THE CANDIDATES FOR 2011

Dennis Butzow – Nominated for basketball. A former St. Edward High School standout, Butzow helped lead the Green Wave boys to a combined 50-5 record in 1971-72 and 1972-73. St. Edward advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history in 1972, then lost a six-overtime thriller to Kaneland in a 1973 sectional final. Kaneland went on to finish second in the state that season. Butzow was named Class A All-State by the Chicago Daily News as a senior-when the 6-foot-1 guard/forward averaged 18 points, six assists and eight rebounds a game. Butzow was named all-conference as a senior in basketball. He went on to play at Elgin Community College after he left St. John's University in Minnesota. At ECC, he was named MVP and all-conference in 1975.

Jon Charneskey – Nominated for handball. Charneskey, a 1957 graduate of Elgin High, is the only Elginite to have earned the coveted rank of Grand Master from the United States Handball Association. While this rank is only achieved by winning a minimum of 10 national championships, Charneskey has won 13 such championships through 2009. He has claimed the top honor four times in 4-wall singles play, eight times in 3-wall outdoor competition, and once in 4-wall doubles. In addition, Jon won a World Singles handball championship in 1999 and has earned 22 state handball championships in different levels of play.

Stacy Nagel Cheek – (Larkin High 1999) was a four year softball player for Larkin.  During that time, Stacy was a standout catcher and offensive performer.  She was named all-conference three times, including 1999 when Nagel was 1st team all-state, participated in the Senior Girls High School All-Star Classic Super 60, and was Fast Pitch World High School All-American.  She played for Mercer University (Division 1) for four years, where Stacy set numerous offensive records and and received most valuable player awards at four different college tournaments in addition to numerous conference honors.

George Clark – (Elgin High 1960) is nominated for his achievements in basketball.  Clark was the center for three years on outstanding Elgin High teams that won three conference titles, three regional and two sectional championships.  He was an All-State selection by the Chicago Daily News and the Champaign News-Gazette and ranked high in many offensive categories at the end of his career including most field goals (career), points for career, and average points per game for season.  George went on to play for three years with the Harlem Globetrotters, with whom he toured overseas and played throughout the United States.

Glenn Dallman – This Elgin High graduate is nominated for coaching. Dallman coached varsity wrestling for 20 seasons at Bryon and Stillman Valley high schools, amassing a 309-132-4 dual record. Glenn led three teams to the Elite Eight and placed 3rd in the state once. In addition, he coached 6 individual state champions, 20 individual place-winners and 42 individual state qualifiers. Dallman also wrestled on the 1961 Elgin High team which placed 6th in Illinois. He is a past inductee of the Illinois Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame.

Beth Fitchie – Beth Fitchie graduated from Larkin High in 1999 where she competed in varsity gymnastics for four years. During that time, Beth individually and/or part of an event team broke 17 school records. Out of 261 events entered in her career, she finished in the top three 158 times (61%), of which 78 were first places. Fitchie was All-Conference three times and qualified for state competition all four years. Injury prevented her from competing at state as a freshman, but as a sophomore Beth tied for 9th in floor exercise; as a junior, she finished 2nd in balance beam, 3rd in floor exercise, and 5th in All-Around; as a senior, she qualified in four events, finishing in 4th (tied) in the balance beam. School records that Fitchie set at Larkin were for the uneven bars, balance beam, all-around, and floor exercise (tie). School records set as part of an event team included vaulting, uneven bars, balance beam, floor exercise, and team score. Beth was named Female Athlete of the Year at Larkin in 1999. She was also nominated as a member of the National High School Prep All-American Team.

Jay Goedert – Jay Goedert is nominated as a friend of sports and for his work as an assistant coach. He graduated from Elgin High, where he played varsity basketball. Goedert spent 19 years coaching basketball, 12 of which were at the Collegiate Division 1 level. He served as assistant varsity coach at Elgin Community College prior to assisting Bill Chesbrough at Elgin High for five years. Jay became the assistant coach at Northern Illinois University for two years, then took an assistant position under Joey Meyer at DePaul University for 10 years. During this time, Goedert helped develop eight players who played in the NBA. He was the recipient of the NABC "Guardians of the Game" Merit Award (2000) and was named "Most Visible Assistant Coach in America" (1994) by "Hoop Scoop" magazine. Jay served as vice-president of the Assistant Coaches Committee of the NABC, was technical advisor on Gatorade's "Be Like Mike" commercials and the CBS TV movie "Dreambreakers." In addition, he was an instructor at numerous basketball camps in the Chicagoland area for over 20 years. In 2004 the Jay Goedert DePaul/NIU MVP Trophy was established in honor of his contributions to college basketball at those two institutions.

