CHRISTOPHER
C. BATUS
1998 Inductee
Football
1987-90
The
primary responsibility of a defensive lineman
isn't so much to make tackles as it is to secure
an area so that the linebackers can step up
and make the plays. That's true for most men
in the trenches, but not Chris Batus, arguably
the greatest defensive lineman in the history
of the St. Francis program. Batus, from his
defensive tackle position, often times had control
of the opposing team's runner even before the
secondary line of defense could fill. 233 times
in his career, to be exact, to rank fifth on
the all-time tackle charts and first amongst
defensive linemen. Forty-one of those stops
required no assistance (eighth-best), while
on many of his 192 assists (fourth) he was the
lead man. And don't forget all the havoc he
caused in the backfield, where the career numbers
read: 11 sacks (sixth-best), 17 tackles for
loss (fifth) and a school-record 32 hurries.
If those numbers aren't amazing enough, consider
that he accrued such totals in just over three
seasons. Batus missed the final six games of
his freshman season and two more as a senior,
or nearly one full year, due to injuries. That,
however, did not stop him from earning both
NAIA All-District 20 and NAIA All-America honorable
mention accolades during his final two campaigns.
Batus, a 3.30 student, was also a first-team
choice of USA Today's NAIA All-America squad
during his junior season (1989) when he authored
a career-best 93 tackles and 12 hurries. One
year later, he rushed the quarterback 13 times
for the second-most hurries in school history
for a single season. A Computer Science major
who graduated in 1991, Batus serves as a computer
analyst for People's Gas, Light & Coke Company
in Chicago, where he also resides. He is single.
TOM
BAUMGARTNER
1994 Inductee
Baseball
1980-1983
What
better way to close out a career than to lead
your team to the NAIA World Series? How about
hitting a home run at the same event in your
last collegiate game? That's the feat Baumgartner
performed in putting an exclamation point to
not only his All-American senior campaign where
he batted .365 with a team-high 61 RBI's, but
to an illustrious three-year mark as a catcher
on the varsity level. All he did during that
time was to set Top Ten career marks in batting
average (.331, 9th on the all-time list), runs
batted in (183, 4th), doubles (43, 6th) and
home runs, where he fell just three behind the
mark of 38 set by another Hall-of-Famer, Kurt
Miller. In terms of seasonal records, the three-run
home run in that finale gave him 15 for the
season, which still ranks fourth on the all-time
list. His 20 doubles and 71 RBI's in the year
previous to that when he batted .326 also still
rank high in the annals of CSF baseball history.
With numbers like that, it was only coincidental
that he be named to the All-Conference Team
three straight years, including his honorary
'83 camapaign, where he was also selected to
the All-District and All-Area teams prior to
being recognized as the sixth of 13 CSF baseball
All-Americans. Nonetheless, to this day, it
is the CSF Alumni Association Scholar-Athlete
Award that Baumgartner covets the most, an accolade
he gained for authoring a 3.79 grade point average
as a Management and Marketing major. Today,
Baumgartner, along with his wife, Mimi, and
two children, Amanda (4) and Mitchell (2), reside
in Mundelein. He is employed as a Purchasing
Manager for American National Can in Elk Grove
Village.
BARBARA
BELL
1997 Inductee
Softball
1989-92
Ty
Cobb, the greatest hitter of all time with a
career average of .367, struck out just 357
times in 11,429 career at bats, or a mere 3.1
percent of the time. Barbara Bell, College of
St. Francis' third all-time leading hitter,
was better. Despite playing in a sport truly
dominated by pitchers, she averaged only 2.5
strikeouts per 100 official plate appearances
enroute to penning her name into the record
books in three career categories and one single-season
department. At the same time, she was a member
of teams that went 137-62 (.688 winning percentage),
including a 1989 squad which set the record
for wins in a season (43) and a 1992 World Series
qualifier. Bell, a second baseman, wasted little
time in proving herself both offensively and
defensively at the collegiate level recording
many of her personal-best numbers during her
inaugural campaign when she batted .398 with
72 hits (third on the single-season charts)
and fielded at a .973 clip. From there, she
went on to record the most hits in school history
with 204 before that record was broken this
past spring by a pair of all-americans in Angela
Roe (215) and Kerri Rochowicz (214). Bell now
sits third in that department, as well as in
career average with her .363 mark. In runs scored,
she ranks fifth crossing the plate 118 times
for tallies. A NAIA Academic All-America choice
during her junior season, Bell also boasted
a perfect four-for-four run on the all-District
20 and all-Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference
teams, which turned out to be just a continuation
of her high school-playing days when she was
named to both the all-conference and all-area
teams each of her final three varsity seasons.
An all-state selection for Hinsdale South High
School back in 1988, Bell, who is single, continues
to reside in her native Willowbrook, Illinois.
A 1992 graduate of St. Francis, who became a
Certified Public Accountant two years ago, she
is presently employed by Buffalo Grove-based
Indeck Energy Services as a senior accountant.
JULIA
KRUGER BLAIR
1995 Inductee
Volleyball
1983-86
The
triad is now complete with Julia Kruger Blair
entering the Hall of Fame this year. She, along
with teammates Debbie Walsh Wiseman and Sheavoun
Pivaronas Lambillotte, both of whom were inducted
over the course of the past three installments,
helped start a current run of nine straight
Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference titles
and championships at the district level in eight
of those years beginning in 1986. That same
team ranked as high as 11th in the national
polls. The third all-time leading attacker in
school history in terms of kills with 1,121,
Blair, a middle hitter, made her mark at the
district, conference and national level during
her four-year stay. A three-time choice of both
the All-Conference and All-District teams in
her final three seasons, Blair achieved one
of the highest honors at the collegiate level
when she was named as an NAIA National Scholar-Athlete
not once, but twice. She also gained induction
into Delta Epsilon Sigma, a National Scholastic
Honor Society, at St. Francis. A two-time co-captain,
as well, she is currently employed as an Internal
Control Manager for the Motorola Corporation
in Schaumburg. A Certified Public Accountant,
she is also a member of two professional societies,
the American Institute of CPA's and the Illinois
CPA Society. Her and her husband, Ken, reside
in Westmont.
