Front Row: Assistant Coach: Ziggy Tkaczenko, Stephen Bryant, Alex Henseler, Cole Piper
Second Row: Stephen Riley, Caleb Branch, Chase Smith, Keith Bumgarner, Coach Steve Ludwig, Cy Fogliasso

The 2008 Salem Wildcats bowling team continued to establish itself as one of the top programs in the state as it won its third state trophy in four seasons. While the Wildcats were unable to defend the state championship they won the previous season, Salem came away with an impressive second place finish.

After the Wildcats posted a solid 10-2 record during the regular season, Coach Steve Ludwig’s crew began its postseason march with a dominant performance at the Herrin Sectional where they took home the team title with a 183-pin margin of victory over runner-up Herrin. Salem, which compiled a winning team score of 6,286 pins, was led by individual champion Alex Henseler as the senior knocked down 1,419. Junior Chase Smith also played a key role in the 2nd placefinish as he finished fourth overall with 1,313 pins. The Wildcats also received contributions of 1,263 pins from junior Stephen Bryant, 1,176 pins from senior Keith Bumgarner, 936 pins from senior Steve Riley and 139 pins from sophomore Cy Fogliasso.

Salem made a strong bid to make it back-to-back state championships. The Wildcats were in first place after the initial day of competition as they led the field by 124 pins. However, a strong second day run by Freeport denied that opportunity as Salem finished 121 pins behind the state champions with a final team score of 12,817.

While the Wildcats were unable to take home the team state championship, Henseler secured the individual state crown with a total of 2,963 pins. Bumgarner filled the No. 2 position for the squad at state as he finished 25th overall at 2,560. Chase Smith was 28th at 2,550 and Bryant was 43rd at 2,494. Other contributors at state for Salem were Riley with 1,661 pins, junior Cole Piper with 237, senior Caleb Branch with 195 and Fogliasso with 157.

Alex Henseler was part of a lot of firsts for the Salem Wildcats bowling program. One of those firsts is being the first individual from the program to be selected for induction into the Salem High Sports Hall of Fame.

A 2008 graduate of SCHS, Henseler helped the Wildcats reach the state finals four straight years. Three of those years Henseler earned top ten state medals.

As a freshman in the 2005 season Henseler helped the Wildcats win their first sectional championship when they claimed the title at Herrin. Henseler was just the No. 5 bowler for Salem in that sectional performance with a score of 905, but came up big with a sixth-place individual finish at the state competition with a two-day series total of 2,620 pins. That performance helped Salem take home a third-place state trophy.

Henseler and the Wildcats earned another trip to state in 2006. Salem was sectional runner-up as a team and Henseler was third individually with a two-round series of 1,283. The sophomore and the team slipped at the state meet. The Wildcats finished 11th as a team and Henseler was 56th as an individual with a two-day total of 2,457.

Both Henseler and the Wildcats turned the corner in 2007. Salem won its second sectional team championship in three seasons and Henseler was a key contributor to that title with a round of 1,255 pins. The following week Salem claimed its first state bowling team championship and Henseler finished second in the individual competition with a total of 2,823.

Henseler saved his best for last as a Wildcat for his senior season in 2008. Henseler won the Herrin Sectional individual championship with his performance of 1,459 pins as Salem won its third sectional team crown in four seasons. Henseler closed out his high school career by winning the individual state championship and his two-day total of 2,963 pins was 144 more than his closest competitor. While Salem was unable to defend its state title from the previous season, Henseler’s performance helped the squad to a state runner-up finish.

During his time with the program Henseler set school and state records with a perfect game of 300 and high series at 822 although both of those marks have since been equaled.
Henseler went on to continue his bowling career at McKendree University. Henseler helped the Bearcats to a top 12 finish at the national meet in 2010.

At the time of his induction into the Salem High Sports Hall of Fame Henseler resided in Salem and was a truck driver for XPO Logistics.

Bruce Hixon’s 35 years in sports media included an 11-year stint as sports editor of the Salem Times-Commoner. Hixon began his sports tenure in 1985 at just 17 years of age as a contributing writer at the Olney Daily Mail before being promoted to sports editor in 1990. Hixon made the move to the Salem T-C in 1992 and began his coverage of Salem Wildcats athletics, a position that also included the sports scene at South Central, Patoka, Sandoval and Odin High Schools along with the junior high sports scene.