Bethany Goldsmith – Nominated for baseball. Bethany graduated from Elgin High School in 1944. She played for three seasons in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (subject of the film A League of Their Own), one of only two Elginites to play in the league. Goldsmith pitched for the Kenosha Comets from 1948-1950. In 1948, she pitched in 31 games and 245 innings, had a record of 14 wins and 14 losses, and ERA of 1.62, and striking out 117 hitters. The following year, Bethany pitched in 29 games and 179 innings, with a record of 8 wins and 11 losses and an ERA of 3.16. In her final year (1950), she appeared in 27 games for 198 innings pitched, won 12 and lost 9, with an ERA of 3.68. Her career record in 87 games was 34 wins and 34 losses, with an ERA of 2.72. Goldsmith was also a member of an All-American girls team that toured Central America.

Richard Hersey – Nominated for football. Hersey rushed for a school record 1,386 yards and scored a record 18 touchdowns for Elgin in 1976 and was first-team All Upstate Eight Conference. He went on to star at De Anza Junior College in California, setting several school records. He was voted All State and was an All-American at De Anza, finishing as leading career rusher in the Golden Gate Conference with 2,636 yards. That eclipsed the previous record held by Pro Football Hall of Famer O.J. Simpson. Hersey lead the GGC in rushing in both 1977 and '78 and scored 13 touchdowns in each of those seasons. He rushed for 1,168 yards in '77 and 1,468 in '78. He went on to play at the University of Arizona, where he played in the 1980 Fiesta Bowl. As a junior in 1979, he rushed for 561 yards on 111 carries, a 5.1 yards per-game average. The third leading rusher on the team, he also scored four touchdowns and caught six passes for 38 yards. His senior season he rushed for 252 yards on 56 carries with five touchdowns. Four of the TDs came in a 63-35 win over Pacific, which tied an Arizona record for most rushing TDs in a game.

Gregg Hofstetter – (Larkin High 1981) was a standout performer in track for three seasons during which he set school records in the 200 meters, 400 meters, and as part of the 800 meter relay team.  Gregg won four events at both the district and conference meets in 81 when he was named to the Suburban Tribune All-Star Track and Field Team.  Hofstetter then attended Cornell University and was a four year letterman in track.  He was the recipient of the Team's Top Sprinter Award in 84 and earned conference honors as All-Ivy League in 1983 and 1985.

Scott Hofstetter – (Larkin High 1978) performed on track teams that won two indoor and two outdoor championships at Larkin.  Scott set school records in the high hurdles, low hurdles, and anchored the school record 4 x 400 relay team.  Hofstetter won eight conference and county titles and competed in the state competition in five events over two years.  He was the leading point scorer in Larkin High track history and received the Outstanding Male Athlete of the Year Award at Larkin in 1978.

Steve James – Nominated as a friend of sports. The Elgin High School graduate and bowling journalist is an inductee of the hall of fames of the American Bowling Congress, the Illinois Bowling Association, the Elgin Bowling Association and the Greater Rockford Bowling Association. Inducted into the ABC Hall of Fame in 2005, he joined the ABC in 1970 and moved up through the ranks to eventually become the organization's public relations manager, supervising all phases of ABC communications. A former sports editor at The Courier News, James served as the ABC Hall of Fame executive director for 25 years (1977-2002) and played a key role in developing the non-professional and pioneer divisions of the Hall. He also served on the Hall of Fame boards for the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) and Professional Women's Bowlers Association (PWBA) and was asked to rewrite their constitutions, nominating and election procedures. James earned honorary membership from the PBA in 1972 and co-authored two editions of the book "Bowlers Guide."He also is a member of the Bowling Writers Association of America, previously serving as president.