STEVE
BLIM
1994 Inductee
Tennis
1978-81
Head
coach Lyle Hicks only needed one year of seasoning
before his troops were ready to make their way
onto the national tournament circuit courtesy
of Blim and former CSF Hall of Fame inductees,
Bob Tomasino (1991) and Lee Irvin (1993). One
year after starting the program in 1977, Hicks
recruited both Blim and Irvin and the rest was
history. The former, who played at the #4-#6
singles spot and teamed up with Jerry Witty
at #2 doubles for much of his career, went on
to make his way into the CSF record books in
12 separate categories, including the top marks
for most singles wins in a career (79) and most
doubles matches won (25 in 1978) and played
in a season (34 in 1978). He also holds Top
Three standings in overall wins (47), singles
wins (25), singles matches played (34), all
matches played (65) in a season and career marks
in overall wins (144) and overall matches played
(211). Numbers like those helped boost the Saints
to back-to-back 25th-place finishes and, individually,
led to both two conference and district championships,
not to mention NAIA Honorable Mention Academic
All-American status for Blim. Currently employed
as an Assistant Controller for Western Springs
National Bank & Trust, he is single and
resides in Joliet.
NICK
BOORAS
1992 Inductee
Basketball & Tennis
1973-1977
Booras
becomes the third member of the school's first-ever
conference champion basketball team (1974-75)
to enter the Hall of Fame. He now stands alongside
Randich and last year'' inductee, Bill Gerrish.
Booras, who scored a career-high 279 points
that season, had his most memorable moment on
December 17, 1974, when he came off the bench
to hit all 10 of his shots from the field in
a 96-81 victory over Judson. At the time, the
feat was a state record. Today, it still stands
as a CSF record. The career-high 20 points that
night was the first of three such games for
the forward. He would also record 20-point efforts
six nights later in a 108-80 win over Roosevelt
and again on January 20, 1976 in a 74-71 decision
over George Williams College. Other top five
marks include his 11 assists in a 72-61 victory
over IIT on February 2, 1977 to place him third
for most assists in a game, while his 111 games
played leaves him in the No. 5 spot on the all-time
list. Booras played tennis in his final two
seasons, 1976 and 1977, under the direction
of Lyle Hicks. He currently serves as the Postmaster
in Ottawa, Illinois, where he resides. He and
his wife, Pam, have two children, Katie (8)
and Kyle (7).
KIM
BRINKMAN
1993 Inductee
Basketball & Softball
1979-83
Karlene
DaRosa was starting the first-ever softball
program and Ann Hope was named head coach of
the fourth edition of the Lady Saints basketball
program in 1980. Both wanted to make their marks
early at the district and national level and
what better way to start that implementation
than to recruit a pair of twins, Kim and Carol
Brinkman. The result: Two NAIA District 20 titles
in the first three years of Hope's tutelage
and a second-place reading at the NAIA World
Series in the third year of the softball program
under then head coach Ed Serdar. A forward in
basketball, Kim Brinkman ranks fourth on the
all-time list in total points (1,277), with
a school-record 319 of those points coming on
free throws. In one game alone, she hit 15-of-18
free throws, also a school-best. A record-holder,
along with Colleen Fitzgerald for most games
played in a career (121), Brinkman fell one
notch behind the latter in best field goal percentage
for a season with her 53.3% efficiency rating
in the '80-81 campaign. For her career, she
averaged 10.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.
Little was lost in production when the season
moved to softball, especially in her initial
campaign when she batted .385 to earn All-District
accolades as a rightfielder. She still ranks
third on the all-time list in home runs (7)
and fifth in runs scored (100). A resident of
Wilmington, Brinkman, who is single, currently
serves as a Shift Supervisor for the Uno-Ven
Refinery in Lemont.
DYKE
BUERKETT
1999 Inductee
Basketball
1980-82
Had
St. Francis basketball coach Pat Sullivan traveled
further south on the recruiting trail back in
1978, he just might have had one of his "most
complete players" for the maximum four
seasons. The fact that he did not turned out
to be a blessing for St. Francis opponents,
not to mention those players who currently rank
among the elite in the St. Francis record books.
Sullivan did eventually make the ride down Interstate
55, but it came two years later, when he stopped
at Lincoln Land Community College, an hour north
of Dyke Buerkett's hometown of Hillsboro, Illinois.
A three-sport athlete at Hillsboro, Buerkett
made his name in basketball, where he was a
two-time all-conference selection and an honorable
mention all-state performer as a senior. After
a two-year stop at Lincoln Land, where he was
a two-year starter and all-region selection
as a sophomore, Buerkett arrived at St. Francis
in 1980. A spot starter at guard for the Saints
while learning their system during his junior
season, he finished the year averaging 8.0 points
per game, fifth-best on the squad. One winter
later, Buerkett posted one of the most complete
campaigns in St. Francis history recording top
12 single-season numbers in steals (51/4th),
field goal percentage (.544/11th) and free throw
percentage (.783/12th). Each of the former two
figures represented team highs with the field
goal mark enabling the Saints, as a team, to
register one of their top three shooting marks
for a season (.506). Buerkett's 61 assists also
led the team that year, a season in which he
garnered both all-conference and all-district
recognition, while averaging 14.3 points per
game. Buerkett's basketball success continues
to this day, but in the coaching ranks now.
A three-time coach of the year recipient during
his nine seasons as the head coach at his alma
mater, he led Hillsboro to its best-ever season
one year ago when the Hilltoppers went 30-1
and advanced to the Class A supersectional game.
Buerkett, an eighth grade social studies teacher
at Hillsboro Junior High School, earned a degree
in History from St. Francis in 1983. He and
his wife, Lyn, have three children, Quinn (10),
Haley (9) and Faith (5).
BRIAN
CAPODICE
1995 Inductee
Football
1986-88
You
meet football players in the funniest places.
Head coach Gordie Gillespie, when forming his
initial team back in 1986, met one of his first
recruits carrying a load of bricks into the
building which would eventually become the CSF
Recreation Center. If Gillespie would have only
known back then what this construction worker
would develop into three years down the road,
he might have hired the whole group of site
workers. Capodice, a cornerback/free safety,
is not only a three-time NAIA All-American,
but ranks as the top player in the nine-year
history of the program. Coincidentally, he also
becomes the first inductee from the gridiron.
