A 1989 graduate of SCHS, Propst wasted no time making a big splash on the track scene when she won a sectional championship and earned an eighth place finish at the Class AA state meet as a freshman in 1986. Propst’s leap of 5-5 that season stood as the school record for 14 years until Brittany Bowers broke it by one-half inch in 2000.

Propst still owns or shares three school track records including the 100 meter high hurdles at 15.2 set in 1989 and the 300 meter low hurdles of 45.8 set in 1987.

She is also part of the high hurdle shuttle relay record set in 1988 along with Carrie Bierman, Lisa Budde and Janis Donoho.

Propst, who also participated in volleyball and cheerleading while at SCHS, continued her track career with a scholarship at Indiana State University. During her time with the Lady Sycamores Propst set the Ball State Open Meet record in the heptathlon and ranks in the top five in Indiana State University history in that event.

Propst also ranks among the top five times in the 400 meter hurdles. Propst also ranks among the top five times in the 400 meter hurdles.

Propst, who resided at O’Fallon, MO. at the time of her induction, resumed her track career in 2008 when she became an assistant coach for Child of God Middle School.

While Tamminen competed in cross country and track during her high school career, the 1994 SCHS graduate made her biggest impact in volleyball and basketball.

Tamminen was an anchor in the middle for three consecutive Salem North Egypt Conference championship squads, a streak that began in 1991 and carried on through her senior season of 1993.

The Lady Wildcats also won regional championships during her junior and senior seasons.

Tamminen was an NEC and All-South First Team selection as a sophomore, junior and senior and won the NEC Most Valuable Player Award as a senior.

Tamminen was also highly successful on the hardwood and still holds school records for most rebounds in a season with 367 and most rebounds per game average at 15.3, both of which were set in her senior season in 1993-94.

In fact Husk holds the top two positions in the school record book in that category.

She pulled down 331 rebounds and averaged 12.3 boards per game as a junior.

Tamminen also holds two spots in the Lady Wildcats top ten record book for most blocked shots in a season.

Her 79 swats as a senior currently ranked no. 2, while her 20 blocked shots as a junior ranks no. 10.

Tamminen ranked no.4 on the school career scoring list at the time of her induction with 1,176 points.

She is one of only eight Salem girls’ basketball players who have scored 1,000 points in a career.

Tamminen was honored by the North Egypt Conference for her senior basketball season as the league’s Honorary Captain. Tamminen originally signed to play college basketball at McKendree College, but switched to Graceland College in Lamoni, Iowa prior to the start of her freshman season.

Tamminen continued to play basketball and volleyball for her first two seasons at Graceland before she decided to concentrate solely on volleyball for her final two seasons.

Tamminen’s best season at Graceland came in 1997 when she was named to the Heart of America Athletic Conference Volleyball Team.

During that season Tamminen had been selected as the HAAC Player of the Week.

During her volleyball career at Graceland she was also selected to the St. Edwards Tournament Second Team.

Tamminen was part of some highly successful volleyball squads at Graceland.

During her stay at the school Graceland won the HAAC Preseason tournament the HAAC regular season championship, the HAAC postseason Tournament and a regional tournament qualifier where they took third place.

Tamminen resided in San Clement California at the time of her induction.

The 1943-44 Salem Wildcats basketball team ranks as one of the most successful in the program’s history.

Coach Kenny Farrar guided the squad to a 25-10 record, a share of the North Egypt Conference championship with Flora, a regional championship and advancement to the sectional championship game.

This particular group of Wildcats often had to come from behind to earn their success.

Salem had to win its final three games to get a piece of the NEC crown, which included a 37-33 win at Lawrenceville in the final conference game.

The Wildcats, who finished league play with a 10-2 record, overcame a five-point deficit in that contest thanks to ten-point outings by Don Wile and Jim Finks.

Salem beat three opponents by a combined 116 points to win its own regional championship, which at the time of its induction, is the last for the program.

The Wildcats blasted Sandoval 64-17 in the opening round behind 16 points from Francis Meador.

Salem then beat Kinmundy 56-27 in the semifinals behind 17 points from Finks.

Doc Laney and Meador also hit double digits with 11.

The Wildcats got a surprise opponent in the regional championship game, as Patoka upset heavily favored Centralia 41-29 in the other semifinal game.

The Warriors kept the game close for a half, but a 25-8 run by the Wildcats in the third quarter sparked Salem to a 76-38 win.

Finks, Wile and Meador combined for 68 of the 76 points led by 27 from the NFL Hall of Famer, 22 by Wile and 19 by Meador.

Salem advanced to the Centralia Sectional where it faced a Mt. Vernon team that had drilled the Wildcats 47-25 during the regular season.

This time was a different story, as Salem racked up a double-digit lead in the first half and went on to beat the Rams 46-33 behind a team-high 18 points from Wile and nine more from Finks.

The Wildcats faced another tough obstacle in the sectional championship game where they met West Frankfort, another team that beat Salem during the regular season.