Hixon spent 13 years as the North Egypt Conference Sportswriters Association information director and statistician, a position he was appointed to while he was at Olney and maintained until the NEC’s closure at the end of the 2002-03 school year. During Hixon’s time at Salem he created the 75th season all-time team for the Salem Wildcats football program in 1999. Members of that squad were recognized prior to the team’s home contest against Mt. Carmel that year. Hixon selected and directed the Salem T-C’s annual Scholar/Athlete program. He also selected an annual Male and Female Athlete of the Year as well as all-area teams for volleyball, girls and boys basketball. Hixon had two stints that covered 21 years as a member of the Salem High School Sports Hall of Fame committee where he assisted with nominations, research, write-ups and inductee presentations.

Hixon began a four-year stint as sports editor at the Brewton Standard in Alabama in the fall of 2003 before he returned to Illinois in 2007 when he began an eight-year run as sports editor at the Carlyle Union Banner. Hixon became a freelancer in 2015 when he became a contributing writer for the Breese Journal as well as a photographer for Kaskaskia College and WJBD Radio. Hixon was forced off the sports scene in 2020 when the COVID-19 epidemic shut down area sporting events.

During his time in the newspaper business Hixon twice took first place for best sports section among bi-weekly newspapers by the Southern Illinois Press Association and received the same honor from the Alabama Press Association. Hixon also received multiple awards from the Illinois Press Association for sports section, sports column, sports story and sports photography. Hixon was selected as the Kaskaskia Division of the Illinois Principals Association Media Person of the Year in 2015.

Hixon was working at Carlyle Walmart at the time of his induction into the Salem Sports Hall of Fame. He resides in Carlyle with wife Tami and his two children, Carson and Amy Hixon.

Whether it was as a player, an assistant coach or a head coach, Jim Koehler was a part of Salem Community High School athletics in five different decades.

A 1966 graduate of SCHS, Koehler was a member of the 1965 Wildcats football team that went 8-1 and won the North Egypt Conference championship. Koehler was a four-year member of the Wildcats football and baseball programs while he was a student at the school.

Koehler returned to his alma mater in 1976 as a world history teacher, a position he held for the next 27 years. A year later he began an eight-year run as the Lady Wildcats basketball coach, a program that was still in its infancy and had just two previous seasons of competition. Under Koehler’s direction Salem won back-to-back North Egypt Conference championships in 1978-79 and 1979-80. His 1978-79 squad had an undefeated regular season of 23-0 and finished 24-1 overall. The 24 wins stood as the school record for 20 years. Koehler had an overall record of 103-84.

Koehler had two stints as the Lady Wildcats softball coach, 1979 and 1985-91. His 1979 squad won the NEC championship, a district title and advanced to the sectional championship game where The Lady Wildcats lost to Cahokia. Salem won a regional championship when Koehler returned to the program in 1985 and added another NEC crown to his resume in 1989. That season the Lady Wildcats had a perfect conference season and also won the NEC Conference Tournament.

Koehler served as a varsity assistant and freshmen football coach from 1991-2002. During his time with the program Salem won NEC co-championships in 1992 and 1993 along with an outright crown in 1997. Koehler was also a part of eight Salem football playoff teams.

Besides what he accomplished in athletics, Koehler was involved with the SCHS Prom and began the tradition of announcing the arrival of the Prom attendees. He also helped sponsor Brothers and Sisters in Christ.

At the time of his induction into the Salem High Sports Hall of Fame, Koehler resides in Salem with his wife, Angie.

A three-sport athlete during his time at Salem Community High School, 2007 graduate Justin Helpingstine made his biggest impact in track and field. Helpingstine set four school marks in the 800-meter run, all of which he still held at the time of his induction into the Salem Sports Hall of Fame. They included the freshmen time of 2:03.7, the sophomore time of 1:59.2, the indoor mark at 1:57.64 and the varsity outdoor record of 1:53.5. He was also part of three varsity relay records, which included times of 3:22.5 in the 1600-meter relay, 7:56.1 in the 3200-meter relay and 3:37.7 in the sprint medley relay.

