50th Anniversary of Women's Athletics at Binghamton University
Profile: Jennifer Gaeta Wegmann '94, MA '00, PhD '18, basketball player, coach, lecturer
Brief: A native of Binghamton, N.Y., Jennifer Gaeta Wegmann has been a mainstay on campus for 27 years, serving in equally noted roles as a student-athlete, coach, lecturer and mother of two accomplished BU baseball players (Nick and T.J.). A Hall of Fame basketball player, Wegmann was a two-time Division III All-American forward who averaged a double-double during her two-year career as a Colonial.
After graduating in 1994 with a biology degree, she became an assistant coach, helping steer the women's basketball program to three consecutive NCAA tournament berths in 1996, 1997 and 1998.
Wegmann began teaching in the Health and Wellness Studies Department in 1998 and received her master's degree in social science in 2000. She became an ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist in 2001. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy degree from Binghamton's School of Community and Public Affairs in 2018. She teaches health and wellness courses to engage students in the development of personal tools important for long-long health. She was voted one of the top 300 College Professors by the Princeton Review.
Accomplishments on Wegmann's Hall of Fame plaque
After transferring to BU from Division I Iona, Gaeta produced two of the most dominating seasons of any player in program history. In 1992-93 and 1993-94, the 5-foot-9 forward earned honorable mention All-America honors and University "Athlete of the Year" honors.
As a junior, Gaeta averaged a "double-double" with 15.8 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. Her inside play resulted in a BU-best 22-6 record, and she was also named first team All-SUNYAC and All-ECAC.
One year later as team captain, Gaeta averaged 19.0 points with 12.9 rebounds per game — both school records at the time — and was selected both first team All-SUNYAC and first team All-ECAC. Her rebound average ranked Gaeta among the nation's top-20.
In just two seasons, she moved into third place in career scoring with 917 points, and graduated in fourth place in career rebounding with 637. Her two season rebound totals of 322 and 315 remain the highest in program history, as does her career average of 12.0 boards per game.
Gaeta holds or shares seven school records, including points (38), rebounds (23) and field goals (16) in a single game. Her 17.3 scoring average ranks third after 26 years of basketball at the University.
During her tenure, BU averaged 18 wins, and advanced to the ECAC Championship game in 1993.
