Salem Wildcat Sports Hall of Fame

The Salem Community High School Sports Hall of fame was organized in 1985 under the leadership of then Athletic Director, John Cavaletto. Committee members were SCHS sports enthusiasts and some were graduates and former athletic team members. Admission to the Hall of Fame criteria and the voting method were established and the committee has met almost every month for 23 years.

Sports archives and the writings of Salem businessman/sportswriter Bill Larimer, along with those of another sports writer, Bruce Hixon, are researched and studied. Chairman Cavaletto and his successor, Athletic Director Scott Steward, conduct the meetings but are non-voting committee members.

Induction of Hall of Fame members is held annually the first Saturday in June.

Past and present members of the Sports Hall of Fame Committee are:

  • Ray Baldridge
  • Harold Blank
  • Emily Blackburn
  • Suzanne Brown
  • Lou Bryant
  • John Cavaletto
  • Jack Cunningham
  • Les Deason
  • Brad Detering
  • Anna Lou Eller
  • Doris Gatewood
  • Christy Gillett
  • Willard Green
  • Kevin Greene
  • Greg Gruenkemeyer
  • Lou Gruenkemeyer
  • Mike Hargis
  • Bill Hawley
  • Bruce Hixon
  • Bob Jamison
  • Mark Johnson
  • Shannon Kagy
  • Robert Kane
  • Jim Koehler
  • Bill Larimer
  • Mark Larimer
  • Kerry McLain
  • Charles Mills
  • Dr. Harry Nesmith
  • Robert Phillips
  • Bob Roddy
  • Walter Simpson
  • Scott Steward
  • Gene Yolton

To view the members of the Salem Wildcat Sports Hall of Fame visit the Inductees Page, browse by year on the left, or just start looking through the list of Hall of Fame inductees below.

Hall of Fame Inductees


scott-stewardScott Steward put together a 34-year stay at Salem Community High School that included 23 seasons with the Wildcats football program, 15 seasons with the baseball program and 27 years as the school’s athletic director.

Steward, who had played football at Saint Joseph’s College in Indiana, arrived in Salem in 1988 after having served as a graduate assistant football coach at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Steward served as an assistant football coach with the Wildcats for two seasons before he was promoted to head coach in 1990. By the time Steward stepped down from that position after the 2010 campaign he had become the program’s winningest coach with a career mark of 108-92. During that run his teams won three North Egypt Conference championships with shared titles in 1991 and 1992 and an outright title in 1997 with a perfect 7-0 record. His teams qualified for the state playoffs ten times. At the time of his 2023 SCHS Hall of Fame induction Steward was one of just two coaches in the program’s history to win a playoff game, which his 1991 squad accomplished with a 20-10 first-round victory over Highland. Steward was inducted into the Illinois High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2013.

Besides the three NEC championships his teams won on the gridiron, Steward was part of two more NEC winners with the Wildcats baseball team with titles won in 1989 and 1996.

Steward moved into the school’s athletic director role in 1995 and held that position until his retirement from the school in 2022. During that time Steward helped navigate the school through the difficult process of moving from the North Egypt Conference to the Apollo Conference after the NEC dissolved in 2003 and again from the Apollo Conference to its current home in the Cahokia Conference in 2017. The school hosted numerous IHSA postseason events under his direction and also served as chairman of the SCHS Sports Hall of Fame committee. Steward served on the IHSA Athletic Administrators Advisory Board, the AD HOC Committee on state football playoffs and AD HOC Committee to review policy and procedures. He has worked as a volunteer at the IHSA state bass fishing competition and has served on the Bass Fishing Advisory Committee, and received a distinguished service award from the IHSA for his work with the Bass Tournament. Steward also served on the Schutt Sports Advisory Committee twice.

Steward was awarded the Division 3-4A Illinois Athletic Director of the Year for the 2015-16 school year, the SIBOA Athletic Director of the Year five times, the Illinois Principals Association Kaskaskia Division Athletic Director of the Year twice and the SCHS Teacher of the Year in 2018. He is also a member of the Lowell High School Sports Hall of Fame.

