Youngstown State University

When you look at the family bloodline, it's easy to understand why this year's gold inductee is Rick Jones Jr. his dad, Rick Jones Sr. is one of the greatest golfers to ever come out of Youngstown and more recently was inducted into the Ohio State University Athletics Hall of Fame. While he might only be the second best golfer in his household, he was arguably one of the all time greats to ever "tee-it-up" for the Penguins. A graduate of nearby Ursuline High School where he was the low man of the 1975 OHSAA (Ohio High School Athletic Association) State Championship team, his exploits on the links for the Penguins garnered him a trip to the NCAA tournament where he placed ninth in the Division II tournament in 1981, earning All America honors. He played for three different coaches during his stay at YSU. In 1979 the team went from playing a dual meet schedule to strictly tournament play and it was head coach Eugene "Duke" Barrett who made the transition a smooth one. The team posted a 56-18-0 mark, a sparkling .757 winning percentage. The very next season he played under the tutelage of Tom Ciminelli, the team registering a 54-32-1 ledger. As a senior, it was head coach Helen Mines leading the team to a 65-24-0 mark, Jones making it to the NCAA/Division II tournament and earning All America honors in the process. As a senior, he won two individual titles, the Slippery Rock invitational and Indiana (PA) University IMP Classic, the team posting 174-75-1 tournament ledger during his stay. He is married to the former Jeanne Creatore of Youngstown, and is the father of three children: Alexandra (5), Morgan (3), and Griffin Ross (6 months).