And, of course, his name can be found throughout
the defensive record books starting with the
top spot for most solo tackles in a career (82),
which is equal to the mark set by linebacker
Mike Feminis, who tallied his 82 such stops
in four seasons. The 245 total tackles that
Capodice amassed, meanwhile, ranks third on
the all-time list. He's also tied with Jim Seput,
another four-year vet who helped inaugurate
the program, for the most career knockdowns
(23). Capodice's eight interceptions in 1987
rank first, as well, while the 16 for his career
place second behind Seput. Four times during
his career, Capodice recorded two-interception
games, including the day he was honored for
his first All-American award. In a 50-14 rout
of Alma (MI) that day, besides the two picks,
he recovered two fumbles, one of which set up
a score and the other one to credit six points
to his own name, and blocked a punt, to go along
with five tackles. "An All-American Day
for an All-American player," said Gillespie
that day. "What more can you say about
him?" Today, Capodice and his wife, Shawn,
also a graduate of St. Francis, reside in Mokena
with their two children, Maddie (5) and Niko
(3). Capodice is the manager of Softouch Car
Wash in Joliet and the owner of Auto Appearance
Detail Shop, also in Joliet.
NICK
CLADIS
1993 Inductee
Baseball
1981-84
Talk
about dodging bullets, Nick Cladis has had his
record for most wins in a career challenged
each of the past four seasons by the likes of
Don Peters (29 wins), Tim Bojan (28), Steve
Parris (25) and Cory Rogers (21). Nonetheless,
the Bloom High School graduate's 30 victories
has withstood the barrage of attacks to remain
atop the heap. He also falls into the Top 10
slots of three other pitching categories: second
in appearances (59), fourth in innings pitched
(309), and sixth in strikeouts (203). Cladis
was among the elite pitchers in 1983 in the
Midwest when he joined Paul Assenmacher (now
of the Chicago Cubs) and Tim Belcher (currently
suited up in a Cincinnati Reds uniform) on the
All-Area Six Team, finishing the season with
a 9-3 mark and a 2.30 earned run average (second
all-time). That included a 10-0, four-hit shutout
against William Jewell (MO) in the World Series.
Cladis sandwiched that season around nine victories
in 1982 and eight wins in 1984. A two-time All-District
20 selection, as well, he finished his career
with a 30-15 record. A Sales Associate for Floor
Covering Associates in Shorewood, he and his
wife, Janis, also a CSF graduate, have two children,
Daniel (4) and David (2). They reside in Joliet.
TERESA
KENILEY-COCCARO
1993 Inductee
Softball
1984-87
A.K.A.
Rubber Arm. After going 28-33 over her first
three seasons, Keniley closed out her career
gaining 27 victories against only nine defeats
with three saves and a 1.04 earned run average
in 1987. She also authored a school-record 121
strikeouts against 103 bases on balls. However,
the fact that she only secured one less victory
in her final campaign than she did in her first
three seasons wasn't the amazing story about
the feat. What was amazing was the fact that
the year before (her junior season), she only
went 5-6 with three saves in 90.1 innings of
work. That was a far cry from her 235 tireless
innings of underhand rotation in the '87 season.
At one point during that campaign, Keniley won
14 in a row, while allowing only five earned
runs in 88 innings (0.40 ERA). It did, however,
pay off with District 20 Defensive Player of
the Year honors. Actually, she was primed for
the yeoman-type season four years before when
she once pitched eight games in one day prior
to her first year at CSF. That feat earned her
ESPN Player of the Month Recognition. Known
as Teresa Keniley-Coccaro now, she is employed
as a Medical Records Clerk at Little Company
of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park. She resides
with her husband, Joseph, and daughter, Krista
(3), in Oak Lawn.
DIANE
COMER
1996 Inductee
Basketball
1984-87
Scoring
1,233 points in one's collegiate career is a
feat in itself. Tacking on 1,001 rebounds during
the same span represents quite a performance.
Diane Comer reached both exploits in unfathomable
time, a mere three seasons. She is one of only
two players in the 20-year history of the program
to produce such numbers and the only player
to do so in the three-year block of time. Comer
and head coach Les Cox made their way to St.
Francis in 1984 after leading Joliet Junior
College to the finals of the regional tournament,
the lone remaining step prior to nationals.
Their winning ways continued with the Lady Saints
in the 1986-87 campaign when the program gained
its first District 20 Championship since 1982.
It turned out to be the first of three straight
NAIA state titles for the program. Comer, who
was bestowed with Player of the Year accord
from both the conference and the district that
winter on her way to NAIA All-America Honorable
Mention recognition, averaged career-bests in
both points (16.5 ppg) and rebounds (13.1).
Opposite four NCAA I programs that season, she
averaged 18.0 points, 13.5 rebounds and 5.5
assists. Included was a 25-point, 22-rebound
effort in a 71-66 overtime victory over Valparaiso
(IN). Other numbers during that senior campaign
for her comprised scoring 17 or more points
in 18 of 32 games and tallying at least 10 rebounds
in 27 games. Comer's 23 caroms vs. Wisconsin-Parkside
on November 18 of that season still stands as
a top mark in the record books as does her 418
boards for the season. Both a two-time all-district
and all-conference selection, she averaged 13.1
points and 10.6 rebounds for her career as a
center. Comer's name can be found in no less
than seven separate Top Ten lists in both single
season and career marks, including a No. 2 standing
in career rebounds and the fifth spot in total
points. A 1987 graduate of CSF with a bachelor's
degree in Therapeutic Recreation, she also earned
her master's in Counseling just this past month.
Comer, who is single, resides in Aurora, where
she also works as the coordinator of Older Adult
Services for the Family Counseling Service.
