Mike Kilmartin
Mendota High School | St. Bede High School | Putnam County

Mike Kilmartin was a legendary boys and girls basketball coach, most well-known for his success at Mendota HS. Kilmartin guided MHS boys to three trips to state (1988-89, 1992-93, 1995-96). His teams won seven regionals and five sections. As the MHS girls basketball coach, he won three regionals and one sectional. Kilmartin also led the girls team to a fourth-place state finish in 1998-99. He is one of only a handful of coaches in Illinois history to coach a boys and girls basketball team to state. He is a member of the IBCA Hall of Fame. In addition to his success in basketball, Kilmartin also coached the Putnam County baseball team to state in 1978.

Ken Jenkins
Putnam County

After coaching at Effingham HS for four years, Ken Jenkins became a legendary baseball coach at Putnam County. As the baseball coach from 1979-2008, Jenkins finished with 517 wins, seven regional titles and three sectional titles. He led three teams to state in 1982, 1998 (fourth) and 2008 (third). Jenkins was named IBCA Coach of the Year in 1982, 1998 and 2008. He is a member of Putnam County Hall of Fame and IBCA Hall of Fame. In addition to baseball, Jenkins also coached basketball at PC from 1984-90 and finished with career record of 78-67.

Guy Hoffman
Marquette High School

A 1974 graduate, Guy Hoffman was a multi-sport athlete at Hall HS but was most well-known for baseball. During his senior year, Hoffman was leading hitter, had a 0.55 ERA, threw two no-hitters and was named team MVP. Following high school, he pitched at Bradley University from 1975-78. In 1978, he shared team MVP. After his collegiate career, Hoffman spent part of six seasons playing for four different MLB teams, mostly as a reliever. He finished his MLB career with a 17-17 record and a 4.25 ERA before playing three seasons in Japan. Hoffman is a member of Marquette’s John Pocivasek HOF and the Greater Peoria Area Sports HOF. His baseball jersey was retired by Marquette in 1987.

Dale Pienta
Hall High School | Tiskilwa | IVCC

A 1953 Hall HS graduate, Dale Pienta was a three-sport athlete. Pienta was named Team MVP, all-conference and HM all-state during his senior season in football and basketball. He is a member of the Hall HS HOF. Following high school, Pienta played football and basketball at Northwestern from 1953-57, where he was a three-year letter winner in both sports. He was a member of the 1957 Big Ten Baseball Championship team and was named the 1957 Illinois Valley Collegiate Athlete of the Year. After college, Pienta coached at Tiskilwa for one year before becoming coach at Hall HS where he coached football, baseball and basketball for 31 years. Pienta also coached basketball and football at IVCC.

Hollis Vickery
La Salle-Peru High School | IVCC

Hollis Vickery was a star basketball player at La Salle-Peru HS. After a year at Lincoln JC, Vickery transferred to IVCC in 1975-76 and averaged 28.4 ppg to lead all Illinois junior college players. He was also named all-state JUCO. Vickery later played two seasons at the University of Hawaii. Following his playing career, Vickery coached the L-P Girls Basketball Team for 12 seasons, including a program-best 18 wins in 2021-22.

Amy (Johnson) DeVerteuil
Ottawa High School

Amy (Johnson) DeVerteuil was a standout basketball player at Ottawa HS where she also played softball and volleyball. DeVerteuil is Ottawa’s all-time leading scorer for both boys or girls with 1,781 points. She is also the all-time leading rebounder in girls program history. During her high school career, DeVerteuil averaged 17.3 ppg. In her senior year, she was named All-State and played in the IBCA All-State Game. After high school, DeVerteuil played collegiate basketball at Michigan and competed on the track and field team.

Bob Beals
Mendota High School | IVCC

From 1960-1975, Beals was head basketball coach at Mendota High School (MHS). During his time as coach, Beals led the Trojans to a 233-140 record and won four regionals including the 1970-71 season when his team won 27 games – the second-most in school history. In 1975, Beals left MHS to become head coach at Illinois Valley Community College where he coached until his death in 1979. Beals is an original member of IBCA Board of Directors, where he served as secretary-treasurer for many years. In 1980, Beals was inducted into the IBCA Hall of Fame.

