Hall of Fame

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Hall of Fame Constitution
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Online nominations open.
Deadline is November 29, 2024

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Inductees
By Year

The Kaneland Hall of Fame recognizes and honors alumni, staff members, organizations and supporters who have demonstrated excellence and commitment of service to Kaneland communities and have proven themselves to be an inspiration and role-model to our students. Recognition may also be given to others who have given meritorious service to Kaneland.

2022

Lee and Joann Murdock

Lee Murdock has uncovered a boundless body of musi...

Taylor Andrews

Taylor E. Andrews (Class of 2011) was born in Sout...

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Taylor E. Andrews (Class of 2011) was born in Southfield MI, and raised in Elburn, IL. He is the proud son of Dean and Amy Andrews and attended Kaneland High School, along with his younger brother and sister, Tanner (class of 2013) and Meghan (class of 2018). 
 Taylor was an active student athlete, receiving multiple varsity letters in Basketball, Football, and Track & Field. On the gridiron, Taylor demonstrated his versatile athleticism and raw talent by playing both offense and defense for the Knights. He received three varsity letters during his football career at Kaneland High School and served as a Captain his senior year. However, Taylor’s greatest athletic accomplishments were achieved on the track. As a 110 meter high hurdler, Taylor shattered the school record by nearly half a second; the record still stands at 14.27. In the process of making school history, Taylor finished First Place in the 2011 IHSA Class 2A State Championships. 
 Upon graduating from Kaneland High School in 2011, Taylor received a congressional nomination to attend the United States Military Academy. At West Point, Taylor continued his Track & Field career as a 110 meter high hurdler. While once again serving as a team captain, Taylor topped off his career by competing in the 2015 NCAA Regional Meet in Jacksonville, FL; Taylor finished with a PR of 14.27 in the collegiate high hurdle event. 
 Taylor graduated and commissioned from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a Bachelor of Science in Human Geography. Shortly after his graduation in 2016, he married his beautiful high school sweetheart, Haley (Norris) Andrews. Together, they currently reside in Lawton, OK with their one-year-old son, Oliver. Taylor is currently an Active Duty Captain in the United States Army serving in the Air Defense Artillery Branch. 
 The lifelong lessons that Taylor internalized at Kaneland have lasted well beyond graduation. Taylor is blessed to have phenomenal coaches throughout his athletic career at that instilled discipline and hard work both on and off the field/track, starting with Coach Baron, Coach Bieritz, and Coach Thorgesen. At West Point, he would like to acknowledge the instrumental influence that Coach Mike Smith and Lauren Smith had on his development as an athlete, cadet, and Officer. With their mentorship, Taylor discovered his own athletic potential, and more importantly, his desire to serve and lead others. 
 Above all, Taylor would like to thank God for blessing him with endless opportunities and His never-ending Grace; “without Christ, none of the above is possible”. He thanks his parents for setting a firm faith-based foundation at home for him and his siblings to ground themselves in. Taylor would like to thank his gorgeous wife, Haley, for her unwavering love and support. Taylor is humbled and honored to be inducted into the Kaneland Hall of Fame!

Pat Hill

Pat Hill was born in Naperville, IL and grew up in...

2010-2011 Boys Baseball Team

The Kaneland Hall of Fame hereby recognizes the 20...

Diana Jaskierny

Diana Jaskierny was born and raised in Sugar Grove...

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Diana Jaskierny was born and raised in Sugar Grove, Illinois. She attended Kaneland from Kindergarten through High School, receiving her diploma in 2002. Graduating Magna Cum Laude from Dominican University of River Forest, Illinois, in 2006, Diana majored in Art History and Studio Art, and received the 2006 award for Distinguished Art Student. She received her Master’s Degree in Art History and Museum Studies from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee in 2009, curating an exhibition on Russian and Ukrainian Catholic Icons, and interned with the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Conservation Department from 2007 to 2009. While enrolled in Columbia College Chicago’s Art and Materials Conservation program, Diana moved to Florence, Italy in 2013, and received a professional certificate in Applied Restoration and Conservation of Art from the Istituto Lorenzo de’ Medici., training in both modern conservation and historic restoration methods for easel paintings, fresco wall paintings, and wood and stone sculptures, along with in-depth conservation science. In 2017, Diana graduated from The Courtauld Institute of Art in London, England, receiving a Postgraduate Diploma in the Conservation of Easel Paintings. Specializing in the conservation and restoration of oil paintings, Diana restored and studied numerous paintings, including those owned by The Royal Collection, The Palace of Westminster, universities, and private collectors. From 2015 through 2016, Diana participated in a large, multi-institutional research project on the materials and techniques of Édouard Manet. This project included the technical study of Madame Manet in the Conservatory, a signature Manet owned by the National Museum of Art, Architecture, and Design of Oslo, Norway, and the technical study and restoration of a privately-owned painting by the same name, once owned by Manet’s wife, and originally attributed to Manet. This study introduced new technical findings on Manet’s artistic process, along with a potential attribution of the privately-owned version to Madame Manet’s nephew, Édouard Vibert. Diana's graduate dissertation was a study of forty-three early 17th century panel paintings housed in the historic Knole House of Sevenoaks, England, documenting and categorizing deformations of the wood, gesso, and paint layers, contributing to an international study on the properties and mechanics of such materials and the management of historic collections. Diana was among the team of conservators who restored The Art Institute of Chicago’s Ayala Altarpiece, the 15th century large Spanish altarpiece in the museum’s Deering Family Galleries of Medieval and Renaissance Art, Arms, and Armor. From 2017 to 2018, Diana was the Fellow of Paintings Conservation at The Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida, restoring the recently re-discovered 18th century Allan Ramsay Portrait of John Campbell, 3rd Earl of Breadalbane. Since 2018, Diana has been a paintings conservator for The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri, where she helps care for the museum collection, and conducts technical studies and furthers research on the museum’s French paintings collection, including works by Monet, Cezanne, Manet, Gauguin, and Chardin, among others.