LAWRENCE
DAVIS
1997 Inductee
Basketball
1977-81
While
five other Saint basketball players have been
enshrined into the Hall before him, Lawrence
Davis holds the distinction of being the only
one among the sextet to rank in the top five
in total points (4th; 1,460), scoring average
(4th; 16.98 ppg), total rebounds (5th; 713)
and rebounding average (2nd; 8.3 rpg). He also
sits third in total field goals made for a career
converting 665 in 1,283 total attempts for a
.518 overall reading. Davis, a forward/center,
showed no fear in taking his game to the collegiate
level after a solid career at Thornton Township
High School authoring career-bests in rebounds
(9.7 rpg; 5th on the single-season charts) and
field goal shooting (.552; 10th) as a freshman,
while averaging 16.2 points per game. Honorable
mention all-america status came his way during
his junior campaign when he produced the sixth-best
single-season scoring average in school history
with his conference-leading 19.5 points per
game. Davis' 547 points that year still stands
as the ninth-most points scored by a Saint player
for one season and eventually led to him being
recognized on the all-District 20 team for the
first of two consecutive times. One year later,
he was in the record books again for his 21-rebound
game against Illinois Benedictine College (11/24/80),
the third-highest single-game rebound total
in the school's annals. Soon after graduating
with a degree in Business Administration in
1981, Davis enlisted in the United States Army,
where he served in an administrative capacity
from 1982 through 1994 working in Korea, Germany,
Virginia and at the Pentagon in Washington,
D.C. A resident of Alexandria, Virginia, where
he also serves as a general manager for Lone
Star Steakhouse & Saloon Restaurants, Davis
has two children, Carlisle (16) and Lawrence
W. Davis II (2).
JON
E. DEBUS
1992 Inductee
Baseball
1977-80
After
winning three consecutive NAIA World Series'
over at Lewis University, Gordie Gillespie departed
the Romeoville school to build up the CSF program.
He started the construction with Jon Debus,
a product of Homewood-Flossmoor H.S. and an
athlete who would "make CSF baseball what
it is today." One year later, with Debus
hitting .347, the Saints took their 35-22 mark
to St. Joseph's, Missouri for their first NAIA
World Series Appearance. The next season, Debus
hit for a team-high .374 average (10th on the
CSF single-season list) in joining Larry Donofrio
on the NAIA All-American honor roll as a designated
hitter and catcher, respectively. However, it
wasn't until 1980 when Debus really exploded.
In a year that saw the Saints go 44-33, he batted
.352 and tallied 99 hits (4th on the all-time
single-season list), 44runs (4th), 87 runs batted
in (1st), 20 doubles (4th) and 24 stolen bases
(8th). Debus, a two-time All-American, ranks
third on the all-time career list in runs batted
in (188), third in doubles (50), fourth in hitting
(.354), fifth in stolen bases (48), sixth in
hits (248) and eighth in home runs (25). He
went on to play in the Los Angeles Dodgers'
minor league system and now heads up their short-season
Class A team in Great Falls, Montana. He and
his wife, Mary, reside in Vero Beach, Florida.
ANN
DEEN
1996 Inductee
Volleyball
1987-90
Being
named Player of the Year once during one's career
is quite an honor. During her four-year run
with the Saints, Ann Deen was so honored eleven
times; four times each by the CCAC and District
20, twice by the NAIA and once by Volleyball
Magazine. What it did was spell out a career
in St. Francis volleyball history that will
never be matched. Deen, who gained a tryout
with the Olympic "B" Team after her
senior season, secured 2,433 kills for her career
as a middle blocker, the most amongst NAIA players
and the third-best career showing at all collegiate
levels. Added to that figure was an incredible
1,086 blocks. Thus, it is easy to see why her
name sits above and beyond all others in both
blocks and kills for a game, match, season,
career and average in the St. Francis record
books. Her attack percentage of 43.6 percent
in 1989 just adds fuel to the fire. One of only
two players to win Player of the Year honors
twice (1989, 1990) in the history of NAIA volleyball,
Deen represents the sole player in the chronicle
of the association to be recognized during each
of her four seasons on the all-america squad.
During her career, she led the Saints to four
NAIA national tournament appearances, including
a fourth-place finish to cap things off in 1990
(the program's best-ever reading). A four-time
all-tournament team selection herself at the
finals, St. Francis captured 174 wins against
a mere 48 setbacks while Deen was in uniform.
A recreation therapist for Methodist Hospital
in Gary, Indiana, she resides in Whiting, Indiana,
with her husband, Kevin, also a St. Francis
graduate, and their one-year old daughter, Katlyn.
The couple is expecting their second child in
October. Deen graduated in 1991 with a bachelor's
degree in Leisure Studies.
MIKE
DILGER
1999 Inductee
Football
1987-90
Rarely did former CSF head baseball and football
coach Gordie Gillespie make a mistake when it
came to projecting personnel for certain positions
upon watching their development. Mike Dilger
was no exception. A tight end coming out of
Mt. Carmel High School and during each of his
first two seasons at St. Francis, Dilger was
thought to be better suited at tackle by Gillespie,
offensive coordinator Dan Sharp and line coach
Paul Thomason entering the 1989 campaign. In
the end, they got more than even they could
have imagined. During that first year alone,
with Dilger anchoring one side of the line,
CSF re-established better than a dozen school
records, while producing the seventh-best offensive
unit in NAIA II for both total yardage (460.1
yards per game) and rushing yardage (305.2 yards
per game) and the tenth-best scoring contingent
(35.2 points per game). All of those figures
represented school-bests as did so many others
including the 6.4 yards gained per play by the
offense. Despite those numbers, along with the
program's best regular-season record (8-2),
St. Francis was unfairly denied a post-season
invitation by the raters. One fall later, Dilger
lived up to his pre-season expectations, where
he was tabbed as a pre-season all-american by
both USA Today and College Football Preview.
He and his teammates added to their portfolio
by setting new school passing records including
most yards in a season (172.9 yards per game)
and highest completion percentage (50.2 percent).
Dilger went on to claim both NAIA All-America
First Team and all-district honors by season's
end, while also being selected as a national
scholar-athlete by College Football Preview.
A brand manager for the Coca-Cola Bottling Company
of Chicago, Dilger graduated with cum laude
honors (3.53 grade point average) in 1991, earning
his degree in Finance. He and his wife, Karen
(nee Abramic) who also graduated from St. Francis,
recently gave birth to their first child, Clare
(four months). They reside in Frankfort, Illinois.
JOHN
FAY
1997 Inductee
Football
1986-88
When
legendary head coach Gordie Gillespie established
the football program at College of St. Francis
back in 1986, he wanted to rely on the same
offensive scheme that brought Joliet Catholic
High School five state titles, that, of course,
being running the football. Gillespie had to
look no further than just down the street to
employ such tactics using former Hilltopper
all-state selection John Fay as his lead man.
One of only four true freshmen that lettered
at Northern Illinois University in 1984 when
he was tabbed as a starter, Fay dropped out
of school for two semesters only to pop back
up in the spring semester of 1986 at CSF. Less
than 11 months later, the offensive tackle was
accorded honorable mention all-america honors
from the NAIA. One season later, he played a
big role in St. Francis securing a bid to the
NAIA II playoffs in only the program's second
year of existence as the offense rattled off
an eighth-place national reading at the NAIA
II level in total offense (424.7 ypg), a No.
