Aldridge was a steady contributor throughout her Salem career as she finished with 1,008 career points. Her best season came as a senior when she averaged 13.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists a game. It was also during that 2009-10 season when Aldridge established the school season free throw percentage record when she connected on 94 of 116 attempts. That 81 percent mark still stood as the school record at the time of her Hall of Fame induction. Those figures helped Aldridge earn All-State Third Team honors. It also helped her move on to the University of Southern Indiana.

Once again Aldridge put together a four-year stretch that pushed her past the 1,000 career points mark as she tallied 1,003 at USI. Just as she did in high school Aldridge saved her best for her senior season in 2013-14 when she averaged 14.5 points a game and was a Great Lakes Valley Conference Second Team selection. Aldridge was a big-time threat from the perimeter during her college career as she set school records in career made three-point field goals with 194 (since broken) and attempts with 524.

Aldridge was even more successful in the classroom where she was a four-time All-GLVC Academic Team selection. She also received the GLCC Council of Presidents Academic Excellence Award. After graduation Aldridge remained with the Southern Indiana women’s basketball program for seven more seasons where she served as an assistant coach.

Aldridge has since stepped away from basketball to start her family. She continues to reside in Evansville and serves as an accountant with United Fidelity Bank.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Prior to her stop at Salem, Holst had put together a highly successful stint at Newcomb, New Mexico where she compiled a 134-60 record during her eight seasons there, which included four straight 20 win seasons. It took a little while for Holst to rebuild the Salem program, as her first three teams combined for a 33-46 record. Starting in the 1998-99 season her teams had winning campaigns in 17 of the next 18 years, which included twelve 20 win seasons. Her teams won six conference championships, a run that began when it claimed the North Egypt Conference championship in 1999 when it compiled a perfect 14-0 record. That was the first conference title for the Lady Wildcats in 20 years. After Salem moved to the Apollo Conference for the 2003-2004 school year, her teams won the title in 2005, 2008, 2009, 2011, and 2012.

The Lady Wildcats had never won a regional championship until her 1998-99 team not only ended that drought, but added sectional and super-sectional titles before they fell 47-45 to Glenbard West on a last-second shot in the quarterfinal round of the Class AA state tournament.

That 1998-99 team compiled a 28-3 record and easily broke the previous school record of wins for a season (24) set back in the 1978-79 campaign. Holst’s 2004-2005 Salem squad matched that 28-3 record, while her 2011-12 team established yet another school win record when they went 29-5. Her Salem teams won 10 regional championships (1999, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, and 2016) and two sectional titles (1999 and 2012). Her 2011-12 team reached the Class 3A Elite Eight, while her 2007-08, 2009-10 advanced to the Class 3A Sweet 16. When Holst-Behrens stepped down after the 2015-16 season she had compiled a 426-206 record at Salem and a 560-266 career mark.

Holst-Behrens was twice selected to coach the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association All-Star Game (2007 and 2016). She also served on the IBCA All-State and Hall of Fame Committees.

Starting with the 1996-97 season, Holst-Behrens was assisted by her husband, Scott Holst until his death in an automobile accident in Dec. 2012. That was not the only family connection Holst-Behrens had during her time at Salem, as she coached all three of her daughters. Riley graduated in 2012, while twins Shelby and Sydney graduated in 2015.

Also during her time at Salem Holst-Behrens served as an assistant coach for the Lady Wildcat volleyball team for three seasons, 1995-97. Those teams won three NEC championships, three regionals and the program’s only sectional.

At the time of her induction into the Salem Sports Hall of Fame, Holst-Behrens has relocated to Marengo, Iowa where she serves as a biology teacher at Iowa Valley High School.

A 2001 SCHS graduate, Wolfe had to wait two years for a talented senior class that won 63 games during that span to crack the Lady Wildcats lineup. Once she got her chance as a junior in the 1999 season, the middle hitter was named the North Egypt Conference Most Valuable Player Award. Besides her individual honor, Wolfe helped Salem compile a 25-7 record to along with an NEC and Class AA regional championship. Wolfe won another NEC MVP Award in volleyball during her senior season in 2000, as she helped the Lady Wildcats put together a 22-6 record and another NEC title.