Maria Dripps-Paulson

Maria Dripps-Paulson’s introduction to Kaneland ...

Phil Christensen

Phil Christensen was born and raised in Maple Park...

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Phil Christensen was born and raised in Maple Park, Illinois, the proud son of Jeff and Laurie Christensen. He attended Kaneland High School along with his two older sisters Megan and Natalie. While at Kaneland, 
 
 Phil was an active athlete, receiving four varsity letters in track and field and three varsity letters in football. On the football team, Phil demonstrated leadership and athletic talent, leading as a captain his senior year and playing both on the offensive and defensive lines. Phil’s greatest athletic achievements, however, were in the field events, as he competed in both discus and shot put. His senior year at the Kane County meet, Phil won the discus event with a throw of 184”11”, topping the previous school record at Kaneland High School by over twenty feet. The highlight of Phil’s high school career consists of a sixth place finish at the state finals in discus.
 
 After graduating from Kaneland High School in 2008, his athletic career continued at Augustana College. Phil was a member of the Augustana Track and Field team for four years, participating in discus, shot put, hammer, and the 35lb weight throw; receiving three All-American honors as well as being a 3 time CCIW champion. Phil qualified for Nationals all four years of competing in the discus, finishing sixth in 2009 and 2011 and finishing in third place in 2010. While at Augustana, Phil broke one of their oldest school records, throwing the discus 170’8’’ in 2009, and then again in 2010 with a throw of 172’11”. His senior year Phil briefly held the school record for the 35lb weight throw, with a toss of 58’ 11¼ ”.
 
 Phil graduated from Augustana College in 2012 with a bachelor of arts in computer science. He resides in Chicago, IL with his wife, Katie, and exercises his competitive spirit through intramural games of volleyball and on the golf course.
 
 Phil was blessed to have incredible coaches throughout his athletic career, starting with Coach Matt Smith and Eric Baron. With their guidance, Phil discovered his own athletic potential and will forever be thankful for their support. 
 
 At Augustana, Coaches Paul Olsen and David Gonzalez were instrumental in Phil’s success, both on and off the field. He is humbled and honored to be inducted into the Kaneland High School Hall of Fame and will forever cherish his memories as a Kaneland Knight!

Ryan West

Ryan West was born and raised in Elburn, Illinois....

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Ryan West was born and raised in Elburn, Illinois. He grew up with one older sibling, Cristin, who also graduated from Kaneland High School. Ryan’s parents, Mark and Carol, immersed him in athletics. He participated in soccer, baseball, wrestling, football, basketball, and any other sport he could try. In high school, Ryan not only succeeded as an athlete, but also excelled in the classroom. He finished his high school career in the top 10% of his class. Ryan’s academic and athletic success continued throughout his college journey. After playing four years of college football, he served as a Graduate Assistant at N.I.U. teaching exercise physiology. Over the last 15 years, Ryan has dedicated himself to public education serving as a teacher, dean, and coach Ryan was a three-sport athlete who excelled in football and wrestling. He also was part of the track team for three years in high school. During Ryan’s senior football season, he was a team captain of the 1997 Kaneland State Championship Team. During that season, Ryan also earned the following accolades: Chicago Tribune All-State, Chicago Sun-Times All-State, Illinois High School Football Coaches Association All-State, First Team All-Conference and Defensive Player of the Year, Beacon News All-Area Captain, Chicago Sun-Times All-Area Football Team, Chicago Tribune Player of the Week, and Captain of his team at the Illinois Shrine All-Star Game. Ryan also became Kaneland’s all-time leading scorer during the final game of the regular season and added eleven more touchdowns to his record during the playoff games. Throughout high school, Ryan also earned many other honors and awards including: 1996 KHS Team MVP, 1996 All-Conference and All-Area, as well as being All-Conference and All-Area in 1995. Ryan also scored the first Touchdown in KHS playoff history versus Addison Driscoll in 1995. He also was one of the school’s all-time leading tacklers. Ryan also found success on the wrestling mat. He was an IHSA State Qualifier as both a sophomore and junior. His junior year, he was a team captain and was a top 6 finisher in the IHSA State Tournament. He was also an All-Conference wrestler as a freshman, sophomore, and junior. Running track allowed Ryan to stay in shape and further develop his skills. He loved the physical challenge of the workouts and always enjoyed the time he spent with his teammates. He was an IHSA State-Alternate on multiple relay teams throughout his track career. Today, Ryan serves as an administrator at the Technology Center of DuPage. He has also been a Physical and Drivers Education Teacher, and contract negotiator. Ryan has coached over 25 All-State athletes, a 2nd place team finish, multiple individual state champions, and has also had over 150 wins as a head coach. Ryan resides in Yorkville, Illinois with his wife Kari, and their three children: Blake, Bode, and Brooks. The West family is active, and they love to spend time outdoors. Ryan and his family make the best of midwestern living by enjoying summers at the lake, hunting in the fall, and many other athletic events throughout the year.

Logan Markuson

Logan Markuson was born and raised in Maple Park, ...