Frank Jemsek – Nominated as a friend of sports. Jemsek, taking over for his father Joe, now serves as the president of the family corporations that operate four golf courses: St. Andrews in West Chicago; Cog Hill, site of the Western Open; Pine Meadow in Mundelein and Summer Grove in Newton, GA. Jemsek, who attended St. Edward's High School for two years, graduating in 1959, gave Cog Hill to the Western Golf Association rent free in 1991 for the Western Open. It meant adding $150,000 per year to the Evans Scholars Foundation for caddies because that was the amount Butler National Golf Club was charging the WGA for rent for the tournament previously. Jemsek also donated land to the Chicago District Golf Association to build the Midwest Golf Complex and three-hole golf course for First Tee, a nationwide youth golf program. Twelve high schools use Jemsek courses as their home playing sites for matches and practices at no charge. Jemsek, who played golf and basketball at St. Edward, received the Distinguished Service Award of the Illinois Turfgrass Foundation, is an honorary member of the Illinois Section of the PGA and also received the Distinguished Service Award of CDGA.

Gary Kane – (Elgin High 1958) was an all-state performer in both football and basketball at Elgin.  As a halfback, Kane was a Big 8 All-Conference selection from the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Daily News Conference Coaches Poll.  He received All-State honors from the Chicago Tribune and Champaign News-Gazette and was a 1st Team selection on Coach Emery Ebbert's All-Time EHS Football Team.  In basketball, Gary played forward and received All-Conference honors his senior year from the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago American, and Conference Coaches Poll.  In addition, he was named All-State by Champaign News-Gazette and to the State All-Tournament Team.  Kane was also named to Bill Chesbrough's All-Time EHS Basketball Team.  He attended the University of Michigan where he played football for two years and basketball one year.

Kerri Kerber – Kerri Kerber graduated from Larkin High in 1991, where she excelled in softball for three seasons. Kerber was an important part of the Larkin teams that won regional titles in 1990 and 1991. Kerri was named to All-Conference teams in 1990 and 91, selected to All-Area teams in 1989 and 1991, and was All-Area Honorable Mention in 1990. In addition, she was pickedfor the Chicago Tribune-Coca Cola All-Star Team in 1991. Kerber also played for the Elgin Big League softball team that won the state championship in 1992 and went on to the Central States Regionals. She attended Northern Illinois University and made the softball team as a walk on, playing for the varsity for three seasons (1994-1996). During that time, Kerri made the All-Midwestern Collegiate Conference Second Team for the 1995 season. The following year, she had a .333 batting average and led the team in RBI, playing a key role in NIU's conference championship. Kerri was named to the All-Midwestern Collegiate Conference First Team in 1996 as well as the Midwestern Collegiate Conference All-Tournament Team. Additional honors included being named 1996 MCC Player of the Year and to the All-Great Lakes Region Second Team.

James Kossakowski – James Kossakowski, a three sport varsity athlete and 1988 Larkin High graduate, is nominated for wrestling. He was a four year varsity wrestler, compiling 91 wins in his high school career. In his junior year, Kossakowski had a record of 30 wins and eight losses and completed the season with a 6th place finish at the state tournament in the 145 lb. weight class. The following year, James had 38 wins and finished the state tournament with a 2nd place medal in the 155 lb. weight class. He was named Larkin High Male Athlete of the Year for 1987-1988. Kossakowski attended Northern Illinois University, where he was a four year letter winner in wrestling. As a freshman, he won 20 matches and had 4th place finishes in the NCAA West Regional and the Tombstone Open Tournaments. James followed that with 20 victories his sophomore year and a 19 victory season as a junior when he took 2nd place in conference in the 167 lb. weight class. His 27 wins and 9 losses as a senior left him one victory away from All-American status. During that season, he took 2nd place in the NCAA West Regionals and earned a spot in the NCAA Championships. Kossakowski was named N. I. U. Most Valuable Wrestler for the 1992-1993 season. He qualified for the Olympic trials in Roman-Greco style wrestling in 1992.