3 finish in rushing offense (308.7 ypg) and
a No. 10 ranking in scoring offense averaging
32.0 points per game. To this day, the 3,272
yards gained rushing that season and the 5.6
yards gained per carry both still stand as the
top marks for a St. Francis offense. Fay followed
up that campaign with another all-american year
in 1988 earning second-team status, while also
notching a spot on the all-District 20 team
for the third straight year. The Director of
Grounds Maintenance and Building Support for
Plainfield School District 202, Fay, who earned
a bachelor's degree in Commercial Recreation
back in 1988, is married to former St. Francis
volleyball player Diane Petrone. They reside
in Joliet with their two children, Conlan (4)
and Brody (2).
MIKE
FEMINIS
1996 Inductee
Football
1986-89
One
rarely is lucky enough to start every game of
his collegiate career in any sport. In football,
it is a rarity. At St. Francis, that is no exception,
except for one example. Of the 373 players to
have donned the Brown & Gold since the program's
formation back in 1986, Mike Feminis is the
lone player to have started all 41 games of
his career. However, that accomplishment is
far from being the most illustrious of this
middle linebacker's career. There are many.
Each of his four 100-plus tackle seasons rate
among the top ten in Saint narrative. His name
can also be spotted in the single-season and
career categories of solo tackles, sacks, tackles
for loss, caused fumbles, fumble recoveries
and quarterback hurries. Those numbers are highlighted
by his 29 tackles against Hillsdale (MI) in
1987 and 469 career stops, both of which rank
atop their respective lists. Runner-up finishes,
meanwhile, have come in season tackles (127
in 1989) and career readings for solo tackles
(82), sacks (11.0), tackles for loss (17) and
hurries (21). Feminis closed out his calling
in award-winning fashion garnering USA Today
NAIA II Player of he Year accolades, as well
as being selected to the NAIA All-America Team.
Upon his graduation with a bachelor's degree
in Journalism, the four-time NAIA All-District
20 performer joined the CSF coaching ranks,
where he has served as the linebackers coach
for each of the past six years, including the
last two on a full-time basis. Feminis, who
is single and resides in Crest Hill, also has
a master's degree in Physical Education/Sport
Management.
ALEX
FERNANDEZ
1997 Inductee
Baseball
1989-92
"It
is the biggest rape in the history of baseball."
Those were head baseball coach Gordie Gillespie's
exact words upon hearing that catcher Alex Fernandez
was not selected in the 1992 draft and the numbers
back up Gillespie's claim. The greatest catcher
in the history of the program and one of the
top two in Gillespie's 45 years of coaching
baseball, Fernandez threw out an incredible
65 would-be basestealers in 131 attempts during
his career, or one peg shy of the .500 mark.
Add to that another 16 pickoffs during his final
two seasons, an overall .980 fielding percentage,
a .311 lifetime batting average and no doubts
remain as to how the two-time honorable mention
all-american could have been overlooked so badly.
Fernandez began his reign of terror on enemy
baserunners in 1989, the same season in which
that particular Saint team recorded the best-ever
NAIA World Series finish at that time (2nd place)
and the most victories in any season previous
to it or after, 52. One year later, CSF was
back in the Series finishing third with Fernandez
going on to claim all-district, all-area and
all-america accolades courtesy of a .316 batting
average, a .987 fielding mark and gunning down
22-of-42 baserunners. Still, his best was yet
to come. Two seasons later, in a campaign in
which he repeated the honors of his sophomore
year, he reached base safely 45.7 percent of
the time due, in part, to a career-high .350
batting average and, defensively, authored a
school-record 12 pickoffs. A three-time all-conference
selection, Fernandez was also a member of the
1991 NAIA all-star team which ventured to Seoul,
Korea. An all-state choice on the diamond at
Washington High School-Chicago, he becomes the
second Minuteman graduate to enter the Hall
joining Mick Kocinski, an inductee last summer.
Fernandez and his wife, the former Lisa Happ,
a graduate of CSF herself, reside in Carol Stream
with their two children, Alyssa (2) and Alex,
Jr. (five months). A Social Work major who graduated
in 1992, Fernandez currently works as a detective
in the Barrington Hills Police Department.
DIANA
FISHER
1998 Inductee
Basketball
1986-90
Former
St. Francis head coach Karen McMillin knew that
she had a so-called "franchise" player
when she signed Diana Fisher out of Evergreen
Park High School back in 1986, but how to prove
it? Fisher handled that problem in just her
second season on the collegiate level, and first
as a starter, when she posted an eye-opening
.528 shooting mark from the field. Eye-opening
in that only three other players in the history
of the program had ever shot better in a single
season. Unlike the other three individuals though,
Fisher nearly matched the feat two years later
as a senior recording the fifth-best mark in
school history (.521). Those two seasons combined
just missed pushing Fisher over the .500 mark
for her career and nearly made her the top shooter
in the 22-year history of the program. In the
end, she fell one-tenth of one percent short
hitting at a .497 conversion rate to place second
behind former hall of fame inductee Colleen
Fitzgerald, who shot .498 during her four-year
run. Fisher, however, does not play second fiddle
to anyone when it comes to free throws. A finalist
at the 1990 NAIA national tournament in the
free throw contest, she holds the top marks
for charity shots made both in a single season
(123 in 1988-89) and for a career (322). One
of three players to appear in a school-record
121 games, Fisher also made her mark as a scorer
and rebounder ranking fourth all-time in career
rebounds with 930 (7.7 average per game) and
seventh in total points with 1,121 markers (9.3).
Included in the rebounding total were the 308
boards she secured during her junior season,
which rates sixth-best in the history of the
program. Besides earning spots on the all-District
20 and all-CCAC teams during each of her final
two campaigns, Fisher was also a two-time NAIA
Academic All-America choice. She graduated with
magna cum laude honors in 1990 boasting a 3.72
grade point average as a Biology major. Fisher,
who has been recognized by Who's Who Among American
Teachers as a top educator, teaches science
and coaches volleyball at Glenbard West High
School. She also coaches softball at Glenbard
South High School. Fisher is single and resides
in Evergreen Park, Illinois.