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Logan Markuson was born and raised in Maple Park, IL. He graduated 6th in his class in 2010 from Kaneland High School. Thanks to great coaching, Logan went on to compete as a decathlete & pole vaulter as a Golden Gopher at the University of Minnesota. Logan graduated with a mechanical engineering degree in 2015. Logan ran track & field all 4 years of high school at Kaneland. As a Freshman, he got his first taste of Varsity competition at the Ottawa ABC Meet but only ended up scoring 11 total points for the season. This motivated Logan in his Sophomore year and fueled the rest of his seasons for success at Kaneland. Upon graduating he became the 2nd all-time point scorer at Kaneland, just behind Mark Claypool. As a Sophomore at the Sectional meet, Logan had to beat his PR by 1’ in pole vault in order to qualify for the State meet. Then he could keep the 25 year Kaneland tradition of sending a vaulter to the State meet alive. He managed to jump 13’9” and qualified on his last attempt, breaking his own PR by 1’. Junior year, Logan qualified for the State track meet in the 110M HH, 300M IM hurdles, pole vault and as the anchor leg of the 4x400m relay. He placed 4th in the pole vault with a personal best of 14”9”. During the final day of competition, he was disqualified from the finals of the 110 high hurdles. Thankfully, there was another opportunity for him to compete that day in the 300m IM hurdles. Logan set a new school record in the 300m hurdles with a first place finish at the 2009 State track meet. Senior year, Logan again qualified for State in pole vault, 110M HH, 300M IM hurdles, and 4x400m relay. He was the anchor leg of the first place finishing 4x400m relay that broke the school record and their team won 1st at the meet. Kaneland had a tie for the 2nd place finish at the State meet. While at the University of Minnesota, Logan competed in the 2012 Indoor Big 10 Meet. He was named All Academic Big Ten from 2012-2015. Logan continued his involvement at Kaneland by assisting with the Track & Field camp and the Summer Pole Vault camp each summer from 2010-2012. Logan and his wife, Leigha, currently live in Minneapolis, MN with their daughter Lucy.

4X400 RELAY TEAM Tommy Whittaker, Derek Bus, Edgar Valle & Logan Markuson

The 2010 Boys Track Team had one of the most succe...

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The 2010 Boys Track Team had one of the most successful seasons in Kaneland Track & Field history. One
 of the strengths of the team that season was the relay teams that we assembled. Our goal that season
 was to put a lasting memory of how good our team was with our final event the 1600 meter relay. We had
 many athletes who competed in the relay during the season and almost everyone on the team wanted
 to be part of this relay. We had qualified in the 1600 meter relay the previous two seasons with Logan
 Markuson, Edgar Valle and Derek Bus. We added Tommy Whittaker into to the mix the previous year. We hadn’t made a trip to the finals at State yet though. In 2010, this was a group that would not be denied. The “A” unit was undefeated throughout the season. Winning at County, Conference, Sectionals and at
 State. At State, we also had team trophy on-line. This relay team was not about to let anyone on our team
 own. On Saturday in the finals, Tommy Whittaker was our only freshman athlete on team. He made great
 use of this and put us in the lead with a 50.3 split. Next, Derek Bus ran as aggressive as we ever saw him.
 He made sure to get to the break in front everyone else. Derek did what we had told our athletes “make
 them try and pass you”. While Derek was leading, the entire field behind him jostled for position and used
 more energy trying to get around him. He ran a lifetime best split of 49.9 giving the baton to Edgar Valle in
 first place. Edgar ran controlled thru the first turn and had a Cahokia runner pass him on the back stretch.
 Edgar tucked in right behind stayed with him all the way until the finish line running 50.7 and giving the
 baton to Logan Markuson just a step behind the team from Cahokia. Logan was in his 4th event of the
 day and his 8th of the weekend. He immediately tucked in behind the runner from Cahokia until the back
 stretch of the track. He knew he had to get around him because the entire field was coming back to them.
 He made the pass right at the 300 meter mark. He put the Knights back in the lead. He ran in the lead
 until the last hundred meters when the anchor runner for Hillcrest pulled up next to him looking to take
 the lead. Then Logan found another gear and finished running away from the field. He also ran a lifetime
 personal best of 49.39. 
 
 The 1600 Relay team ran a time of 3:20.29. That broke the school record of 3:22.04 set in 1980 and set
 the Class 2A state record. They also established a culture of having amazing 1600 meter relay teams at
 Kaneland.

2010 Boys' Track Team

The 2010 Boys Track Team had one of the most succe...

Shiela Howard Albano

Sheila Howard Albano’s legacy of service to the ...

