kubiscek is the all-time leader in career points (2,410), career scoring average (21.7 points per game), and is second all-time with 929 career rebounds.
Jim Masserio: From 1969-71, Masserio thrived on the golf course, leading the Pioneers to a third-place finish at the NAIA National Tournament in 1969, when he did not lose a match.
John Stuper: Another Pioneer star pitcher to make it to the majors, Stuper played for Point Park in 1978 when he struck out 79 batters in 69 innings, posting a 9-0 record with a 1.43 ERA, helping Point Park to the NAIA World Series. Originally drafted by the Pirates that same year, his four-year pro career included three seasons with the St.
Read also: Position Change Issues in NCAA 25
Don Kelly: A 2001 NAIA All-American, Kelly was drafted in the eighth round of the 2001 MLB draft by the Detroit Tigers.
Linda Keibler-Guercio: A three-sport athlete that helped develop the women’s basketball, volleyball and softball programs from 1992-96, Guercio is among the all-time leaders in several basketball categories.
Ed Josefoski: One of Conboy’s first star players, Josefoski was the men’s basketball program’s first 1,000-point scorer, tallying 1,136 points during his career that lasted from 1967-71.
Bobby Cremins: The legendary college basketball coach began his career as an assistant coach at Point Park from 1971-73.
Jeron Walstra: From 2003-09, Walstra coached the women’s soccer team and guided the program through its first years as a varsity program. He took over as head coach of the men’s soccer team in in 2007, heading up both programs for three years.
Lucas Silva: The first NAIA All-American in program history, Silva scored 44 goals and racked up 109 career points with the men’s soccer team from 2011-14.
Barry Hanburger: Serving a variety of roles, Hanburger is credited with recruiting and developing some of the players previously mentioned on this list, including Stuper and Messario.
Debbie Zanolli: The first 1,000-point scorer of the women’s basketball program, Zanolli led the Pioneers from 1979-83.
Dan Moriarty: In 1969, Moriarty became the first cross country runner to win the NAIA District 18 championship.
Tom Kayser: Served as president of the Double-A Texas League, an MLB league central America, for 25 years, and retired at the end of 2016.
Davis Palmer: At 7-foot-1, Palmer is the tallest athlete in Point Park basketball history.
Kenny Walls: From 1992-95, Walls established himself as one of the most dominant players in men’s basketball history. The three-time NAIA All-American ranks second all-time in program history in both points (1,997) and rebounds (1,025).
Dorethia Jackson: Second on the all-time scoring list for the women’s basketball program (1,852 points), Jackson led the Pioneers from 1990-94 when she also racked up the second-most steals (321) in program history.
Kelly Parsley: The current coach of the men’s and women’s track and field teams, as well as the cross country teams, Parsley has developed the programs as some of the best overall at the university and in the conference.
Matthew Noszka: A starter on the men’s basketball team from 2012-14, Noszka left the team after six games during his junior season to pursue a modeling career. He was discovered on Instagram during the summer by a modeling agency.
Ed Haberle: Currently a top executive at Nike, Haberle earned several NAIA honors during his baseball career that spanned from 1976-79.
Bryan Neal: From 1994-97, Neal racked up more wins than any player in Point Park baseball history. In 61 appearances, Neal went 24-10 in 233.2 innings, pitching in more games and innings than any other Pioneer.
Gavin Prosser: Led the men’s basketball team to its best season in team history in 2007, with a 29-2 overall record and the No. 3 team in the country.
These individuals, among many others, have contributed significantly to the growth and success of Point Park athletics.
Transition to NCAA Division II and the Mountain East Conference
Point Park University is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), where they compete in Division II. The Point Park Pioneers logo prominently displays the school name as well as the nickname for the sports teams - Pioneers. A central figure is the bison, which has long been a mascot for the school. The bison became a mascot for the school in 1967 when the Alpha Phi Omega fraternity teamed with the Varsity Club to acquire a live bison.
In a significant move, Point Park University will become a full-time member of the Mountain East Conference (MEC). Pending their acceptance into the NCAA Division II membership process, the Pioneers will officially become members of the MEC in July of 2024.