COLLEEN
FITZGERALD
1995 Inductee
Basketball & Volleyball
1981-85
With
the inclusion of this year's Hall of Fame class,
31 people have now been inducted into the CSF
Hall of Fame. Of those, nine have made their
mark in more than one sport. That latter list
now includes Colleen Fitzgerald, who competed
in basketball for four seasons and volleyball
in each of her first three years. As a spiker,
she made an immediate impact helping the Saints
land their first-ever appearance at the NAIA
national tournament in 1981 as a first-year
middle blocker. Nonetheless, basketball is where
she made her mark. In fact, she's one of only
four players in the history of the program to
have scored more than 1,000 points and to have
pulled down more than 950 rebounds. That, plus
her career .498 field goal percentage still
ranks atop the leader board today. The conference's
MVP as a junior, Fitzgerald averaged 17.1 points
and 11.1 rebounds per game that season on her
way to NAIA Honorable Mention All-American accord.
She followed that up by again being named to
the All-League team as a senior when she averaged
a career-best 18.8 ppg thanks to a .547 shooting
clip from the field and a school record .835
reading from the foul stripe. That same year,
she authored a 45-point performance against
Wisconsin-Milwaukee based, in part, on 17 field
goals. Those two single-game marks still sit
in the #1 spot as do her perfect readings from
the field (10-of-10 vs. Rosary, 1985) and the
free throw line (12-of-12 vs. Wake Forest, 1984).
A resident of Elgin, along with her husband,
Steve Herz, Fitzgerald is the Superintendent
of Recreation for the Northern Illinois Special
Recreation Association, which provides recreational
opportunities for persons with disabilities.
DIANE
FRERICKS
1992 Inductee
Cross Country
1983-86
"If
any women's cross country runner deserves to
be in the CSF Hall of Fame, it would have to
be Diane Frericks," says Les Cox, who was
Frerick's coach during her four-year District
20 reign from 1983 through 1986. Showing marked
improvement each year, she finished first at
the District 20 meet in each of her first three
seasons, while taking runner-up honors in 1986.
A four-year All district 20 choice, Frericks
was a key part of a streak that still remains
alive today; eight consecutive District 20 Cross
Country championships starting with the 1982
season. (CSF did not have cross country in 1987
and 1988). She also earned Small College All-State
honors in 1984. A runner with an excellent work
ethic, Frericks was well respected by her peers
as a team leader and was a pleasure to coach.
Today, she is a sales representative for Kraft
General Foods in Addison. Known as Diane Gillund
now, she currently resides in Frankfort, Illinois
with her husband, Bob.
BILL
GERRISH
1991 Inductee
Basketball & Baseball
1972-75
Bill
Gerrish's name is synonymous with the CSF record
book. He is among the top ten in nine separate
categories, including the chart topper in the
most games played in a season (38), most field
goals made in a season (351), and best free
throw percentage in a season (891). Gerrish
also is among the top five in career records,
where he is second in scoring with 1,794 points
during his three-year career. The record for
points is held by Lee Capista, who had 2,120
in four years. During his three-career, Bill
averaged 20.2 points per game and 7.6 rebounds
in 89 games. From the free throw line, he shot
an impressive .892 percentage hitting 256-of-287
charity shots. Gerrish could hit from nearly
anywhere as it is told by his 770-of-1,419 (.543)
effort from the field. He scored a record 39
points in a 1973 contest against the National
College of Chiropractors, which places him fifth
in the category of most points in a single game.
Gerrish had his number retired during halftime
ceremonies on February 19, 1975.
GORDIE
GILLESPIE
1992 Inductee
Coach- Baseball, Women's Basketball & Football;
Athletic Director, Athletic Chairman
1977-1995
This
marks Hall of Fame No. 13 for legendary head
coach Gordie Gillespie, an honor that no other
person in the history of CSF athletics deserves
more than him. It is also an honor that he will,
most likely, prize more than any that have come
his way in 40-plus years of coaching. It is
important to the man who not only started the
women's basketball program (1977) and the football
program (1986) at St. Francis, but to the individual
who has taken his baseball teams to six NAIA
World Series appearances and numerous other
championships. It is important for the same
reason that he turned down a contract to play
with the NBA Rochester Royals, because of his
love for teaching and coaching. Candles on the
birthday cake carry no particular message for
the 66-year old veteran. His zest for human
interaction and the challenge of competition
has never waned. His motto: "There's always
somebody out there better, somebody you want
to go against, to challenge." He did just
that this past fall in football when he opened
up the 1991 campaign with NCAA I-AA Illinois
State followed by previous NCAA II playoff qualifiers
Minnesota-Duluth and Portland State (OR) and
the last two NAIA I champions, Central State
(OH) and Carson-Newman (TN) … all on the
road. All this for a football program that started
just a mere six years ago. Yet, it's also a
program that advanced, via Gillespie's magic,
to the NAIA II Playoffs in only its second year
of existence. In baseball, this past spring
marked his 40th season of coaching, a run which
has produced the finest record (1,301-677) of
any active head coach on the collegiate level.
Currently the second all-time winningest coach
in college baseball, he needs just 32 more victories
to break the record of 1,332 wins set by former
USC Rod Dedeaux. Today, Gillespie serves as
the athletic chairman and head football and
baseball coach at CSF. He and his wife, Joan,
reside in Joliet. He has seven children: Mike,
Gordie, Jr., Greg, Bob, Margaret Mary, Billie
and Jackie.
KATHY
MURPHY GOEBEL
1994 Inductee
Volleyball
1983-1984
You
can thank Goebel, "one of the most consistent
setters in the state in the early '80's,"
according to Luenemann, for starting the dominance
that CSF volleyball teams have had in the Chicagoland
Collegiate Athletic Conference since 1984. Covering
the span of the past ten seasons, the Fighting
Saints have captured nine league titles kicking
off with Goebel's senior season in 1984. The
title capped off an outstanding senior campaign
for the former Moraine Valley Community College
and Oak Forest High School product who defended
her position on the All-Conference squad that
year as well as earning both team MVP and NAIA
All-District 20 recognition. Goebel, however,
could only stay away for one season after graduating
with a degree in Therapeutic Recreation in the
Fall of 1984. She returned in the Fall of 1985
to serve as an assistant coach in the sport
for three seasons before being named the head
junior varsity coach in 1989, a position which
she has held for the past five seasons. A resident
of Minooka, along with her husband, Lance, and
their 14-month-old son, Ryan, Goebel is employed
in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Unit at St. Joseph's Hospital as a Recreational
Therapist .