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Sheila Howard Albano’s legacy of service to the Kaneland Community is being recognized thanks to her sustained dedication to the students of the Kaneland community as well as local community organizations that foster youth leadership. Sheila was born and raised in Elburn, the oldest child of Leslie and Karen Conley Howard. Both she and her younger brother, Bill, attended Elburn and Kaneland schools. Her parents, brother, grandparents, aunt and uncle were heavily involved in the Elburn community and that led Sheila to develop a strong sense of “giving back” when she saw a need. She is a proud member of the Conley Family, which was inducted into the Kaneland Hall of Fame in 2003, also in recognition of their many decades of service to the Kaneland community. Once in high school, Sheila became engaged in a number of activities which included being an ardent sports fan, as well as playing softball and shooting on the Archery team for Coach Harold Anderson. She was a part of the Kaneland Choir, Madrigals, Pennon staff and Black Friars as well as the National Honor Society. Those years of high school set the stage for her commitment to not only her alma mater but her community as well. She graduated one of six Valedictorians in the class of 1984, and later graduated from North Central College in Naperville in 1988, with a B.S. in Accounting. In 1992, she was united in marriage to her college sweetheart, Phil Albano. They made their home in Arlington, VA, while Phil worked for the U.S. State Department. In 1995, their son, Nicholas was born and they began thinking about moving home to be closer to their families. The decision was made later that year to return to live in Elburn, which then provided Sheila the opportunity to reconnect with the community she loved but also forge her own path of service to, and engagement with, Kaneland. In 1999, Phil and Sheila were blessed with the birth of their daughter, Katherine, and their family was complete. Sheila has volunteered for, and oftentimes led, parent organizations and events that involved her children, Nicholas (Kaneland ‘13) and Katherine (Kaneland ‘17). Introduced to the Kaneland Cross Country program when Nick became a cross country runner, she not only loved the sport, she loved the kids on the team and the families and coaches that supported them. When Katherine became a member of the Marching Band, she found a home there as well. Key among these were the Band Moms/Dads and the Performing Arts Boosters where she became the treasurer. Sheila grew up in a community that honored the success of its athletes with impromptu parades for their victorious return from State competition, a tradition she revived and has since spearheaded many times with phone calls to local fire chiefs, police departments and countless friends and family. Sheila is especially proud of her work with Boy Scouts of America, Troop 7, based in Elburn. Her relationship with Scouting began when she became Nick’s Co-Den Mother in Cub Scouting. Building upon the legacy of her father, who served as Scoutmaster in 1951 and her grandfather, Chuck Conley, who taught first aid to Scouts for many years, Sheila occupied a number of volunteer positions, capped by her time as Popcorn Colonel and then Advancement Chair. At the Boy Scout level, the Advancement Chair is also the Eagle Scout Coordinator, who guides, supports, and encourages a Life Scout as he embarks on his journey to become an Eagle Scout, the Boy Scouts of America’s highest honor. Through the years in this position and after, Sheila successfully helped shepherd 36 young men to the rank, the majority of whom went on to successfully finish college and trade schools, and/or serve in one of our nation’s military branches. She also stood proudly beside her son as he received his Eagle Scout Award in 2012. Her efforts did not go unnoticed: Sheila is the recipient of multiple mentor pins given to her by her newly minted Eagle Scouts. Sheila’s commitment to Kaneland did not end upon the graduation of her children. She remains an active supporter of the Kaneland Cross Country and Track programs, as well as the Marching Band. When not found organizing volunteer-led parking for XC meets, or serving as Meet Clerk for track, you can find her rooting from the sidelines and parade routes or read her frequent school support on Facebook. She is a firm believer in knowing what it means to be a Knight; not only as a student but as an alum and parent as well. Sheila believes in the true sense of the word “community” and what it means to work for, support and love that community through giving back and lifting up those who share in the life of Kaneland Country. Her sincere hope is that those traditions will leave a trail of giving for the next generations to follow. “I am often asked why I do the things that I do. My only answer is that I am always given so much more in return! Watching the kids as they strive for their goals, push beyond their perceived limits and then arrive somewhere they never expected to reach is beyond uplifting to me. No matter the venue or activity, year after year the youth of our community never cease to amaze me. I am only thankful that they and their parents allow me to be a part of their journey.”

Nick Sinon

Nick Sinon was born and raised in Elburn, IL, the ...

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Nick Sinon was born and raised in Elburn, IL, the proud son of Dolly Sinon. He attended Kaneland High school along with his two older brothers, David and Chris. Nick was a Kane County Conference, Sectional and State Champion in the high jump during his junior and senior years (2009 & 2010) at Kaneland. He was a member of 2nd place 2010 state track team and a 2x national meet participant – he placed 15th in 2009 and 11th in 2010. In 2009, Nick placed 3rd in the State High Jump. In 2010, he was the IHSA State Champion and a State Record Holder in High Jump. After graduating from Kaneland High School in 2010, Nick pursued a degree in computer science from Augustana College. While at Augustana, Nick competed on the track team for 4 years. During his time on the Augustana track team, Nick competed in two national meets, and was a CCIW Champion. Nick ended his collegiate career with a best of 2.06m (6’9”). Nick graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Computer Science. He now lives in St. Charles, IL with his wife, Helen, and their two dogs, Bear and Nigel.

Jim Bishop

Jim Bishop graduated from Kaneland High School in ...

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2019

Michelle Areyzaga

As a coveted performer with a diverse repertoire, ...

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As a coveted performer with a diverse repertoire, American soprano Michelle Areyzaga is held in high regard by orchestras and opera companies throughout the United States and abroad. She has performed operatic roles with New York City Opera in Telemann’s Orpheus as well as in their VOX series, and has appeared in leading roles with Chicago Opera Theater, Lyric Opera of Chicago’s In the Neighborhoods programs, Opera Birmingham, Ravinia Festival, and Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de México. Michelle Areyzaga’s association with the music of Leonard Bernstein runs deep. She has become well known for her interpretation of his delightful and moving music – from her portrayal of Cunegonde in Candide to her participation in varied programs featuring his works, including musical theater and chamber music/recital works. Areyzaga toured the show Bernstein on Broadway together with Jamie Bernstein (Leonard’s daughter) for six years, performing it with the Cleveland Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Oregon Bach Festival, among many others. Areyzaga is still often heard performing Bernstein, such as her performances in Las Vegas and at Ravinia in conjunction with the composer’s centennial celebration. As an orchestral soloist, she has appeared with, in addition to orchestras listed above, Richmond Symphony, Toledo Symphony, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Grant Park Music Festival, Rochester Symphony, Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, Hartford Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Rhode Island Philharmonic, Wichita Symphony Orchestra, Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra, and North Carolina Symphony, among others. She sang the first Bach B minor Mass in the country of Costa Rica, under the baton of Maestro John Nelson. Ms. Areyzaga made her European concert debut as soloist in Vaughan Williams’ Mass in G Minor at England’s York Minster Cathedral, Ely Cathedral, and St. Mary’s Church in Oxford. In Paris, she received standing ovations as soloist in the Lord Nelson Mass with the orchestra of London’s Royal Academy of Music and the St. Charles Singers. She received her B.A. in Vocal Performance from Roosevelt University with honors and was a member of Ravinia’s Steans Institute for Young Artists. In addition, she has been a member of the OperaWorks Summer intensive Program in L.A. and a member of Chicago Opera Theater’s Debut Artist Series.

Bill Blaisdell

I attended what is now the Kaneland Community Unit...