The Redbirds, who beat Salem 44-38 the last week of the regular season, got off to a strong start in the rematch and went on to post a 41 -27 win despite nine points each from Meador and Finks.

While the 1995 Salem Lady Wildcats golf team was not large in numbers with seven players, they still rank as the most successful team in school history at the time of their 2010 Hall of Fame induction.

Six of the team’s seven members were returnees from the 1994 squad that finished 11th at the state meet. The only newcomer was freshman Candice Vogt.

Coach Mary Riley’s squad compiled an amazing 77-8 record, which included two wins over eventual state champ Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin.

In fact, those were the only two blemishes Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin had the entire season.

After a regular season that included championships at the Olney and Benton Invitationals, Salem won its own regional championship by a 32-stroke margin over runner-up Massac County, 354-386.

Melissa Cantrell and Gretchen Clark tied for the individual championship with identical rounds of 84. Cantrell then defeated Clark in a one-hole playoff to claim the individual title.

Salem also got top ten finishes from Carrie Eller and Janelle Hopkins, who finished tied for tenth with rounds of 93. Spring Riley’s 12th place mark of 93 and Randa Vogt’s 13th mark of 95 rounded out the scoring.

The Lady Wildcats were denied a second straight sectional championship, as they were derailed at the Decatur Eisenhower Sectional by the host school 329-351.

The second place finish was still good enough to earn another trip to state.

Cantrell had a sixth place individual finish at the sectional with a 79 to lead the Lady Wildcats.

Clark followed with an 86, Eller with a 92 and Randa Vogt with a 94 to complete the team scoring.

Riley and Hopkins also competed and had scores of 97 and 99 respectively, Salem improved its team score by 24 strokes and its team finish by four spots at the state meet, as it ended the season with a seventh place finish.

Once again the Lady Wildcats got off to a bit of a slow start at the state meet, as they stood in tenth place after day one.

Salem had the fifth best team score on day two, which enabled them to move up three positions.

Eller led the Lady Wildcats at state with a 46th place mark and a score of 177.

Clark was 46th with a 187, Cantrell was 52nd at 189 and Hopkins was the final counter in 89th place to 203.

Randa Vogt and Riley also competed and had respective rounds of 205 and 214.

More often than not the history book followed the 1994 Salem Lady Wildcats golf team. Under the direction of first-year coach Mary Riley, the Lady Wildcats had an undefeated regular season in nine-hole matches wi1h a 25-0 record.

That regular season record also included first place finishes at the Benton and Olney Invitational’s, a second place mark at the Edwardsville Invitational and a fourth place effort at the Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin Blazer Classic.

The Lady Wildcats broke school team records for lowest nine-hole and 18-hole scores. Melissa Cantrell also broke the school record for the lowest individual score in an 18-hole match.

A furious pace on the back nine enabled the Lady Wildcats to win the Carbondale regional championship by 19 strokes over the host school, 383-402.

Salem trailed by three strokes through the first nine holes, but out shot the Lady Terriers by 22 strokes over the final nine.

Elisabeth Somer led the Lady Wildcats with a fourth place individual finish with an 89. Gretchen Clark and Cantrell compiled rounds of 97 and Janelle Hopkins was the final counter with 100.

Salem advanced to the Mattoon Sectional where it came away with its first sectional crown since 1991 and just the second in the program’s history.

The Lady Wildcats once again ran away from the rest of the competition, as their winning score of 393 beat runner-up Edwardsville by 21 strokes.

Only four players were able to shoot below 100 in extreme windy conditions.

Salem had two of those, as Cantrell led the way with a 94 and Somer followed with a 97.

A 100 by Clark and a 102 by Carrie Eller rounded out the top four team scoring.

Salem ended its season with an 11th place finish out of 13 teams at the state meet.

The Lady Wildcats were last in the field after day one with a 396, but improved that score by nine strokes in day two of the competition to move ahead of two schools.

Randa Vogt and Clark led Salem with identical two-day totals of 191, while Somer was two shots back with 193.

Cantrell and Eller tied for the final counter spot with 212.

Hopkins also competed for the Lady Wildcats at state and shot a 219. Salem finished the season wi1h a 58-15 record.

Coach Kathy Finney’s squad compiled a sparkling 25-4 record and its .862 winning percentage ranked second in school history at the time of its induction behind only the 1998 team’s 32-3 record and .914 winning percentage.

The Lady Wildcats compiled a 22-3 regular season record that included second place finishes at the Salem Invitational and Flora Invitational. There was no North Egypt Conference season in place at that time.

Salem captured the district championship on its home floor with a 20-1, 20-5 victory over Effingham in the opening round and a 20-18, 20-6 triumph over Mt. Carmel for the championship.

The Lady Wildcats picked up the program’s first ever win in a sectional tournament when they knocked off Carbondale in three sets 20-15, 11-20, 20-18. Salem’s postseason run ended in the sectional championship game to Mascoutah 20-8, 20-12. At the time of its induction, only the 1997 squad that advanced to the Class A super-sectional Sweet 16 round had advanced deeper in the postseason than the 1977 Lady Wildcats.

