Indiana University of Pennsylvania Athletics

No player in the history of IUP tennis won more matches—singles and doubles—than Jim Welker. The three-time All-American compiled a 60-9 record in singles and was 56-12 in doubles for an overall record of 116-21.

Welker went 13-1 during his freshman season as coach Vince Celtnieks’ No. 2 singles player and again finished 13-1 as a sophomore. Then he actually improved.

During his junior year, Welker went 16-0 in singles before suffering his only defeat in the PSAC tournament finals. He was also 16-0 in doubles with partner Brad Hanes before they fell in the PSAC finals. Welker was instrumental in helping IUP finish with a 14-2 record—the best in program history—and place second in the conference. A finance major with minors in accounting and economics, he was named a PSAC Scholar Athlete.

In 1989, Celtnieks moved Welker to the No. 1 singles slot, where he faced stiffer competition. He finished 13-3 in singles, highlighted by a victory over Edinboro’s Kaleem Ghanchi, a Davis Cup participant for Pakistan. Welker came back from a 5-0 deficit in the third set to win the match, 2-6, 7-5, 7-5. He also played in the No. 1 doubles slot that season with partner Sebastian van den Boogaard.

Welker was again named a PSAC Scholar Athlete. He graduated with a 3.31 grade-point average, was accorded Division II Academic All-America honors and was one of only five players from a Division II school named to the Volvo Academic All-America team.

Welker graduated from IUP in 1989 with a degree in finance. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Dayton School of Law in 1992 and has been a practicing attorney with the Pittsburgh firm of Jubelirer, Pass & Intrieri, P.C. since 1995. Welker has been recognized by the Best Lawyers in America every year since 2012 in the practice of Workers’ Compensation law.

He and his wife, Laurie Sims, reside in Seven Fields.
 

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 Personal Reflection: 

Thank you to the IUP Athletics Hall of Fame selection committee for choosing me for this honor and to all those who supported my nomination, including Coach [Vince] Celtnieks and my former teammates. 

My love of tennis was instilled in me as a child, playing with my father. That carried me through to junior tennis and high school, where competitiveness paved the way for my future achievements. Tennis, especially in singles competition, is thought of as an individual sport. But during my four years at IUP, I developed a deeper sense of teamwork and camaraderie as we played matches and traveled as a team. This became the foundation for lifelong friendships fostered through tennis, platform tennis, golf and community service through Rotary.

Athletics and competition have also served me well in my professional life. They shaped my work ethic and a healthy respect for the opposition that allowed me to succeed as an attorney. 

I want to thank my wife, Laurie, for her unwavering support and encouragement. Frankly, I owe most of my success to her. I also want to thank my family, friends, teammates and coaches for their support, encouragement and fellowship on and off the court. Congratulations to all the past and current inductees.