After Steward retired from SCHS in the spring in 2022, he rejoined the work force later that year when he became athletic director at Kaskaskia College.

At the time of his SCHS Sports Hall of Fame induction in 2023, Steward and his wife, Tracie, resided in Salem where they raised daughters Megan and Mallory and son Cole Steward.

ellen-youngOne of the most well-rounded athletes Salem Community High School has ever produced, 2007 graduate Ellen (Young) O’Rourke left the school as the all-time career scoring leader for the girls and boys basketball program with 2,500 points.

O’Rourke, who was an All-Apollo Conference and Southern Illinois Coaches Association All-South selection all four seasons, made an immediate impact as a freshman when she averaged 15.0 points per game. She also received Special Mention on the IBCA and Champaign News-Gazette All-State Teams. She increased that scoring average to 17.2 points per game as a sophomore and was selected to the IBCA All-State Third Team and Honorable Mention on the Champaign News-Gazette All-State Team. As a junior O’Rourke poured in 24.8 points a game and was an IBCA All-State Second Team choice. During her senior season O’Rourke broke Marla Sapp’s 26-year-old school scoring record of 2,347 points and averaged 25.3 points a game overall. She was an IBCA and Champaign News-Gazette All-State First Team choice as well as an Associated Press Third Team All-State pick. O’Rourke represented the school and Class AA South squad at the IBCA All-Star Game.

O’Rourke was more than just a scoring machine. She set the school record for most steals in a season with 109 in the 2006-07 campaign (since broken) and ranked tenth for most rebounds in a season when she pulled down 291 boards, which she also accomplished in the 2006-07 season. O’Rourke ranked second in season three-point percentage at 44.8 percent for the 2003-04 season and third in made free throws for a season when she hit 150 in the 2006-07 slate.

O’Rourke, who also competed on the volleyball court for two seasons and one year on the track at SCHS, also left her name in the school’s record book for softball where she set the season stolen base mark when she pilfered 37 during the 2005 campaign.

O’Rourke begun her collegiate basketball career at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. During her one season with the Lady Salukis O’Rourke was named to the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman Team as she averaged 11.9 points per game and was third in the MVC in three-point percentage. O’Rourke played her three remaining seasons at the University of Southern Indiana at Evansville. As a sophomore she was a Great Lakes Valley Conference Third Team choice as she averaged 13.1 points per game and reached double digits 18 times. She improved that scoring average to 15.3 points per game as a junior when she was named to the All-GLVC Second Team. Twice she was named the GLVC Player of the Week. Prior to her senior season O’Rourke was named a preseason honorable Mention All-American by the Division II Bulletin. Once again, she was a GLVC Second Team selection after she posted a team-high 15.6 points per game average, which included a career high 34 points against Indianapolis. Twenty-three times she scored in double digits. Despite having played only three seasons at USI, O’Rourke finished eighth all-time on that program’s scoring list with 1249 points, third in career made three-pointers with 150 and third in free throw percentage at 78.0 percent. O’Rourke scored 1,677 points overall in college to go along with 486 rebounds.

O’Rourke was serving as the financial manager for the City of Marengo, Iowa at the time of her SCHS Sports Hall of Fame induction.

chandra-steersIt did not matter whether it was on the volleyball or basketball court, success and Chandra (Hensley) Steers went together.

A 1999 graduate of Salem Community High School, Steers was a four-year member of the Lady Wildcats volleyball program and a three-year starter. During that three-year run from 1996-98 Steers helped Salem compile records of 26-7, 31-5 and 32-3. Those squads won the North Egypt Conference crown each season, three regional titles and the program’s first sectional championship in 1997. Steers was an NEC Second Team selection for the 1997 and 1998 teams.