Legacy Award – Individual
Russ Meyer
La Salle-Peru High School | IVCC

After a stint in WWII, Russ Meyer, a Peru native, pitched 13 MLB seasons for six teams from 1946-1959. Meyer pitched in three World Series, including winning the Brooklyn Dodgers’ first World Series title in 1955. Following a successful MLB career, he was the baseball coach at IVCC from 1980-82. Meyer worked in the New York Yankees organization for 12 years, including a year as the Yankees’ bench coach in 1992.

Legacy Award – Team
1954-55 Princeton Boys Basketball Team

Led by coach Don Sheffer, the 1954-55 Princeton boys basketball team went 32-4 and finished fourth in the state in a one-class system. The 32 wins in a season remain tied for most in school history. The team finished fourth place at state, which remains only state trophy in PHS basketball history. The legendary team included two Shaw Media IV Sports HOF members – Joe Ruklick (Class of 2020-21) and Lew Flynn (Class of 2022).

Distinguished Media Award
Tom McGinnis
St. Bede High School

Tom McGinnis is a current and longtime radio broadcaster for the Philadelphia 76ers, starting in 1995. McGinnis received the 2023 Bill Campbell Award for sportscasting excellence from the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association. After starting as a TV reporter, he switched to play-by-play as he became radio voice in the CBA for four years. McGinnis spent two seasons in minor league hockey – the first in South Carolina and the second in Cleveland.

2005 Bureau Valley Football Team

Under coach Dave Moore, the 2005 Bureau Valley football team went 14-0 and won the Class 3A State Title. The title is the only state championship in school history. The team defeated Tolono Unity 34-7 in 3A State Title Game. During the regular season, they outscored opponents 501-163 (35.7 ppg versus 11.6 ppg). They remain the only undefeated state football champion in area history.

1987-88 IVCC Boys Basketball Team

The 1987-88 boys basketball teams is one of the most-successful teams in IVCC men’s basketball history. Coached by Shaw Media IV Sports HOF Class of 2020-21 inductee Dean Riley, the team finished 27-9. They shared the N4C title and won the Region IV Tournament to advance to Division II NJCAA National Tournament where they placed third – highest finish in school history.

Craig McCormick
Ottawa High School

A 1978 Ottawa HS grad, Craig McCormick was a three-year starter and the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,681 points. McCormick helped Ottawa to two NCIC titles, two regionals, two sectionals and an appearance in 1978 State Tournament. He played collegiately at Western Kentucky, where he was a three-time all Ohio Valley Conference selection and Associated Press All-American selection in 1982. McCormick was drafted by the LA Lakers in 1982 NBA Draft before playing professionally in Israel and Spain. He is a member of the OTHS Hall of Fame and WKU Hall of Fame. He is the current radio color analyst for WKU men’s basketball.

Rhonda Morel
La Salle-Peru High School | IVCC

A 1978 La Salle-Peru HS grad, Rhonda Morel played a wide array of sports in high school, college and in her adult life. At L-P, Morel was a standout four-sport athlete (tennis, volleyball basketball, and track & field). At IVCC, she competed in four sports (cross country, volleyball, basketball & softball). Morel was a two-sport scholarship athlete for volleyball and basketball at Eastern Illinois University. After college, she began weightlifting and won the 1992 Heavyweight division at the West Coast Classic. Morel also played AAU beach volleyball and indoor volleyball from 1987-2000. She played professional women’s football from 2000-2003 and played for San Diego Sheriff's Women’s and Coed Softball Teams from 1992-1999, winning Police Olympic Championships on two occasions.

Ted Schmitz
Streator High School

Ted Schmitz is a legendary football coach, spanning more than four decades across college, CFL and the Indoor Football League. A 1962 Streator HS grad, Schmitz played college football and baseball at Eastern Illinois University. He served as assistant football coach at EIU, Augustana, ISU and Illinois Wesleyan before becoming radio color commentator for ISU football. Schmitz spent eight seasons as a defensive assistant for CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats and served as the interim head coach for six games during the 1987 season. He is former employee of IFL’s Bloomington (IL) Extreme, serving as coach and front office staff. Schmitz is a member of the Streator HS Hall of Fame.