Helpingstine advanced to the Class AA state meet as a junior in the 800 meters when he met the state qualifying time with his third-place mark at the Marion Sectional at 1:56.2. He was also a member of the 1600-meter relay team that advanced to state and included Corey Hopkins, Chris Williams and Grant Reed. That foursome was second at the sectional at 3:24.5.
As a senior in 2007 Helpingstine earned a return trip to state in the 800 meters when he won the Belleville East Sectional with a time of 1:56.2. Helpingstine along with Adam Wilkins, Wes Villalobos and Kory Pruden also won a sectional title and earned a state berth in the 3200-meter relay with a school record time performance of 7:56.1. Helpingstine closed out his high school career with a strong showing at state when he finished third in the 800 meters at 1:54.4.

Besides his accomplishments on the track, Helpingstine also had a solid cross-country career with the Wildcats as he was a three-time member of the Southern Illinois Coaches Association All-South Team for Class AA. Helpingstine took home the team Most Valuable Player Award in both cross country and track as a senior. Helpingstine was also a two-year member of the Salem boys basketball team in high school before he shifted his full focus towards running.

Helpingstine continued his track career for two more seasons at the collegiate level at Eastern Illinois University. During his time with the Panthers he helped set the school varsity 3200-meter relay record. He was also a member of 3200-meter and distance medley relay freshmen records.

During his freshmen season at EIU he was fifth in the 800 meters at the Ohio Valley Conference Meet followed by a sixth-place finish in the 1500 meters as a sophomore. Helpingstine was sixth in the 800 at the 2008 OVC Indoor Meet and was a member of EIU’s runner-up distance medley relay at the 2009 OVC Indoor Meet.

One of Helpingstine’s biggest honors at EIU came in the classroom as he received the OVC Academic Medal of Honor, which is given annually to the student-athlete who achieves the highest grade point average in a conference-sponsored sport.

After two years at EIU Helpingstine concluded his education at the University of Illinois when he received a Bachelor and Master’s Degrees in civil engineering.
At the time of his induction into the Salem High Sports Hall of Fame Helpingstine resided in Summerville, South Carolina where he served as a structural engineer.

Corey Hopkins earned his ticket to the Salem High School Sports Hall of Fame by being one of the best jumpers the school has ever produced. At the time of his induction the 2006 graduate held or was part of four outdoor track and field varsity records, one indoor record and two underclassmen marks. Hopkins put his name in the record book the first time in 2003 when he set the freshmen school record in the High Jump with a mark of 6-0. A year later as a sophomore Hopkins struck again when he established a new sophomore record in the triple jump with a leap of 43-5.

As a junior in 2005 Hopkins established his first outdoor varsity record when he went 23-2 in the long jump. It was also the long jump that earned Hopkins a trip to the Class AA state meet as he met the state qualifying mark with his third-place finish at the Marion Sectional when he went 22-6 1/2. He capped off his stellar season with a third-place finish at the Class AA state with a mark of 22-5 3/4. His performances for the season helped land Hopkins the team Most Valuable Player Award.

Hopkins finished his Salem career with a tremendous senior season. It began when he set a new school indoor record in the long jump with a mark of 22-3. He followed that with a new outdoor school record in the triple jump when he went 46-3. Hopkins was also part of two school record relay teams in 2006. He teamed up with Justin Helpingstine, Chris Williams and Grant Reed for a new standard of 3:22.50 in the 1600-meter relay. He also joined Reed, Helpingstine and T.C. Hargis for a school record time of 3:37.7 in the sprint medley relay.

Hopkins, who shared the team MVP with Reed for the 2006 season, earned a return trip to the Class AA state meet. This time he advanced in two events as he met state qualifying marks with a third-place leap of 22-9 in the long jump and 45-7 1/2 in the triple jump. Hopkins ended his high school career with another state medal as he was sixth in the triple jump at 46-3 to go along with a 12th place finish in the long jump at 22-0.

Hopkins went on to compete in track and field at the collegiate level at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville where he posted a fourth-place finish at the 2008 Great Lakes Valley Conference Indoor Meet in the long jump with a mark of 21-10 1/4.

At the time of his induction into the Salem High Sports Hall of Fame Hopkins was residing in Maryland Heights, Missouri where he was working as a senior robotic surgical specialist.