Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/306201
Four was the third-place trophy. It's a three-handled, silver-plated cup about 10 inches high with a circumference of 9 inches. For years, the trophy was on dis- play somewhere in Rec Hall, either in a hallway trophy case or an office, and then it disappeared. I found it in 2000, buried deep in a dust-covered box in a cluttered room underneath the Rec Hall bleachers, while looking for memorabilia for the Penn State All-Sports Museum. Dozens of other mostly nondescript trophies from long-forgotten events were in that dark room, and when I picked up the dusty, tarnished trophy, I felt like I had found the Holy Grail. I had the trophy reconditioned, and we displayed it prominently in the muse- um's second-floor basketball exhibit. Shortly after I found the trophy, I told Jack. His eyes lit up like a kid on Christ- mas morning. "And I have the Final Four ball signed by all the players and coach- es," he said. "I'll loan that to the muse- um." The Final Four trophy and Jack's bas- ketball are still there, and Jack loved to bring guests to the museum and show them the two precious mementos. I knew Jack's health was deteriorating, particularly after the death of his wife, Helen, in 2010. When I saw him the last time with Bobby Hoffman at the basket- ball alumni reunion, he didn't talk much. Bobby said, "He's losing it." Jack moved in with his oldest daughter in the Philadelphia suburb of Drexel Hill a few months later, and that's where he died on March 31. Jack Sherry may be gone. But if you visit the All-Sports Museum, make sure you see the Final Four trophy and Jack's basketball. And if you believe in the spiritual world, you can be sure Jack is there watching you – smiling and wish- ing he could tell you himself about the miracle of 1954. ■ PRATO FROM PAGE 56 ALL SPORTS Penn State second in Directors' Cup chase After claiming NCAA titles in fencing and wrestling, Penn State moved into second place in the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup Standings with a total of 792 points. The men's and women's basket- ball teams and swimming and div- ing teams also contributed to the updated point total. Stanford leads the Directors' Cup with 997.75 points, while Wisconsin (680), Notre Dame (673.25) and North Carolina (650) make up the rest of the top five. Points are awarded based on each university's finish in up to 20 sports (10 men's and 10 women's).