While Steers had a solid volleyball career at Salem, she elevated her game even more when she moved on to Parkland Community College in Champaign. That success began in the fall of 1999 when she helped Parkland compile a 54-9 record that ended with the NJCAA Division II national championship. With Steers up front at the net, the Lady Cobras made a return trip to the national tournament in 2001 where Parkland took home a sixth-place finish and a 45-15 record. Steers, who was one of the top blockers in the country, was a big reason for that trip to the national tournament as she was a Midwest Athletic Conference First Team selection and a member of the All-Region 24 First Team. Steers was rewarded for her success at Parkland when she was inducted into that school’s Hall of Fame in 2007. Steers transferred to Eastern Illinois University for her junior and senior volleyball seasons. During her time at that school Steers received the school’s ROTC Leadership Award in 2002 and was a member of the Ohio Valley Conference All-Academic Team in 2003.

Besides her accomplishments on the volleyball court, Steers was also a key contributor to the 1998-99 Lady Wildcats basketball team that went 28-3, won the NEC championship with a perfect 14-0 record and reached the Class AA Elite Eight. Steers, who was an NEC Honorable Mention selection that season, led Salem to its first regional championship when she poured in a career high 28 points in a 78-51 victory over Chatham Glenwood. She averaged 8.7 points per game that campaign, was the team’s third-leading rebounder and was one of its best free throw shooters at 73 percent.

Steers did not stay away from athletic competition for long after her playing days ended as she entered the coaching field in 2004 as the head volleyball coach at Macon-Meridian High School. She later served as head volleyball coach at Mahomet-Seymour High School where her team won a Class 3A regional championship in 2015. Steers has had assistant volleyball coaching stints at Parkland College, Blue Ridge High School and Mahomet-Seymour Junior High School. Steers has also coached multiple seasons for PrimeTime VBC, a club volleyball team based in Champaign.

At the time of her induction into the SCHS Sports Hall of Fame Steers resided in Mahomet where she was a certified surgical technologist at Gibson Area Hospital.

06-bowling

Front Row: Stephen Riley, Stephen Bryant, Brayton Becktell, Alex Heseler
Back Row: Coach Steve Ludwig, Keith Bumgarner, Wec Villalobos, Chase Smith, Assistant Coach Linda Kniker

The 2006-07 Salem Wildcats bowling squad became the first team in school sports history to win a state championship in just its fourth year of existence. The Wildcats had qualified for state in each of their three previous seasons, which included a third-place state finish in the 2004-05 campaign.

Salem’s path to the state title endured its share of ups and downs during the regular season as the Wildcats were just 4-4 in dual competition. Salem posted victories against O’Fallon, Herrin, Taylorville and Highland. On the down side the Wildcats lost twice to Harrisburg and also were defeated by Alton and Herrin. During regular season tournament competition Salem posted a runner-up finish at its own invitational, a fourth-place effort at the Alton Invitational and a fifth place spot at the Collinsville Invitational.
Coach Steve Ludwig’s crew turned it on at the right time when they won the eight-team field at the Herrin Sectional. The Wildcats knocked down 6,254 pins, 196 better than runner-up Harrisburg’s total of 6,060. Senior Keith Bumgarner finished second overall at the sectional with a score of 1,323 pins and finished just two pins back of the individual championship. Team captain Alex Henseler finished in the No. 2 position for Salem with 1,255, while Stephen Bryant filled the team’s No. 3 spot with 1,248. Wes Villalobos held the fourth spot at 1,223, Chase Smith contributed 1,002 and Stephen Riley contributed 203 pins.

Salem used a huge come-from-behind effort to win the state championship. The Wildcats stood in fifth place out of 24 teams and 173 pins out of the lead with a team score of 6,078 after the first day of competition. Salem made up that gap and then some as it roared back with a round of 6,568 on day two and finished with a two-day score of 12,646. That was good for a 36-pin margin of victory over state runner-up Harrisburg, which had those two regular season dual meet wins over the Wildcats.

