Hall of Fame
Sidney L. Wells Jr. is the only Raider in school history to win three consecutive Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) titles in the shot put, a duration of time that spans nearly one full century. Wells was a distinguished two-sport athlete who competed in football and track & field from 1957-60.
In track and field, Wells featured as a thrower and his premier event was the shot put. As a freshman in 1957, Wells was the conference runner-up. His streak of three consecutive conference titles began in 1958 and lasted through 1960. His first conference title was integral in helping Shippensburg win the overall team conference championship in 1958.
In Wells’ first season on the football field, Shippensburg won the Pennsylvania Conference Co-Championship in 1957 by posting a 6-0-1 overall record. In 1959, Wells’ senior season, he finished second on the team in rushing.
A native of Chambersburg, Wells was a tremendous high-school athlete who was accomplished in basketball and baseball in addition to football and track & field. He was a 1956 South Penn Conference First Team basketball player, and he broke the South Penn Conference record in the shot put as a senior with a throw of 46 feet, 3 inches.
Wells graduated from Shippensburg in 1960 with a Bachelor of Science in Education and teacher’s certification in English, social studies, and geography. Wells later earned a master’s degree in administration and supervision from Newark State (Kean) College.
Wells worked for more than 30 years as a teacher and a school administrator who championed the accomplishments of his students while working tirelessly to foster a suitable environment for their development. His teaching career began in Neptune, N.J., in the elementary level. He later served Neptune Intermediate School before an appointment as vice principal of Neptune Junior High.
Wells later became the principal of Asbury Park Middle School and was a long-time administrator in the Asbury Park School District. In 1989, Wells’ school was honored as one of the most accomplished urban middle schools in New Jersey. Wells retired in the early 1990s. In 1992, Wells received Shippensburg University’s Distinguished Alumni Award.
Wells passed away in 2023. He and his wife Conchita were the proud parents of three daughters – Debora, Pamela and Cindy – and one son, William.
PSAC Championships Competition
• 4-Time PSAC Placewinner
• 4-Time All-PSAC
• 3-Time PSAC Champion
1960 Outdoor – Shot (1st)
1959 Outdoor – Shot (1st)
1958 Outdoor – Shot (1st)
1957 Outdoor – Shot (2nd)
