FORMER COACHES MILLER & LEAS INDUCTED INTO  PA. AQUATICS HOF
 
            (Lewisburg, Pa.):  Longtime Clarion University Swimming Coach Bill Miller and Diving Coach Don Leas were inducted into the Pennsylvania Aquatic Hall of Fame during a ceremony at Bucknell University held on Saturday, March 14 during the PIAA Swimming Championships.
 
            Established by the Pennsylvania State University in 1968, the Pennsylvania Swimming Hall of Fame recognizes those Pennsylvanians who have exhibited extraordinary service and achievement through aquatics.  The Hall of Fame is located in the upper lobby of the McCoy Natatorium Building on the University Park Campus.  It includes a large plaque with appropriate inscription, nameplates, framed pictures of elected members, and a brief summary of their accomplishments.  Inducted on March 14, 2015 were William G. Miller, Donald E. Leas, Eric Namesnik and Tim O'Connor, prior to the start of the PIAA-AA Girls' Swimming Finals at Bucknell University.
 
            "I am really humbled by this honor," said Miller. "I'd like to thank everyone who had so much to do with my career at Clarion University, and Seneca Valley and Norwin High Schools. I wouldn't be here today without all the swimmers, staff, alumni and family that have supported me over the years. It was also great to be honored with fellow coach Don Leas, and a long-time friend Eric Namesnick."
 
            Said Don Leas, "I was very excited to learn of my induction into the Hall of Fame. It was especially meaningful to be honored at the same time as Bill Miller with whom I served while we were coaching the Clarion University Men's Swimming and Diving teams for so many years. To be included with the great contributors to aquatics in Pennsylvania is a very high honor. The award is also a tribute to Clarion University for providing such an outstanding aquatics program for our student-athletes."
  
From 1979-2000 Miller coached the Clarion University men's team for 22 seasons and the Golden Eagles women's team for 13 seasons before retiring in 2000. His teams won 80 percent of their dual meets (244 wins in 302 meets), 28 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference team championships, and 23 top-five finishes in the NCAA Division II national meet.  Clarion's men's teams had a 154-38 dual-meet record, won 16 PSAC titles, and garnered 12 top-five national finishes under Miller's guidance. The Golden Eagles won 11 straight PSAC titles from 1979 to 1989 and were national runners-up in 1992.  Miller led the Clarion women to a 90-20 dual-meet record, 12 PSAC titles, and 11 top-five national finishes, highlighted by a national runner-up honor in 1993. 
 
In recognition of his coaching prowess, Miller was named as the PSAC "Coach of the Year" a total of 13 times (seven women's, six men's). He was also selected as the NCAA Division II men's "Coach of the Year" in 1992, and in 1999 he received the Steadman Award from the College Swimming Coaches Association of America in recognition of his contribution to the sport of swimming nationally. In 2006, he was inducted into the Clarion University Sports Hall of Fame.
 
Miller is a former member of the NCAA Swimming Rules Committee, as well as chair for NCAA Division II Swimming (1981-85), CSCAA board member and Officials Coordinator for the Division I National Championships. A Butler, Pa. native and a 1959 graduate of Butler high, he graduated from Slippery Rock University in 1964. He coached at Seneca Valley (1966-74) and Norwin High (1975-77) before coming to Clarion. He and wife Judy reside in Clarion and have sons William, Richard and Nathan.
 
Donald E. Leas
 
The architect of Clarion's nationally recognized men's and women's diving programs, Don Leas had a 24-year career that was unequalled by any coach in the nation from 1966-90. His divers won 36 individual national championships and posted 234 All-America placings. Named NCAA Division II "Coach of the Year" in 1984 (swimming & diving), he was selected as NCAA Div. II Men's Diving "Coach of the Year" in 1988 and 89. Instrumental in Clarion's overall swimming team success, he helped the men's team win 19-straight PSAC titles (1971-89), and the women's team capture 15 PSAC crowns and 8 Division II National Championships (77, 78, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84  86). Named in 1991 to the NCAA's "Team of the Decade" coaching staff celebrating its 10th year offering women's championships. In 1997 he was inducted into the Clarion University Sports Hall of Fame, while in 1999 Don was the Paragon Award Winner according to the International Swimming Hall of Fame.  Most impressively, in 2012 Don was the recipient of the Duraflex International Diving Award, which is presented to recognize outstanding international contributions to the sport of diving.
 
In USA Diving Don has been the Chairman for almost every committee including rules, certification, safety and membership. He has been the technical and administrative liaison to numerous organizations and events including the FINA World Trials, Goodwill Games, FINA World Cup, U.S. Olympic Festival, NCAA, AAU, and the USOC.
 
Don has been an advisor and referee to over 10 international events.  Most notably, at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, he served as the diving coordinator. Don has consulted with many diving videos for the Athlete Institute and been involved with the writing of the Rules and Regulations regarding Competitive and Technical Diving. He has been author or editor to over 12 book publications on diving and diving rules.
 
A native of Philadelphia, Pa., a 1953 graduate of Northeast High and a 1957 graduate of Michigan State University, Don was an accomplished gymnast and diver. He came to Clarion from St. Cloud State in 1966.

Don and wife Carol reside in Limestone Township.