BARNEY
HANCE
1992 Inductee
Cross Country
1974-76
Give
credit to Hance, along with an assist to Ed
Steingraber and Dave Casillas in their implementation
of CSF cross country program in 1974. It was
that year that the Runnin' Saints were first
recognized as a marathon team. One year later,
Hance, a two-time NAIA All -American, would
finish second in the marathon race at the NAIA
National Track & Field Championships in
Arkadelphia, Arkansas. He would also go on to
finish third in 1976, just 20 seconds behind
Steingraber. Getting back to 1975, Hance finished
in the top 10% at the Boston Marathon (48th
place), a race covering 26 miles and 385 yards,
and also ran in the 15-mile Charleston (WV)
Distance Run. One of the most popular distance
races in the world, Hance finished 17th overall
in the Charleston Run, which featured over 50
World Class runners. Many people who lived in
Joliet in 1975 figure to know Hance considering
he logged more than 6,000 miles running through
Joliet that year. Today, he works for the Illinois
Department of Conservation as a site technician
at Kickapoo State Park, Hance, his wife, Marietta,
and his two children, Samantha (14) and Rusty
(11), reside in Danville, Illinois.
LEE
IRVIN
1993 Inductee
Tennis & Basketball
1978-81
Until
John McEnroe or Jimm Connors decide to settle
down in Joliet and send their children to CSF,
there will be, most likely, no other player
in the history of the men's tennis program who
will do what Lee Irvin did from 1978-81. The
only CSF player to ever compete on the pro circuit,
Irvin ranks in the Top 10 of all six season
and career categories, including the top spot
in overall singles and doubles wins combined
(154), matches played (239), doubles wins (83)
and doubles matches played (115). The #1 singles
and #1 doubles player during the era "fielding
some of the most successful teams ever for the
College of St. Francis," Irvin helped lead
teams to the school's first-ever titles at both
the conference and district levels in 1978 and
1979. Those same years, CSF notched back-to-back
25th-place finishes at the NAIA National TOurnament.
The 1981 team, with Irvin winning 47 matches
to rank third all-time in that department, still
holds the school record for the most number
of victories with 19. A forward in basketball
for two seasons, Irvin averaged 9.1 points and
5.4 rebounds per game. Today, he is a manager
for the Park Forest Tennis & Health Club
and also coaches three sports at Rich East High
School. He and his wife, Cori, reside in Park
Forest.
DAN
KELLY
1997 Inductee
Golf
1980-82
The
greatest of man is he who goes out of his way
to build something for the future. Such was
the case with Dan Kelly, the first-ever Saint
golfer to be inducted into the hall of fame.
An all-state perfomer during his sophomore season
at Joliet Junior College, Kelly, rather than
continuing at a much more established program,
opted for St. Francis in the fall of 1980, where
head coach Cliff Kelley and company were embarking
on just the school's second season of competition.
Following a tenth-place finish in the conference
the year before, Kelly helped boost the team's
placement up to fifth during his first season
averaging a team-best 78 strokes per match.
Included was a two-day score of 155 at the league
tournament, which allowed him to garner medalist
honors over 81 other challengers. One year later,
a season in which he averaged a 81.5, Kelly
used a pair of 79's to land a fifth-place finish
at the District 20 Tournament. Earlier that
year, he notched a No. 6 ranking at the Notre
Dame Invitational firing a personal-best 74.
That season, the team climbed its way even higher
in the conference standings nearly pulling off
its first-ever conference title before settling
for second place and its first of eight consecutive
winning seasons at 16-13. And thus, in just
three short years, the building process was
complete. From there, St. Francis went on to
earn bids to seven of the next eight national
tournaments and currently boasts ten such appearances,
the most of any sport at the school. Ten District
20 title and six conference championship banners
also now hang inside the walls of the Rec Center
courtesy of the program. Prior to his collegiate
days, Kelly also excelled at Joliet West High
School, where he was a member of the golf team
that placed seventh in the state in 1976, a
season in which he recorded a seventh-place
finish himself in the conference. A 1982 graduate
of St. Francis, where he earned a Bachelor of
Science in Marketing, he is a marketing representative
for Forms Management Group. Kelly is single
and resides in Joliet.
JIM
KELLY
1995 Inductee
Baseball
1982-83
The
record for most home runs in a career by a Saint
is held by Kurt Miller, an inductee in the initial
Hall of Fame back in 1991. Miller authored 38
during his career. One can only fathom what
the record might be if his teammate, Jim Kelly
(3B/OF), would have come to St. Francis right
out of high school rather than after a two-year
stint at Grand Rapids Junior College. For the
record, Kelly tallied 34 dingers in his two
seasons, including a school-best 22 in his first
campaign wearing the Brown & Gold. Three
of the most memorable dingers that year were
the back-to-back four-baggers that he notched
against Illinois and his 18th, which not only
broke the single-season mark, but also came
at Aquinas (MI), which was right around where
he grew up. It also started a 17-run inning
in that game for the Saints. That same year,
he led the squad in doubles (21) and runs batted
in (82) enroute to a .332 batting average. Those
first two marks rank second and third, respectively,
in the single-season history books. Getting
back to the 22 homers, Kelly had to stave off
some tough competition. On the club that year,
besides Miller, was Tom Baumgartner, another
CSF Hall of Famer (1994), who ranks second all-time
behind Miller with 36. It's no wonder then why
that particular team still holds the club mark
for home runs in a season with 93. And, like
Baumgartner, Kelly also homered in his final
game as a Saint at the 1983 World Series when
that team finished sixth. An All-District and
All-Conference selection in '82, Kelly currently
works in outside sales and as a contractor for
Rycenga Lumber Company of Michigan. He resides
with his wife, Julie, and their three children,
Phillip (7), Jessica (2) and Garrett (1) in
Grand Haven, Michigan.
MICK
KOCINSKI
1996 Inductee
Baseball
1984-87
And
to think, he was originally listed as an outfielder.