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I attended what is now the Kaneland Community Unit School District #302 from kindergarten to my graduation in 1964. From Elburn, Illinois, I am the proud son of Jack and Marie (Thorgesen) Blaisdell, having one brother and two sisters. While in high school, I earned 10 varsity letters: 4 in track, 3 in football and 3 in basketball. In track, I was part of a Mile Relay team that was our school’s first group to qualify to go downstate. I briefly held the school record in this event and the 880-yard sprint. I was All-Conference as a quarterback and defensive back my junior and senior years in the Little 8 Conference and lastly, the Little 7 Conference. This was our first year of participation in the Little 7. I was also an All-Conference guard in basketball as a junior and senior, again in both Conferences. Lastly, I received an Honorable Mention All-State in basketball and Special Mention All-Area. Upon graduation, I was recruited by three schools and offered a basketball scholarship by Northern Illinois University. I became the first to get a basketball scholarship and play on the varsity level at a Division I University, starting my junior and senior years at point guard for the Huskies. We played against competition like the Indiana Hoosiers, Michigan Wolverines, Dayton Flyers and Ray Meyers DePaul Blue Demons (first regional Broadcast of NIU basketball). Rudy Tomjanovich, Steve Mix and Donnie May were just a few of the future NBA players I was lucky enough to play against. In 1968, I received a B.S. in Mathematics and 1972 an MBA, both from Northern Illinois University. I taught math for one year in Harvard, Illinois. From there, I taught math and science in the Rochelle School System for 3 years. After that, a 3-year sales position with Xerox Corporation and finally, I sold hospital supplies for 32 years. My current residence is in Sun City, Huntley, Illinois. In summary, I have been blessed and humbled to be part of Kaneland's great history and now a member of its Hall of Fame!

Dan Witt

Dan Witt was born in Rock Island, Illinois. His f...

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Dan Witt was born in Rock Island, Illinois. His family did not have much then, but they had each other and it was great! Dan moved to Maple Park between 7th and 8th grade where his father became the local veterinarian known as “Doc” by most of his friends. Dan graduated from Kaneland in 1969. Dan had a wonderful experience representing Kaneland as an athlete and was able to gather some nice honors as a Kaneland football and basketball player. Dan is best known for his basketball success, but also was a Little 7 All-Conference football player his junior and senior years. Dan enjoyed a wonderful basketball career at Kaneland that started in 8th grade and extended all the way through high school. Dan started on the Varsity basketball team as a sophomore and really enjoyed the experience with his older teammates, and playing with two other sophomores, Tom Cory and Jim Blaisdell. Dan earned All-Conference Honorable Mention as a sophomore. He was only 5’ 5” tall but scored 40 points in his second game; he still holds a record in the Thanksgiving King Corn Basketball Tournament of making 22 free throws in one game. That has stood since 1965! Dan was a unanimous First Team All-Conference selection both years by the coaches of the Little 7 Conference. He gained recognition as an All-State player and Little All-American (one of the 40 best high school players in the nation under six feet tall). Dan was offered many college basketball scholarships, but chose to follow two influential Kaneland graduates, Ralph Drendel and the late Trent Richards, and attended Illinois State University on a full NCAA Basketball Scholarship. Dan signed the first full NCAA Basketball Scholarship at Illinois State. He started all four years and was fortunate to play alongside Doug Collins all four years. “Oh, how I wish they had a 3 point line back in those days!” Dan became a playmaker and defender in college and averaged 11 points per game. Dan’s job in college was not necessarily to score, but to guard the other team’s best player and get the ball to Doug! It was a thrilling experience that he will remember his entire life. After college, Dan entered into what has become a 40-year career in the medical industry with 32 years in the dental/orthodontic area and 8 years in pharmaceuticals. His competitive athletic experiences at Kaneland and Illinois State have helped greatly with the many career challenges along the way. Dan met his wife, Jan, at Illinois State University. They have two beautiful daughters, Bryana in Dallas Texas, and Lindsay in Delray Beach, Florida. Dan currently lives in Austin, Texas but has a retirement home in The Villages, Florida with plans to get there soon. The competitive beat goes on every day in Dan’s life in business. He plays a lot of tennis now and looks forward to playing on the golf courses of The Villages in the future. He says he is absolutely thrilled and humbled on his induction into the Kaneland Hall of Fame! “This is a great day for me and an honor that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Thank you, Kaneland!”

2018

Dr. Shannon Barber-Meyer

Shannon is a 1992 graduate of Kaneland High School...

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Shannon is a 1992 graduate of Kaneland High School. She sincerely thanks everyone who helped prepare her and supported her so that she could follow her dreams. After graduation, she headed to the warm waters of FL earning a BS with high honors from Eckerd College in biology, with minors in chemistry and mathematics. She stuck with salt water and moved to Hawaii to teach math and science to middle and high school students, later working as a research chemist along the beautiful coast of Maine. She then earned a PhD in wildlife conservation, minoring in ecology, evolution and behavior, from the University of MN, studying elk calf mortality in Yellowstone National Park post-wolf reintroduction (spoiler alert…think bears). She headed straight back to the ocean as a postdoctoral scholar at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (University of CA, San Diego) where she took ceramics with her husband, ate pancakes on the Ocean Beach Pier, played with her dogs in the surf, and conducted field research on emperor penguins in Antarctica. She next helped reintroduce endangered Mexican gray wolves into the southwestern United States, followed by studying tiger conservation in Asia and living in Washington, DC (squeezing onto the National Mall with her husband for a better view of President Obama’s inauguration). She then took a faculty position with the Teton Science Graduate School where she lived, skied, hiked, etc. inside Grand Teton National Park, WY, while teaching ecology and collecting snow survey data in the mountain foothills toting around her then-1-year-old daughter. In 2011, she moved back to the land of 10,000 lakes near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and is currently a research wildlife biologist with the US Geological Survey studying wolves and white-tailed deer. 
 She lives with her husband, John, and two daughters, Sova and Etta, in Ely, MN, where the whole family has fun exploring canoe country. Shannon enjoys helping take care of the captive wolves at the International Wolf Center and is a member of the IUCN SSG Canid Specialist Group. She has also participated in USGS wild manatee captures for health assessments and radio-tagging in Florida and Belize. Her work as a wildlife biologist has taken her to over 15 countries. She has published in over 20 scientific journals and won The Wildlife Society’s Outstanding Monograph publication award. She has been filmed and interviewed for various media outlets including National Geographic. While she is truly grateful for all of these adventures – her most fulfilling is that of being wife and mom. She daydreams of one day moving back to the ocean to support dolphin conservation and research, practice yoga and hula on the beach, and take surf lessons with her daughters.