Although Wolfe also had to wait until her junior season to crack the Salem starting lineup in basketball, she proved to be a valuable sixth man as a sophomore for the 1998-99 Lady Wildcats squad that went 28-3, won the NEC championship and advanced tot he Class AA Elite Eight. Jones averaged 8.2 points per game as a sophomore and earned NEC Honorable Mention status. Wolfe proved to be an early threat from long range, as her 38.5 percentage from three-point territory (25-65) ranked ninth best in school history at the time of her induction. She also qualified for state competition in the Country Financial Three-Point Shot competition.

When Wolfe moved into a starting role in the 1999-2000 season, she became the NEC’s leading scorer at
22.7 points a game and received the NEC Honorary Captain Award, the league’s second-highest honor behind MVP. The 611 points Wolfe scored that season ranked sixth in school history at the time of her induction.

Wolfe finished her high school basketball career with another strong season during the 2000-01 campaign, as she averaged 19.9 points a game and was named the NEC’s Honorary Captain for the second season in a row. Wolfe was especially deadly at the free throw line where she made 105 of her
131 attempts, good for an 80.1 percent mark that ranked second in school history. Wolfe was named to
the Southern Illinois Coaches Association All-South Team for the second year in a row to go along with a Second Team spot on the Champaign News Gazette All-State Second Team and the IBCA All-State Third Team. Wolfe finished her SCHS career with 1,517 points, a total that ranked fourth in school history.

Wolfe, who received the Salem Times-Commoner Female Athlete of the Year Award in 2000, chose basketball and Southern Illinois University at Carbondale to continue her education and athletic career.

During her time with the Lady Salukis Wolfe had a 33-point game that ranks fifth in SIU-C history and tied the school record for most three-pointers in a game with seven. She finished third in career made three-pointers and sixth in career three-point percentage.

Wolfe entered the coaching ranks after graduation from college, as she coached girls basketball one season at Casey Middle School in Mt. Vernon and four seasons at Selmaville Grade school.

Wolfe joins her father, Don Jones, in the SCHS Sports Hall of Fame. Jones was inducted in 2005.

Megan Grizzle Kessler was an outstanding three sport athlete all four years of her tenure at SCHS. She was voted 1st team NEC Volleyball in 1997 and second team all NEC in 1998. In track she was a member of the 1997 indoor 3200M Relay record setting team. Megan was the 1998 Robert Raver Outstanding Field Athlete and in 1999 she made a shot put throw of 37’5″ which stands as the 5th best throw in Lady Wildcat Track history.

In basketball she was the 9th female in school history to score over 1,000 career points and started every game all four years of her basketball career. She was 1st team NEC in 1997 and 1998 and was awarded the NEC Co-MVP in 1999. She was voted the team MVP in 1998 and 1999. Megan was a part of the 28-3 Elite 8 team in 1999 and was given AP All State Honorable Mention in 1999.

Megan then played her college basketball at SIUE and there she made a NCAA Division II Tourney appearance in 2001. After graduating from SIUE she became a SCHS faculty member and coach. Megan coached girls track for five years and is currently coaching girl’s basketball and golf.

Megan has been previously inducted into the Hall of Fame as a member of the 1999 Girls Basketball Team and the 1999 Girls Volleyball Team.

Salem’s road to a 28-3 record began when the Lady Wildcats won the Mascoutah Round Robin Tournament with victories over Greenville 62-40, Breese Central 46-41 and Mascoutah 49-42. Renee Brubaker scored 33 points during the three games and was named tournament most valuable player, while Megan Grizzle was also named to the all-tournament squad.

Salem added victories over Highland, Lawrenceville, Red Hill, Flora and Mt. Carmel before it suffered its first blemish at Mt. Vernon 64-50.