Mick Kocinski, who was a walk-on in the program
back in 1983, changed all that after just one
fall season at his more familiar stomping grounds
known as first base. Kocinski eventually made
the varsity roster during his inaugural season
seeing spot duty. But, by the time the next
spring rolled around, he had worked his way
into the starting lineup, a position he would
rarely relinquish over his final three seasons
of competition, except for an occasional platoon
role. It was no wonder, either, as detailed
by a career .301 batting average with 122 runs
batted in on the offensive side of the ledger
and no more than five errors in any one season
on defense. During that time, the Saints made
back-to-back World Series appearances for the
first time in school history in 1985 and 1986
highlighted by a third-place finish in the former.
In 1987, Kocinski closed his storybook career
by batting both a team and personal-best .384,
which still stands as the ninth-best single-season
hitting clip in school history. He also led
the club in runs batted in with 57 and belted
out nine home runs (or two more than his first
three seasons combined) that year to assure
himself a spot on both the all-district and
all-area squads. Kocinski, who resides with
his wife, Donna, in Orland Park, earned his
bachelor's degree in Marketing back in 1987.
He currently serves as a bank examiner for the
state of Illinois and still plays first base
in the Roy Hobbs League, a league for players
30 years of age and older.
SANDRA
O'ROURKE
1999 Inductee
Softball
1990-93
Sandra
O'Rourke was a member of a select group at St.
Francis, a near-Olympian for classification
purposes. To this day, some 27 years since the
inception of the St. Francis athletic program
back in 1972, she remains as one of only three
CSF individuals, male or female, to have received
an invitation to try out for the United States
Olympic team. Her bid came on the heels of a
storybook senior season in 1993 when she led
St. Francis to a ninth-place World Series finish,
while securing NAIA All-America First Team accolades
for herself at first base. O'Rourke's 76 hits
that season still rank as the program's all-time
top mark, while her .455 batting average and
seven triples remain in the No. 2 spot. Her
11 doubles and 37 runs batted in that year currently
sit third on the single-season charts. O'Rourke
proved to be one of the toughest Saints to strike
out during a career in which she batted .363
(2nd-best) with 28 doubles (fifth) and 94 RBI
(fifth). She became the victim of the K just
3.8 percent of the time in 498 plate appearances,
including just twice in 167 at bats (1.1 percent)
during her final campaign, figures unfathomable
for a sport ruled by pitchers. Defensively,
the numbers are just as mind-boggling. A mere
18 errors in better than 1,000 career chances
at first base leading to a .982 fielding clip.
Just two miscues in 379 opportunities during
the final run, when she also nabbed all-conference
and all-district acclaim, not to mention all-district
tournament honors for the second straight year.
O'Rourke went on to earn a bachelor's degree
in English with certification in Secondary Education
from St. Francis in 1993 and followed that up
with her master's in Educational Administration
last year. She currently is employed as an English
teacher at Romeoville High School, where she
also serves as both the head varsity coach for
girls' basketball and softball. O'Rourke is
single and resides in Crest Hill, Illinois.
SHEAVOUN
PIVARONAS LAMBILLOTTE
1993 Inductee
Volleyball
1984-86
"Easily
one of the best players ever to don the brown
& gold for the CSF volleyball program,"
flatly states head coach Rich Luenemann. Recruited
as a basketball player after transferring, Pivaronas
lasted just one practice in that sport before
opting to concentrate on volleyball after that
first season in 1984. Good choice. She went
on to capture All-State and All-Conference honors
over the next two seasons and finished her career
as one of the premiere mifddle hitters of all
time in the state of Illinois when she garnered
NAIA District 20 Player of the Year accolades
in her final season. Pivaronas, along with another
Hall-of-Famer, Debbie Walsh Wiseman, laid the
groundwork for a program which has become the
dominant force in the sport at the state and
national levels. Today, College of St. Francis
has enjoyed six NAIA District 20/State titles
over the past seven years, starting with the
1986 title led by the conglomerate of Pivaronas,
Walsh and Julie Kruger. Pivaronas' 28 digs and
28 kills in separate matches during the 1986
season still rank among the top three spots
for most kills and digs in a match. She remains
active in the sport today, serving as a player/coach
for the Sharks Volleyball Club. A Community
Recreation Center Manager and Aquatic Supervisor
for the Schaumburg Park District, Pivaronas
resides in West Chicago with her husband, Charlie,
who was also a CSF graduate.
SHELLI
MEILS
1995 Inductee
Softball
1988-91
Certain
things in life are considered to be priceless.
As for Shelli Meils' right arm, the best term
here may be tireless. The numbers that she compiled
over her four-year stint at St. Francis are
simply incomprehensible. Take, for example,
her first season, 1988, when she worked in 293
of CSF's 372 innings played, or nearly 80% of
the frames. Not only is that a school mark,
but so are her 36 games started, 30 of which
she completed, and her 50 appearances for a
team that went 27-26 (yes, she did pitch in
all but three games) and advanced to the national
tournament. Head coach Dick Smith asked for
an encore performance in 1989 and Meils delivered
with a 29-9 mark as a sophomore with an eye-raising
0.60 earned run average. That's right! She only
permitted 19 earned runs in 222.2 innings. Of
course, the marks for wins and ERA are school
bests as are the 15 shutouts she posted that
season in picking up Honorable Mention NAIA
All-American accolades. A three-time District
20 Defensive Player of the Year in 1988, 1989
and 1991, she closed her career with an overall
mark of 91-42 with nearly one-third of those
wins of the shutout variety (30) in the 827.2
innings she worked over the course of 162 games.
All remain records to this day. Nonetheless,
her greatest feat came in that '89 season when,
in the third of four games on the day at the
District 20 Tournament, she came down with a
case of heat stroke. After being iced down the
rest of the way, she went out and won not only
the third game, but the fourth, as well, to
send CSF to another Bi-District Championship
appearance. A Hall of Fame recipient for Clifton
Central H.S. earlier this year, Meils works
with developmentally disabled people in a vocational
job setting as a training specialist for Sacramento
(CA) Vocational Services. She is single and
lives in Sacramento.
KENDRA
HORSMAN MEYER
1998 Inductee
Volleyball
1988-91
Two
setters may have been inducted into the hall
of fame before her and two others may have earned
all-america status just like her, yet there
can be no denying that Kendra Horsman is the
greatest setter to ever don the brown and gold.
Horsman owns total control of the Saint record
books claiming a clean sweep of every top assist
mark in school history. That list includes most
assists in a game (26 in 1990), match (60 in
both 1990 and 1993), season (1,692 in 1989)
and career (4,104), as well as highest assist
average (10.9 apg in 1989) and best assist percentage
