From left to right: John D’Augustine, Jessica Lesagonicz and Terry Pearson (representing David Becker)
The Exeter Township School District inducted John D’Augustine, Jessica Lesagonicz and David Becker into its Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, February 1, 2025. The inductees were honored during a ceremony at halftime of the Exeter Boys Basketball game against Manheim Township at Exeter Township Senior High school.
John D’Augustine had a standout career on the football field and on the track as a three-year letter winner in each sport. The 1972 graduate helped lead the 1970 football team to a 9-0 record and Inter-County League title. D’Augustine averaged 10 yards a carry and scored 13 touchdowns. He set school records with 831 yards rushing and nine interceptions as a defensive back. His season highlight was a 217-yard rushing, four-touchdown, three-interception game in a 32-18 win over Daniel Boone. D’Augustine was named 1st team All-Inter-County team as an offensive back and defensive back and was All-Berks 1st team offensive back and 2nd team defensive back. As a senior, he earned All-I-C 2nd team honors as a running back and 1st team honors as a defensive back. D’Augustine’s teams went 22-4, finishing second in the I-C his sophomore and senior seasons.
Jessica Lesagonicz, a 2001 graduate, helped bring the Eagles to the forefront of girls bowling in Berks County. A four-year letter winner, she completed her high school career on a high note, capturing the Berks girls tournament title her junior and senior seasons. She claimed All-Berks and All-State honors while leading the Eagles to Berks and state team titles in 2000, and Berks and state runners-up finishes in 2001. She finished first in all events at states both seasons. The Eagles were Berks and state runners-up her freshman season and Berks champs her sophomore year. Her scholastic prominence catapulted her to a successful college, amateur and pro career. She led her Lindenwood University team to an ITC National title in 2006 as a senior, earning a spot on the all-tourney team and All-American honorable mention. Lesagonicz bowled in three U.S. Women’s Opens. She competed at 15 events in two years on the PWBA Tour–11in her first season in 2016, finishing 64th in points.
David Becker was an outstanding athlete and all-around student in the early days of Exeter Township Senior High School. Becker, a member of the school’s graduating class in 1959, lettered in baseball and basketball each for three seasons during a scholastic sports era in Berks County which did not yet recognize all-league or all-county teams in many sports. Becker helped make school history when he became the quarterback on the school’s first football team, which joined the Inter-County League in 1958, his senior year. The Eagles went 2-7 that season. An engineering major at Lafayette College, he was a two-year letterman as a pitcher on the Leopards’ baseball team. Becker went on to become a college football official in the prestigious Pacific-10 Conference (PAC-10) for 26 years on the field and three in the booth on instant replay. During that time, he was honored to have officiated a remarkable 22 bowl games. He was inducted posthumously and was represented by his high school friend and nominator, Terry Pearson.
The Exeter Township School District has inducted athletes into its Athletic Hall of Fame since 1990, honoring athletes and teams who achieve significant and memorable athletic accomplishments during their time at Exeter Township Senior High school, collegiately, and/or professionally. During the 2023-24 school year, the district inducted 13 members of the 1981 Girls’ Cross Country team along with their coach, Donald Bickel.