Dr. Charles McCormick

Growing up in an exemplary rural western New York ...

Diane McFarlin

“Passion, Power and Possibility” are the three...

Lesley Hudgins

After a truly unglamorous freshman year at Kanelan...

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After a truly unglamorous freshman year at Kaneland High School, trying to learn the game, Lesley came into her own by her sophomore year. That year, the varsity team continued the previous several year’s tradition and won the Little Seven Conference again without a loss. The Lady Knights were conference champions again her junior and senior years. 
 In 1982, after going undefeated in the conference, the Lady Knights were Illinois State Champions after plowing their way through all of the competition! Lesley was named to the First Team, All-State Team after scoring 25 points in the championship game in Champaign-Urbana.
 Throughout her high school career, Lesley held several scoring and rebounding records, many of which still stand today. Most field goals (career), highest scoring average (season), field goal (season) and rebounds (game). She was a USA Today honorable mention All-American, as well as several publication’s All-area teams, player of the week, and most valuable player… to name just a few.
 Her success in high school led to her being recruited by over 50 colleges. She received a full ride scholarship to the University of Illinois. After being sidelined by a knee injury her first year, she managed to come back and have a successful career in the Big-Ten. Her team went to the NCAA tournament 2 times and made it to the second round both times. In the 1987-88 seasons, she led her team in rebounding and blocked shots. She was also given the Illini Award and the team’s MVP Award. Lesley was a three-year letter winner!
 Lesley is extremely grateful for those friends she has made along the way, and still holds their friendship sacred.
 In 1998, Lesley moved to the Fort Lauderdale area with her spouse of over 25 years, Richard Hutchings. There she maintains a successful real estate career. She has decided that the ocean life is her calling.
 Lesley would never have been able to achieve what she accomplished without the love and support of her family through all of the crazy travel to games, camps and training. Mother, Linda, and her husband, Kevin, in Aurora, Dad, Dick, and his wife, Anita, in South Carolina, Sister, Jennifer, in California and her Brother, Michael, in Bloomington!
 She would like to also thank her coaches, Rick Schairer, whose unshakable faith in her meant more than he will ever know, and who helped her with the absolute madness of the recruiting, and Dick Rink, who always told her she could do it! The teammates throughout that time were special… the friendships still hold true today!

Dana Lettow Wagner

Dana excelled in three sports, starring in volleyb...

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Dana excelled in three sports, starring in volleyball, basketball and track & field. Her true passion came on the hardwood, where she dominated throughout her career, beginning at the varsity level near the end of her freshman season. In three-plus seasons, Dana was named to the All-Little Seven Conference First-Team following her sophomore, junior and senior seasons, including the LSC’s Most Valuable Player in 1992. She was a three-time selection to the Beacon News All-Area Team, including the area’s Player of the Year in 1992. 
 Dana’s name appears often in the Knights girls’ basketball record book, including: All-time leading scorer (1,726 points), most points in a game (41), most 3-pointers in a game (7), most points in a quarter (19) and most consecutive free throws made in a game (13). Voted team Most Valuable Player three times, Dana scored double figures in all 87 of her varsity games and in 1992 played in the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association All-Star Game.
 Dana continued her academic and basketball career at Aurora University – and the on-court dominance followed her there. She was a three-time NCAA Division III All-American and three-time Northern Illinois Intercollegiate Player of the Year. Dana is AU’s all-time leading scorer (1,693 points) and her number 40 jersey was retired during a ceremony following her final game. She was inducted into AU’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.
 Dana currently serves as the Assistant Athletic Manager at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, where she has been employed since 1997. Dana’s accomplishments continued to mount as the Lady Chiefs women’s basketball coach – a position she held for 15 years. Her accolades include: Illinois Skyway Conference Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year (2013-14), school-record 25 wins in a season (2013-14), school-record 13-game win streak (2013-14), an NJCAA Top 25 ranking for the first time in program history (2013-14), a perfect conference record of 14-0 (2013-14), school-record 216 wins as coach and coach of 24 Skyway Conference First-Team players.

2017

Allyson Laackman

Allyson Laackman is a finance and operations profe...

