For Jan Ujevich Bellhy, being in water was as
natural as walking down the street.
Starting at the tender age of 11, she began swimming competitively
and as a member of the Sewickley YMCA team, she won first place in the
50 yard freestyle at the Pennsylvania State YMCA championship meet
and, one year later as a 12 year old, set two national YMCA
records for the 11 to 12 year old girls in the 50 yard backstroke and
the 200 yard individual medley. In April of 1974, Jan tied the
national AAU record for her age group in the 50 meter freestyle and
broke the 50 meter breaststroke record at Richmond, Virginia. Jan
then joined the Pitt Aquatic Club and began competing in earnest in
meets across the United States. As a member of the US traveling
team, she competed in February of 1977 in Paris, France, and in
December of 1977 in East Berlin, East Germany, where she won the
gold medal in the 200 meter breaststroke. Jan was also the
WPIAL and PIAA champion in the two events, the 100 meter
breaststroke and the 200 meter individual medley in the three years
she participated (1976, 1977, and 1978). In 1975, she was a finalist
in the World Championship Trials and a finalist at the Olympic
Trials in 1976. She was an All State selection for three years and
an AAU All American for four years. Jan continued her career first at
the University of Florida and then at the University of Pittsburgh,
where she was an MVP, Female Athlete of the Year, Big East MVP, and
All American. Jan graduated Cum Laude from Pitt in 1983 and
received her law degree from Duquesne University in 1987.
For Jan Ujevich Bellhy, being in water was as
natural as walking down the street.
Starting at the tender age of 11, she began swimming competitively
and as a member of the Sewickley YMCA team, she won first place in the
50 yard freestyle at the Pennsylvania State YMCA championship meet
and, one year later as a 12 year old, set two national YMCA
records for the 11 to 12 year old girls in the 50 yard backstroke and
the 200 yard individual medley. In April of 1974, Jan tied the
national AAU record for her age group in the 50 meter freestyle and
broke the 50 meter breaststroke record at Richmond, Virginia. Jan
then joined the Pitt Aquatic Club and began competing in earnest in
meets across the United States. As a member of the US traveling
team, she competed in February of 1977 in Paris, France, and in
December of 1977 in East Berlin, East Germany, where she won the
gold medal in the 200 meter breaststroke. Jan was also the
WPIAL and PIAA champion in the two events, the 100 meter
breaststroke and the 200 meter individual medley in the three years
she participated (1976, 1977, and 1978). In 1975, she was a finalist
in the World Championship Trials and a finalist at the Olympic
Trials in 1976. She was an All State selection for three years and
an AAU All American for four years. Jan continued her career first at
the University of Florida and then at the University of Pittsburgh,
where she was an MVP, Female Athlete of the Year, Big East MVP, and
All American. Jan graduated Cum Laude from Pitt in 1983 and
received her law degree from Duquesne University in 1987.