Henseler led Salem at state and finished second overall with a two-day total of 2,823 pins. Bryant also cracked the top ten at state as he was eighth overall with 2,598. Other contributors for the Wildcats at state were Bumgarner with 2,203 pins, Smith with 2,143, Villalobos with 1,886, Brayton Becktell with 1,837 and Riley with 154.

ellerFor Salem Wildcat fans, the name Eller certainly is one of the most recognizable names in SCHS history. Bob Eller began his career at Central School. He then went to the Salem Junior High School and finished his teaching career at SCHS where he taught math and physical education. Bob coached many sports, including varsity and freshman basketball, assistant football, cross country and was the intramural sports director. In 1970, Bob started the SCHS golf program which grew into a very successful one. Bob also served as the Athletic Director from 1970-1981.

During the summer months he ran the Salem Little League baseball program, operated the city pool and taught swimming lessons. Bob was still teaching when he passed away in the spring of 1981.

Whatever job Bob was working, his wife Anna Lou was always involved. During his A.D. years, Anna Lou was his unofficial assistant in the athletics office. She helped him with clerical work and was at all the home events.

After Bob’s passing, Anna Lou started the Bob Eller Memorial Golf Tournament which led to the Bob Eller Scholarship that went to a senior boy and senior girl. Besides being a great fan of Wildcat athletics, Anna Lou served on the SCHS Board of Education, SCHS Academic Foundation, and is a member of the SCHS Hall of Fame Committee and many other organizations.

Three of the Eller children, Ken, Ron and Tim played sports at SCHS. Grandchildren Ben and Carrie were also former Wildcat athletes.

Kim Kreke imageAfter Kim Kreke used her size and skill to become the top shot blocker in the history of the Salem Lady Wildcats basketball program, she left her mark in the same category with the Air Force Academy.
A 2005 graduate of Salem Community High School, Kreke began to become a defensive force near the basket as a junior when she turned away 74 shots during the 2003-04 season. That mark still ranks third in the program’s history at the time of her Hall of Fame induction. Kreke was even better during her senior year in the 2004-05 campaign when she became the school’s single-season shot blocker with 102. During that senior season Kreke was selected to the All-Tournament Team at Effingham, the All-Apollo Conference team and received Special Mention on the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association All-State Team.

Kreke became a regular in the Lady Wildcats as a sophomore and helped Salem win just its second regional championship in 2003. Kreke’s presence in the middle helped the Lady Wildcats win 22 games during her junior season in 2003-04 and a 28-3 record, which included another regional championship in 2005, as a senior.

Kreke was also tough at the net in volleyball and helped Salem to 22 wins in 2002, 25 wins and a regional championship in 2003 and 20 victories in 2004.

It would be basketball that would be Kreke’s ticket to college at the Air Force Academy. Kreke had spot duty with the Lady Falcons during her first two seasons as she appeared in 15 games as a freshman and 18 games as a sophomore. Kreke’s work load at Air Force increased significantly as a junior when she appeared in 28 of her team’s 29 games. Kreke averaged 5.4 points and 4.6 rebounds a game, but again it was on the defensive side where she made her biggest presence known as she had at least one blocked shot in 17 games and nine games with multiple blocked shots.

Kreke saved her best season at Air Force for her senior year as she averaged 9.3 points per game, which included 22 three-pointers. Her 43 blocked shots for the season established a new program record during the Division I era and also ranked second in the Mountain West Conference. Kreke also established another Air Force season record with 278 rebounds as she averaged 9.4 boards per game. Kreke was named Air Force’s Most Valuable Defensive Player and shared the team’s Most Valuable Player Award and the Loudermilk-Chavez Leadership Award.

Kreke continued to be involved in athletics after her graduation as she served as a women’s basketball assistant coach for the United States Air Force Prep School in 2010. She participated in the All Air Force Basketball program in 2012 and the All United States Air Force Volleyball Program in Europe in 2016. She also served as a volunteer assistant basketball coach at Arlington, Massachusetts High School in 2017.

At the time of her Hall of Fame induction Kreke was serving as a program manager for the United States Air Force.

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