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Allyson Laackman is a finance and operations professional who has served in senior leadership roles in Federal government, non-profit, political, and private sector organizations throughout her career. The daughter of Alvin and Margie Anderson and sister of Meg Ritter, Allyson grew up in Elburn and graduated from Kaneland High School in 1975. She earned an A.B. in Finance and a Masters of Accountancy Science at the University of Illinois, Urbana/Champaign before joining Arthur Anderson as a Certified Public Accountant. She later served as the Chief Financial Officer of a publicly traded capital markets firm. In early 2008, Allyson volunteered on the Obama for America presidential campaign, before becoming the campaign’s controller. She then joined the Obamas in the White House where she served for three years as the Chief Financial Officer for the Executive Office of the President. In this role, Allyson was responsible for strategic budgeting, financial management and reporting, travel, and procurement services for the President and his policy advisors at the Office of Management and Budget, National Security Council, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Office of National Drug Control Policy, Council of Environmental Quality, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Council of Economic Advisors, Office of Administration, Office of the Vice President, Executive Residence (the physical White House) and White House. During her last year in D.C., Allyson also managed, on an interim basis, the day-to-day operations of the Executive Residence, a national landmark that serves as the First Family’s home, event and office space, and a museum. At the end of 2011, she left the White House to serve as First Lady Michelle Obama’s Chief of Staff on the 2012 Presidential Re-election Campaign. Following the election, Allyson became a principal at Civic Consulting Alliance, a Chicago-based non-profit that provides pro bono consulting to the City of Chicago and Cook County. While at Civic, Allyson wrote the City’s technology plan, improved I.T. and procurement processes for the County, and helped develop the City’s tourism plan. She then joined the Museum of Science and Industry as Vice President of Finance and Administration/Chief Financial Officer. In 2014 Allyson moved to Burlington, Vermont to join her husband, Don, who was appointed President of Champlain College. In addition to her involvement at the college, Allyson is the interim Co-Executive Director at Burlington Housing Authority, an organization that provides affordable housing to low income residents. She also serves on the boards of the Vermont Community Foundation and Wake Robin, is a Library Commissioner for Burlington’s Fletcher Free Library, and is a member of the Vermont Women’s Fund and United Way’s Women United Councils. Besides her commitment to public service, Allyson is most proud of being the mother of Don III, a PhD Candidate in Mathematics at UCLA and Emily, and a strategy and analysis manager at an ad agency in Chicago. She and Don love to travel and share their lives with two lively golden doodles.

Ingrid Petersen Inboden

Ingrid Petersen Inboden was born into the Maple Pa...

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Ingrid Petersen Inboden was born into the Maple Park community as the daughter of a World War II Veteran and his German War Bride who became a proud American citizen. Ingrid has one brother, Ralph Petersen, who was a DeKalb County Police officer who retired to return to active duty serving in Iraq and Afghanistan after 9-11. Ingrid attended Maple Park Grade School, Kaneland Junior High and Kaneland High School, graduating in 1970. During her formative years, Ingrid was active in Girl Scouts, played the piano and attended the Methodist Church in Maple Park. After graduating, Ingrid traveled Europe alone for a year. She had only been there once before as a young child. While there, she studied the German language and met many cousins for the first time. Ingrid met Thomas Inboden of DeKalb in 1973. They were married in 1974. Ingrid started working at Inboden’s Market after their marriage. Shortly after that, she started a family and took night classes, as time would allow. Ingrid is the mother of three boys, Nathan (Polly) Inboden, Joseph (Crissy) Inboden, Dustin Inboden, and grandmother of four. Tom and Ingrid became owners of Inboden’s Market in 1974. After the boys were self-sufficient, she felt the need to achieve a goal of being a nurse. In her first year of nursing school, she opened her home to a female foreign exchange student from Australia for a year. She began her nursing career with her first position being in the Birthing Center at Kishwaukee Community Hospital working the night shift so that she was still able to take care of her growing boys. Later, Ingrid took on a new task with helping to develop policies and procedures, equipment guidelines, and training material, along with other resources for a free clinic that was being started through Northern Illinois University at Kishwaukee Community College that was to be called Tri-county Community Health Center. Ingrid worked at this clinic until the need arose for her to return to Inboden’s Market. Seeing a need in the community, she used her nursing education to include many specialty foods in the store for people with nutritional deficits such as sodium restrictions, gluten and lactose restrictions, food allergies, etc. She is constantly staying on top of food trends by attending education seminars and food shows. Ingrid and her husband now have 62 employees. Ingrid is very active on the Inboden Donation Committee that reviews hundreds of submissions and helps to select charities to donate monetarily or through product. She has just started! Some favorite hobbies include travel, genealogy studies, the outdoors, spending time with her rescue dog, Ruger, and most of all, being a grandma!

Leon F. Gramley

Leon F. Gramley was born October 31 (Halloween), 1...

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Leon F. Gramley was born October 31 (Halloween), 1943, the son of Benjamin Gramley and Frances (Flanders) Gramley of Kaneville, IL. Leon grew up in Kaneville and spent his life making memories and caring for his community. He attended local schools and graduated from Kaneland High School in 1962. He attended lowa State University in Ames, Iowa and graduated from DeVry Institute in Chicago. Shortly after graduation, he enlisted in the United States Army and proudly served his country during the Vietnam War. In December of 1967, Leon returned to civilian life and worked for Illinois Bell. In 1971, he began farming with his brother Elmer on the family farm in Kaneville. Leon married Margaret Myers in 1965, and they were blessed with two sons, Philip in June 1967 and Stephen in November 1969. Years later, Leon would say he met 'the love of his life' in 1991 when he met Mary Fecht, a nurse who worked at Delnor Community Hospital. They were married a year later on September 6, 1992 sharing a lifetime of going to concerts and traveling extensively, with Disney World high on the list of favorite destinations. Leon was a volunteer firefighter with the Kaneville Fire Department, later becoming an EMT/Paramedic with Elburn Ambulance Service. He served on the Kaneville Township Board and elected Kaneville Township Supervisor in 1994. Leon was also Vice President and Sexton for Kaneville Cemetery. He was very active in the Kaneville Memorial Day service, serving in the Color Guard and Honor Guard, as well as identifying the graves of all the veterans making sure no one was forgotten. In death, Leon gave to others by donating his eyes to the Illinois Eye Bank. Leon was an avid NASCAR fan, cheering Dale Earnhardt with every turn. He was a man of many talents, though few knew while growing up, he took tap dancing lessons and played the French horn and piano. He was proud of his collection of Mickey Mouse watches, ties and hats. Every Christmas, Leon made a trip to Marshall Field's (now Macy’s) and brought home two shopping bags full of Frango Mints, which he loved to pass out to family and friends. His generosity waned when it came to his favorite Reese's peanut butter cups. Leon could "fix" anything. The result was always neat and tidy and often included electrical tape and baling wire. Papa Band-Aid was a napkin and electrical tape! He devoted his life to service to the community. He would answer phone calls at all hours, going to the community center late in the evening or checking his answering machine nightly when on vacation. He was the driving force behind Kaneville's designation as a village, dedicating untold hours until it was official in 2006. Leon is survived by his wife Mary of Kaneville, son Philip (Christine) of Chicago, son Stephen (Leanne) and their children, Robert, Lillian, and Isaac, and Albert (Lori) Fecht and their children, Joshua, Hannah and Emilee.