The Lady Wildcats finished second at the 16-team Charleston Tournament with wins over Hume-Shiloh 85-37, Paris 69-35 and Olney 59-38 before falling to Teutopolis 47-35 in the championship game. Brubaker was named to her second all-tournament team of the season after she scored 56 points in the four games and was joined on the squad by teammate Shawnda ‘Bear’ Hunt.

Salem’s path to a perfect North Egypt Conference test got its toughest test when the Lady Wildcats rallied to nip visiting Carmi 58-53 in overtime. Grizzle tied the game in the closing moments of regulation with a field goal and then put Salem ahead for good with two free throws in the extra session.

Twelve points by Brubaker led the Lady Wildcats to a 44-35 victory over Centralia, their first win over the Annies in 18 years.

Salem clinched the NEC championship with a 48-33 victory at Olney on the same day Grizzle scored her 1,000th career point. The Lady Wildcats finished off a perfect 14-0 NEC season with a 63-54 win at Carmi thanks to a season-high 24 points by Audrey Husk and 17 more by Danette Jones, who made her first varsity start.

Brubaker tied the school record for three-pointers in a game with seven and scored a career high 29 points when Salem celebrated Senior Night with an 85-50 win over Carbondale.

Coach Janet Holst’s squad won the program’s first regional championship on their home floor when they dismantled St. Jacob Triad 74-31 in the semifinal round and Chatham Glenwood 78-51 behind a career-high 28 points by Chandra Hensley. The regional championship game victory was the squad’s 25th of the season and broke the school record of 24 for most wins in a season set by the 1978-79 team.

The Lady Wildcats added the program’s first sectional title to their resume when they downed Mattoon 64-46 in the semifinals at Taylorville behind 17 points by Husk. They defeated Collinsville 59-47 in the championship game behind 15 points by Husk and Brubaker.

Fate had the Lady Wildcats back at home for the super-sectional where they toppled a heavily favored East St. Louis squad before a full house 72-65. Hunt upstaged the Flyers two Division I guards by scoring a career-high 28 points including ten free throws in the final two minutes to secure the win.

The Lady Wildcats raced out to a 9-0 lead in its Class AA state quarterfinal game against Glenbard West, but Salem’s dream season ended when the Lady Hilltoppers rallied and won 47-45 on All-Stater Kristi Faulkner’s shot at the buzzer.

All five Salem starters earned All-NEC honors along with reserve Danette Jones. Grizzle was named the league’s Honorary Captain, while Brubaker and Hunt made the First Team. Husk was named to the Second Team, while Hensley and Jones received Honorable Mention. Holst was also recognized named NEC Coach of the Year.

Brubaker was named to the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Class AA All-State Third Team. Brubaker and Grizzle received Honorable Mention on the Champaign News Gazette All-State Team.

Gomez spent the first two years of her prep career at Newcomb, New Mexico and twice helped lead that school’s basketball program to the state tournament. Newcomb had a combined 45-5 record during those two years.

Gomez made the move to Illinois for her junior year and followed Newcomb basketball coach Janet Holst to Salem. Gomez continued her success on the hardwood with the Lady Wildcats and was an All-North Egypt Conference First Team selection in both her junior and senior seasons.

Gomez’ athletic talents carried beyond basketball at Salem. It carried over to track and volleyball. During her junior track season Gomez was a member of the NEC 3200-meter relay champions. She was also a starting setter on the 1996 Lady Wildcats volleyball team that went 26-7, won the NEC and regional championships and advanced to the sectional championship games.

Gomez received a basketball scholarship at Illinois State University and was a four-year letter winner for the Lady Redbirds (1997-2001). During her time at ISU Gomez led the Lady Redbirds in three-point field goals made with 32 during the 2000-01 season. At the time of her induction, Gomez still ranked ninth at ISU in career three-point field goals (91), ninth in career three-point field goal attempts (262), tenth in career three-point field goal percentage at 35 percent (91 for 264) and 25th in career assists (193).

After graduation from ISU, Gomez became a child services specialist at Catholic Charities West Side Head Start Program.