Coach Finney’s rotation that season usualy included Kathy Smith, Laura Raver, Carol Beasley, Carla Doss, Marla Sapp, Robin Owen, Diane Beasley and Peggy Wilson.

A 1988 SCHS graduate, Purcell cracked the varsity lineup in 1985 and helped lead the Wildcats to an undefeated North Egypt Conference championship, the first unbeaten and untied regular season in school history, a school record ten wins in a season and the program’s first ever playoff win against Troy Triad.

Purcell was also a key cog up front for the 1986 Wildcats squad that earned a three-way share of the NEC championship with Mt. and Olney. Salem went 7-3 on the season and earned another berth in the state playoffs.

The Wildcats matched their deepest advancement in the postseason in Purcell’s senior season of 1987, as Salem’s 8-3 record included a first-round playoff win over Olney.

Purcell, who earned All-NEC honors in high school, continued his playing career for the next four seasons at Eastern Illinois University.

Purcell not only made the traveling squad for EIU as a freshman, but worked his way into the starting lineup at left offensive tackle for the season opener. Purcell hung on to that starting spot for every game for the rest of that season and the next three seasons. His 1989 Panthers squad advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division I AA playoffs.

Purcell was looked at by several NFL scouts and had tryout opportunities after college, but was unable to land a contract.

At the time of his induction, Hargis has served 46 consecutive seasons as part of the chain gang at Salem Wildcat football games. During the early years of his endurance streak, which began in 1962, Hargis also worked several out-of-town games when the visiting school was required to supply worker assistance. Hargis estimates the number or games he has missed during his tenure can be counted on one hand despite bouts with open heart surgery, prostate cancer, and removal of a kidney due to cancer.

Hargis has also catered several SCHS Hall of Fame and sport award banquets while serving as a partner at a local restaurant.

A 1953 graduate of SCHS, Hargis has been a regular attendee at Salem boys’ and girls’ basketball games since the early 1970’s with a special interest in his children and grandchildren who have played as Wildcats and Lady Wildcats.

As a high school athlete, Hargis played four years of football and three years of basketball. He spent a fourth year in the basketball program as a statistician.

Meador, a 1986 graduate of Salem Community High School, ran for a school record 1,681 yards in that 1985 season and set a school record for most career rushing yards with 3,278. Meador set two other school marks that year, which included most points scored in a season with 180 and most yards rushing in one game with 265 against Fairfield. Those 180 points ranked second in the state that season, while his rushing total was fifth best. He also ranked eighth in the state in tackles. He was also an NEC First Team pick on both sides of the ball.

As a junior and senior, Meador was a two-time Evansville Courier All-Area Team selection, a Southern Illinois Coaches Association All-South Team and a Decatur Herald All-Area Team choice. He was selected to play in the Shriners East-West All-Star game as a senior.

Meador, who also participated one season in basketball and track at SCHS, was an NEC First Team pick on offense and defense as a junior and senior. He also received Salem’s Team MVP Award in 1984 and 1985.

He continued his football career at Western Illinois University where he played the 1986-87 season. Meador was selected to the SCHS 75th anniversary team on both offense and defense in 1999.

At the time of his induction, David Meador still resides in Salem where he has coached youth baseball and football

Young did more than just participate. She also excelled. Young was an All-South selection and state meet participant in cross country, earned All-North Egypt Conference honors in volleyball and won her team’s Rebound and Defense Awards in basketball.

Young probably enjoyed her biggest success in track as a senior where she set a North Egypt Conference and school record in the 800 meter with a time of2:25. Young later lowered that school record to 2:23 when she took first place at the sectional meet.

Young was also part of two other school records. She, along with Carrie Bierman, Jennifer Bethard, and Jennifer Morton teamed up in the 1600 meter relay with a time of 4:14.2 in 1989. In 1990, she teamed up with Amy Iman, Erin Jones, and Monika Schuette for a school record in the 800 meter medley relay with a time of 1:54.7.

While it was not officially recognized as a school record, Young posted the best time at that point in history by a Salem girl in cross country in 1989 when she ran the two-mile course at the sectional meet in 12:29.

Young continued her athletic career in track and cross country at the United States Air Force Academy. Young broke the school freshmen record in the 800 meter and ranks in the school’s top ten all-time in that event. She was named the Air Force Academy Top Track Competitor for the 1992 season. Young also served as team captain.

Young, who has also attended Wichita State University, was a member of the Air Force Academy cross country team that finished second in the NCAA Division II Meet in 1990 and the 1991 team that was 15th. In addition to her athletic participation at the Air Force Academy, Young served on the school’s student government as athletic officer. She also initiated and organized the Air Force Running Club at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado.

Since graduation from college, Young has taught and coached at Amistad Christian Academy in Del Rio, Texas and Calvary Christian School in Wichita, Kansas where she organized and directed the One-Mile Fun Run Fundraiser. At the time of her induction, Young was coaching youth athletics in Knoxville, Tennessee.