Joining the Mountain East Conference
The decision to join the MEC marks a new chapter in Point Park's athletic history. "We are thrilled to extend an invitation of membership to Point Park University, to return the MEC to 12 full-time members in the 2024-25 season,” stated MEC Commissioner Reid Amos. “As we worked with our MEC Membership Committee this fall, Point Park University continued to emerge as an outstanding fit with an athletic department that we believe will be highly competitive in the MEC.
“We are very pleased to begin our association with highly regarded Point Park University,” said Dr. Ronald Nowaczyk, President of Frostburg State University and the MEC Board of Directors. “While Point Park is well known for its fine arts education, it is a comprehensive university that we believe aligns well with the collective missions and visions of our current MEC member institutions.
Dr. Chris W. Brussalis, President of Point Park, stated, “We will, of course, pursue this incredible opportunity by taking the next step, which is to apply for membership into the NCAA. “The Mountain East is one of the most respected Division II conferences in the country and joining the NCAA would undoubtedly raise the profile of Point Park, attaching an additional layer of prominence to both our University and its athletic programs. PPU will file its application with the NCAA by the February 1, 2024, deadline as part of its transition to the Mountain East. Per the current NCAA membership process, the Pioneers will be slated to become an active member in the fall of 2027.
The Mountain East Conference features 11 NCAA Division II member colleges and universities located in three states. The league sponsors 23 NCAA championship sports. MEC teams have won six NCAA team national championships, have played in 13 NCAA Championship games, and won 42 regional championships. MEC student-athletes also excel in the classroom, with over 2,600 earning academic recognition in 2022-23. The league has also produced ten Elite 90 award winners, recognizing the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average who has reached the site of the finals for each of the NCAA's 90 men's and women's championships across its three divisions. The Mountain East Conference is headquartered in Bridgeport, West Virginia.
The Significance of NCAA Division II
The NCAA, the national governing body for college athletics, is a volunteer association of more than 1,000 colleges and universities that classify their athletics programs in one of three membership divisions. The 300+ institutions in NCAA Division II support a balanced approach in which student-athletes can earn scholarships based on their athletic ability, pursue their desired academic degree, and participate in all the campus and surrounding community have to offer. Division II student-athletes annually graduate at rates higher than their student body peers, and they have access to the best championships-participant ratio among the NCAA’s three divisions. Division II gives student-athletes the unique opportunity to compete in the classroom, on the field, in their career, for their causes, and on their terms.
Sports Offered
Point Park competes in 16 intercollegiate varsity sports. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer and track & field; women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, track & field and volleyball; and co-ed sports include competitive cheer, competitive dance and eSports. Competitive Cheer and Dance gained varsity status at the start of the 2016-17 school year when the NAIA granted it national championship status for the 2017 season. Point Park had a bowling team during the late ‘60s and into the early ‘70s.
Facilities
CCAC South in West Mifflin, Pa., has played host to the men’s and women’s basketball teams since the 1996-97 season. The Athletic Department offices, currently on the sixth floor of the Student Center, were previously located in the Bank Tower on Fourth Ave. The university purchased the YMCA building in 2008 for $3.8 million, and transformed it into the current Student Center.
The Pioneers' Mascot and Logo
The Point Park Pioneers logo prominently displays the school name as well as the nickname for the sports teams - Pioneers. A central figure is the bison, which has long been a mascot for the school. The bison became a mascot for the school in 1967 when the Alpha Phi Omega fraternity teamed with the Varsity Club to acquire a live bison. Black Diamond II was widely popular at Point Park and was a source of pride for the entire school. Also prominently displayed is the Downtown Pittsburgh environment of which Point Park is a part. In the back left are iconic pieces of the Pittsburgh skyline, and in the back right are two central pieces to the Point Park campus - Lawrence Hall and Academic Hall. Included is the pedestrian bridge above Wood Street that connects the two Point Park buildings. The shape at the bottom of the logo is representative of the bastions of Fort Duquesne and Fort Pitt, which were once located in the area now known as Point State Park. Point Park University derives its name from Point State Park, which is located at the meeting place of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers.
tags: #Point #Park #University #athletics #history
