For 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.

After 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.

There were few who could keep up with Anthony Jett during his time with the Salem Wildcats track program. The 1995 Salem Community High School graduate claimed six individual North Egypt Conference championships. That list began during Jett’s sophomore season in 1993 when he claimed the NEC 400-meter crown. Jett defended that NEC title in the 400 meters as a junior in 1994 and also added a first place finish in the 100-meter dash to his resume. Jett became a three-event NEC champion during his senior season in 1995 as he posted victories in the 100-meter dash with a time of :11.0, the 200 meters at :22.6 and his third 400-meter championship at :50.2.

It was not just the North Egypt Conference where Jett dominated the sprints. Jett was a two-time individual qualifier for the Class AA state meet. The first occasion came during his sophomore season in 1993 when he qualified in the 400-meter dash with a runner-up finish at the sectional in a time of :50.9. Jett earned a return trip to state in the 400 meters as a senior in 1995 when he won the sectional championship with a school record time of :49.5.

Besides his varsity school record in the 400 meters, at the time of his Hall of Fame induction Jett held the school freshman record for the 200-meter dash with a time of :23.6 and the 400-meter dash at :51.9. He also owned the sophomore school record in the 400 meters at :50.7 along with school indoor records for the 200-meter dash at :23.7 and the 300-meter dash at :33.5.
Salem won NEC team championships all four years with Jett in its track program.

While Jett also participated in cross country and basketball during his time at SCHS, it would be track that would be Jett’s ticket to the collegiate level as he competed the next four season with the Murray State University Racers. While Jett remained in the sprints at Murray State, he was inserted into the hurdles competition. Despite being a novice at the hurdles, by the time Jett finished his time in college he was less than one second off the school record in the 400-meter hurdles.

After graduation Jett worked nearly 20 years as a construction manager of health care facilities from Alaska to Florida before he returned to school to pursue a Masters Degree in cybersecurity.

Even though boys bowling was still in its infancy with the school being in just its second year of competition, the 2005 Salem Wildcats not only emerged as one of the top teams in southern Illinois but the entire state.

Under the direction of coach Steve Ludwig, the Wildcats put together a strong regular season with victories over some of the south’s top programs such as Trenton Wesclin, Harrisburg and Waterloo. That set the stage for a tremendous postseason run as the Salem won the Herrin Sectional with a score of 5,867 pins. That was 23 pins better than runner-up Harrisburg. Sophomore Curt Denzik led Salem with a score of 1,230, which was good for a third place individual finish. Senior Travis Sweney took the No. 2 position for Salem with a score of 1,170 followed by senior Bob Sheehan at 1,175 and senior Chase Goostree at 1,006. Salem also got a round of 905 from freshman Alex Henseler and 202 from senior David Angeloni.

The Wildcats capped off their season with a third place finish at the state meet held at O’Fallon. Salem stood in ninth place out of 24 teams after day one with a score of 6,166 pins prior to its big move on the second and final day of competition. The Wildcats finished with a final score of 12,538 pins as they trailed only state champion Tinley Park, which had a score of 12,588, and runner-up Edwardsville at 12, 574. Henseler helped Salem reach its lofty position as he led the Wildcats at state and finished sixth overall with a score of 2,620 pins. Denzik also cracked the top 20 as he was 19th at 2,559. Sheehan took the No. 3 position for Salem at state with 2,541 pins followed by Goostree at 2,533, Sweney at 2,519 and Angeloni at 366.

The other varsity members for Salem in the 2005 season were Kyle Pruden and Jacob Steele.

The 2004-05 Salem Lady Wildcats basketball team put together one of the best seasons in the program’s history. Their 28-3 record matched the same mark compiled by the 1998-99 state team.

Under the direction of head coach Janet Holst, Salem was often its best during tournament time as the Lady Wildcats won their own Thanksgiving Tournament with a thrilling 46-36 victory over perennial power Edwardsville in the championship game. The Lady Wildcats finished runner-up at Mascoutah with wins over Marion, Mascoutah and Belleville West before falling 60-46 to Belleville East. Salem also won the Effingham Round Robin Tournament. The other big regular season Salem accomplished was when it won the Apollo Conference championship.

Salem began postseason play at home by winning its own Class AA regional as the top-seeded Lady Wildcats knocked off Charleston and Mattoon. The season came to an end for the Lady Wildcats when they lost to East St. Louis 44-33 in the semifinal round of the Mt. Vernon Sectional.

The 2004-05 Lady Wildcats possessed a deep roster, many of which moved on to the collegiate level. Senior Kim Kreke left the program as the school’s all-time season and career shot blocker. Kreke took her skills on to the Air Force Academy. Senior Shana Stein moved on to the University of Illinois at Springfield. Junior Lacey Hester went on to play at John A. Logan, while junior Erin Pea played at Kaskaskia College. Sophomore Ellen Young eventually became the school’s all-time career scoring leader with 2,500 points before she moved on to Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and the University of Southern Indiana.