Middlesex College’s Athletics Hall of Fame Will Hold Long-Awaited Induction Ceremony for Inaugural Class
Middlesex College has announced a date for the induction ceremony and dinner for the inaugural class of the Middlesex College Athletics Hall of Fame. The event, which will take place on campus, will be held on October 8, 2022.
The first class will feature Robert Edmonds (Track and Field), Dave Meads (Baseball), Jill Romanovsky (Softball), John Sacchi (Wrestling Coach) and Robert Zifchak (Athletic Administrator).
The class was announced in 2019, and after delays due to COVID-19, the event is now moving forward this fall.
The Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held in the Parkview Room in West Hall on the Edison campus of Middlesex College. The event is slated to begin at 6:00 p.m.
Director of Athletics Rocco Constantino expressed excitement about the Athletics Hall of Fame and the first class of inductees.
“Middlesex College has a tradition of athletic excellence that goes back decades, and we have a long list of outstanding candidates who deserve this recognition,” said Constantino. “The inaugural class of a Hall of Fame is very special, and the group whom has been selected represents the ‘best of the best’ of the Colts family.”
Edmonds hailed from Woodbridge and attended Middlesex College from 1974-1976.
He was a standout on the men’s indoor and outdoor track and field teams.
During his freshman year at Middlesex College, he claimed the region championship as a pole vaulter.
Edmonds still holds the pole-vaulting record at the College after 46 years of competition.
During his sophomore year, he repeated as region champion in the pole vault and competed in the National Championships.
Edmonds also qualified for Nationals in the high jump, recording a jump of 6’0” despite standing 5’6” inches tall. He placed eighth out of 16 jumpers nationally.
While at Middlesex College, Edmonds also excelled in the long jump and 4 x 110 events.
Meads, a native of Monroe Township, New Jersey, was a left-handed pitcher and became the first player in Middlesex College history to play Major League Baseball.
Meads, a Monroe High School graduate, was drafted by the Houston Astros in the sixth round of the 1984 Major League Baseball January Draft.
The southpaw harbored a dream to pitch in the big leagues and on April 13, 1987, he appeared in his first game with the Astros.
Meads won two-thirds of his major league games, recording an 8-4 overall pitching record. He now lives in California.
Romanovsky, a former J.P. Stevens High School student-athlete from Edison, participated in the 1996 and 1997 seasons for the Colts softball team and was among the most dominant pitchers in Region XIX.
A hard-throwing pitcher with a devastating drop pitch in her arsenal, Romanovsky set Middlesex College’s career records for strikeouts in a season with 256, respectively, along with records in single season (22), career wins (42), single season earned run average (1.61), and career earned run average (2.05) during her time as a student-athlete.
Romanovsky was named an NJCAA All-American, as well as Region XIX Player of the Year, leading the team to the Region XIX postseason in both of her seasons.
She now lives in Ocean County.
A native of Edison, Sacchi served as the head wrestling coach at Middlesex College for 23 seasons and had a record of 280-59-4, including three undefeated seasons.
With that record, he became the second all-time winningest two-year college coach in the nation.
Sacchi’s wrestling campaigns produced 39 junior college All-Americans and five national champions.
His teams won 38 tournament championships, placed second 24 times, and captured 160 individual championships.
Under Sacchi, Middlesex College wrestling found a home in the top 20 polls 17 times and placed fourth in the nation in 1973, 1983, and 1986.
Zifchak, most notably known for his commitment and dedication to Middlesex College athletics for 34 years, was a long-time administrator and coach.
Zifchak was considered one of the trail blazers of two-year college athletics.
Zifchak began his career at then-Middlesex County College in 1968 as an adjunct faculty member and director of athletics.
Upon his arrival, he established several women’s sports for female students at Middlesex College.
Zifchak’s vision for women’s sports predated Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, which helped to create more opportunities in athletics for women.
During Zifchack’s tenure at Middlesex College, teams accumulated over 60 team championships across several sports.
“The inductees represent excellence in men’s and women’s sports as well as service to the College,” said Constantino. “When looking at the inaugural class, I think about how many students Coach Sacchi and the late Mr. Zifchack impacted over the years. I think of how Mr. Edmonds not only excelled at Middlesex, but how he returned here as an athletic trainer and how much he has done for students and coaches over the years. I also think of the excellence Ms. Romanovsky and Mr. Meads showed while competing here and the success they had beyond Middlesex College.”
The Middlesex College Athletics Hall of Fame is dedicated to fostering an appreciation for the role sports play in contributing to the student-athlete college experience. The Hall of Fame honors athletes, coaches, athletic administrators, and community leaders who have brought fame or honor to Middlesex College through their involvement in athletics. For more information and sponsorship opportunities regarding the Middlesex College Athletics Hall of Fame, please visit Middlesex College Athletics Hall of Fame or contact the athletics office at 732.906.2558.