Harold "Booty" Lange – Nominated for horseshoe pitching. He is the only Elginite that is an inductee of the Illinois Horseshoe Pitchers Association Hall of Fame, having been inducted in 2000. Competing since 1930, he was a top pitcher in Illinois State tournaments, competing in the A Class eight times and finishing as high as fifth twice (1981,1991). He also competed in the state B Class eight times taking a first, a second and fourth twice. He competed in seven World Tournaments finishing runner-up once in D Class and fourth in E Class individually. He also was a member of two fourth-place World Tournament teams. In 1942, Lange and Elgin Sports Hall of Fame charter inductee Frank " Lefty" Breen combined to set a world record at Wing Park, throwing 4326 ringers in a 16-hour marathon. Lange also competed in hundreds of other tournaments in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Florida and Kentucky with numerous first and second place finishes. In 1989, Lange earned a gold medal for his specialty at the National Senior Olympics in St. Louis.

Alan Lettow – Al was a 1967 graduate of Larkin High and was the school's first All-State football player as a fullback and linebacker. He was named All-State by the Rockford Register and Champaign News-Gazette. In addition, Al was special mention All-State by the Chicago Daily News, a Chicago Tribune Prep All-Star, Fox Valley All-Star, and 1st Team All-Conference. Lettow was also listed as a Prep All-America honorable mention. He was named to the All-Time Larkin High School Football Team in a poll conducted by the Courier News. He earned a four year football scholarship to the University of Wisconsin, where he played at running back, linebacker and punter before having his career shortened by knee injuries. While at Larkin, Lettow was also an outstanding track athlete. He was All-Conference Champion in the shot put and as a member of the 880 yard relay team. Al was a member of three county and district team champions in track, qualified for the state track meet five times, twice in the shot put and three times in the 880 relay, and finished 10th in the state for the shot put as a senior. During his career, he set the school record for the shot put at 58 feet 2 inches and was a member of school record 440 and 880 yard relay teams.

Lowell Miller – Nominated for ice speed skating, Lowell was a top speed skater when he moved to Elgin from Minnesota in the mid-1930s. After moving here, Miller competed in many meets including those held at the Lords Park lagoon. He won Tri-State championships while competing in Elgin in 1936, 1937, 1938 and 1940. As a senior at Elgin High, Lowell won the intermediate division of the National Outdoor Championship as well as the Great Lakes Tournament at Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, by taking 1st in the mile events, 2nd in the 3/4 mile, 1st in the 1/2 mile and 2nd in the 1/4 mile. He scored 100 points in these meets, 40 more than the nearest competitor. In 1938, as an 18-year-old amateur, he finished ninth in the 5000-meter qualifying races at the U.S. Olympic Trials at Lake Fowler in Oconomowoc. In 1939, Miller won the Minnesota State Championship and the North American Championship. In 1940, he won the Chicago Tribune Silver Skates race.

Raul Rodriquez – Nominated for gymnastics. Rodriguez excelled in gymnastics at Larkin High School. A three-time state qualifier, he won the Royals'Most Valuable Gymnast award all four years in school. His highest state finish was 14th in the floor exercise his senior season. He went on to the University of Illinois, where the Illini twice won Big Ten championships and twice qualified the entire team for the NCAA finals. Rodriguez was a Big Ten finalist two of those years, placing eighth in the floor exercise in 1980. He graduated in 1983. He was also a member of the Mexican National team from 1980-83 and was a Caribbean Games silver medallist in 1982.

Dave Russell – Nominated for wrestling. Russell, a 1961 graduate of Elgin High, became the Maroons' first state wrestling champion, finishing 31-0 in the 180-pound weight class during his senior season. Russell won the Big Eight Conference title, in addition to the district and sectional titles that same season. He helped the Maroons to a sixth-place finish as a team at the state tournament. Dave earned a freshman letter in 1962 at the University of Illinois and lettered twice on the varsity in 1963 and 1964 while wrestling up as a heavyweight.

Eric Sauceda – Nominated for basketball. A graduate of St. Edward High School (1991), Eric set a single game scoring record of 43 points, a single season record of 716 points, and varsity scoring record with 1866 points. His three year varsity career scoring average was 21.3 points per game. In addition, he was Illinois #1 three-point scorer for Class "A" in 1990-91. Eric was named All-State in Class "A" by the Sun-Times in 1990, on the Illinois Coaches Class "A" All-Star Team in 1991, was named Suburban Catholic League All-Conference in 1989, 1990, 1991, and was the Northwest Daily Herald Class "A" Player of the Year in 1991. Eric was elected to the St. Edward Hall of Fame in 1998.