Dr. Korre Foster

Dr. Korre Foster is Associate Professor and Direct...

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Dr. Korre Foster is Associate Professor and Director of Choral Activities at Austin Peay State University, where he conducts Chamber Singers, University Choir, and teaches courses in conducting, choral literature and music education. In addition, he mentors graduate students in choral conducting and thesis research. Dr. Foster is a recipient of the Austin Peay State University Socrates Award for Excellence in Teaching. Since joining the faculty in 2009, Foster has inspired choral singing at APSU with adventurous programming. Performance highlights include David Lang’s The Little Match Girl Passion, Johannes Brahms’ Liebeslieder Walzer, Jeffrey Wood’s In the dark times will there also be singing?, and JS Bach’s Mass in g-minor performed with Music City Baroque. He created Choir Fest, which brings over 500 student singers to campus every year. Other highlights include the invitational BIG SING for outstanding high school choirs and the annual Holiday Dinner—now celebrating its eighth year as a formal dinner of joviality and music– raising scholarship money for students. Foster was awarded the Harriet Hale Woolley Scholarship that took him to live in France. During his years in Paris, he worked with the choirs and orchestras of both the Académie de Musique and the Palais Royal. He has prepared choruses for and has sung under the batons of Michael Tilson Thomas, Helmuth Rilling and Franz Welser-Möst, in choral works such as Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, Haydn’s Die Schöpfung, Ives’ Holidays Symphony, and Schubert’s Mass in E-flat. While in Florida, he sang with the Master Chorale of South Florida and he continues to sing professionally with the Tennessee Chamber Chorus. He has presented research on rhetoric and the French Baroque at the 14th Biennial International Conference on Baroque Music in Belfast, the Southwestern ACDA Conference in Denver, the 53rd National Conference of the College Music Society, the 30th Annual Conference of the Society for Interdisciplinary French Seventeenth-Century Studies, the International Association for Word and Music Studies, and at the Universität Mozarteum in Salzburg as part of the 16th Biennial International Conference on Baroque Music. He holds the Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from the University of Miami, the Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Arizona, the Bachelor of Music in Vocal Music Education and the Bachelor of Arts in French from Millikin University.

Doug Ecker

Doug Ecker was born and raised in Moline, Illinois...

Heidi Hagberg-Modaff

Heidi Hagberg-Modaff was born & raised in Sugar Gr...

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Heidi Hagberg-Modaff was born & raised in Sugar Grove, IL. She grew up with one sister, Heather Hagberg. They both contributed their athletic abilities for many years in the Kaneland community. Heidi attended Sugar Grove Elementary School, Kaneland Middle School & Kaneland High School. She graduated from Kaneland High School in 1988. After completion of high school, Heidi attended Parkland College in Champaign, IL. While at Parkland, she earned an Associate’s Degree in Dental Hygiene. She has been employed for 27 years at Fairview Dental in Aurora, IL. Heidi was a three-sport athlete until her sophomore year in high school. She then decided to devote her athletic time towards running events. Her achievements are as follows: Heidi was a member of the Elburn Area Jaycees Junior Sports Club in 6th grade. She placed 2nd in the 50 meter & 100 meter dashes at state competition. She was also a member of the Aurora Sundowners Track Club during 7th & 8th grade. In 8th grade, she was awarded the \"Leading Scorer\" trophy for track at Kaneland Middle School. During her high school running career, she received 3 varsity letters in Cross-Country & 4 varsity letters in Track. She was also elected to the All-Conference Track Team by the Little Seven Conference Coaches in 1985, 1986, 1987 & 1988. Heidi qualified for the state track meet all four years of high school. In 1985, she qualified in the 1600 meter relay, setting a school record. In 1986, she qualified in the 1600 meter relay & 3200 meter relay, setting school and state records in the 3200 meter relay. In 1987, she qualified in the Medley relay, 400 meter dash & 1600 meter relay, becoming State Class A Team Champions. In 1988, she qualified in the 400 meter dash, 1600 meter relay & 3200 meter relay, becoming repeat State Class A Team Champions. Heidi and her husband, Scott, currently reside in Sugar Grove where they are raising their three daughters, Morgan, Kylie and Kelsey.

About D302

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Students

Staff

Hall of Fame Constitutionand By Laws

Online nominations open.Deadline is November 29, 2024

Download a paper copyof the nomination form

InducteesBy Year

Lee and Joann Murdock

Taylor Andrews

Pat Hill

2010-2011 Boys Baseball Team

Diana Jaskierny

Maria Dripps-Paulson

Phil Christensen

Ryan West

Logan Markuson

4X400 RELAY TEAM Tommy Whittaker, Derek Bus, Edgar Valle & Logan Markuson

2010 Boys' Track Team

Shiela Howard Albano

Nick Sinon

Jim Bishop

Michelle Areyzaga

Bill Blaisdell

Dan Witt

Dr. Shannon Barber-Meyer

Dr. Charles McCormick

Diane McFarlin

Lesley Hudgins

Dana Lettow Wagner

Allyson Laackman

Ingrid Petersen Inboden

Leon F. Gramley

Dr. Korre Foster

Doug Ecker

Heidi Hagberg-Modaff

Hall of Fame Constitution
and By Laws

Online nominations open.
Deadline is November 29, 2024

Download a paper copy
of the nomination form

Inductees
By Year