Ryan Sienko – (Larkin High 1993) has been nominated for baseball.  Sienko was a member of four consecutive conference championships at Larkin.  He was a two time unanimous all-conference selection as catcher, a Courier News Player of the Year, Chicago Sun-Times All-State choice, and a member of the Illinois High School Coaches Association All-Star Team in 93.  Ryan then played four years at the University of Iowa before playing in the Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox farm systems.  He also played for the Joliet Jackhammers in 2002-2003 and was the first player inducted into the Jackhammers Hall of Fame.

Bob Sisler – Bob Sisler, a 1969 graduate of Elgin High, is nominated for coaching. Bob served as head wrestling coach at Arapahoe High School in Littleton, Colorado, for 32 years. During that time, his teams won over 300 dual meets, with 102 wrestlers being state qualifiers. He has coached 32 state placers, three state runner ups, and two state champions. As girls' head track and field coach for 24 years, Bob had 38 athletes finish in the top six places, with three individual state champions, along with a state record setting state champion relay team. In six years as a boys' and girls' pole vaulting coach, seven boys and 10 girls qualified for state competition, four of whom finished in 2nd place and two being state champions. Sisler has also served as a varsity assistant football coach for 32 years. He has been inducted into the Arapahoe Coaches Hall of Fame. In addition, Bob has earned a United States Wrestling Federation Bronze Level Coaching endorsement, as well as a Silver Level endorsement.

Clint Sjurset – Clint is nominated for horseshoe pitching. In the 1970's and 80's, Sjurset dominated horseshoes in league play and tournaments locally and throughout the state. He won over 40 Class A championships in his career. Among those, Clint won at least 10 Northern Illinois Horseshoe League championships and at least three tournaments. In addition, he was 3rd in the 1973 Illinois State Championships. In competition at the Illinois State Fair, Sjurset was the 1979 Class B state champ, the 1980 Class A state champ, and finished in second place in Class A in 1981 and 1983. Additional A championships included tournaments at Big Rock, Joliet, Morris, Aurora, and Galesburg in Illinois. In Wisconsin, he won numerous firsts and seconds at Goldendale, Germantown, Gem Suburban, Eagle, and Janesville. In 2006, Sjurset was nominated for the Illinois Horseshoe Pitchers Hall of Fame.

Phil Sokody – Nominated for basketball. Sokody, an Elgin High grad who was the fifth leading scorer on the 1956-57 team that went 27-1, went on to play basketball at Lake Forest College. He was team captain both his junior and senior seasons and team MVP his senior year, when he averaged 17.4 points per game. He scored 1,023 points in his four-year college career, was an All-College Conference of Illinois first-team selection two years and was inducted into the Lake Forest College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995.

Randy Swinford – Nominated for coaching. Swinford, a 1972 graduate of Elgin High, has served on the coaching staff at Princeton (IL) since 1976. As head wrestling coach from 1983-2008, Randy has 333 dual meet wins. During that time, he had 30 individual N.C.I.C. Conference champions. In addition, 52 of his wrestlers qualified for the state, 22 being medalists, including seven 2nd place and six state champions. Swinford was inducted into the Illinois Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame in 2007 and has served as regional representative of the IHSA wrestling advisory committee four different times. He also served as a football coach for 19 years, six of them as head coach. During his tenure as head coach, Princeton High (12-2) took 2nd place in the IHSA Class 3A state playoffs in 1989. The football team (9-3) made it to the IHSA Class 3A quarterfinals in 1993. That season, Swinford served as an assistant coach for the Shriner's Illinois High School football game.

David Wurm – Nominated for football. Wurm helped lead St. Edward High School to its first state football playoff appearance in 1983. A Chicago Sun-Times Little All-State selection as a junior, Wurm, a lineman, earned All-State recognition from both the Sun-Times and the Champaign News-Gazette his senior season, was a second team Catholic High School All-American and received honorable mention Parade High School All-American. He also threw the shot put and the discus at St. Edward, twice winning conference discus titles. He placed eighth in the IHSA Class A state finals in 1983 and second in 1984, when he set the school record with a throw of 177 feet, 3 inches. Wurm earned a football scholarship to Vanderbilt University where he started four seasons and was a co-captain his senior year. During his career, Dave amassed 111 solo tackles, 55 assists, 166 total tackles, 2 fumble recoveries, and 15 tackles for lost yardage.