HOF inductees, 2021-22 Student-Athletes Honored

Posted: May 26, 2022

(Sugar Grove, IL.) – Waubonsee Community College held its Annual Athletic Banquet and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on May 19. Ivy Clark, a standout men's basketball player in the late 1970's, and the Chiefs' record-setting 2011 Women's Soccer team were formally enshrined into the college's Hall of Fame. In addition, Waubonsee student-athletes from the 2021-2022 school year were recognized during the evening for their accomplishments. Men's Basketball players Cooper Larsen and Joey Niesman were both honored as Sophomore Male Athlete of the Year and Freshman Male Athlete of the Year, respectively. Two-sport standout Olivia McPherson was named the Sophomore Female Athlete of the Year, while women's soccer player Amy Flores was selected the Freshman Female Athlete of the Year. Three-sport athlete Taylor Wyeth was chosen the Vermillion and Gold Award winner, while women's soccer player Lindsay Ferris was the S.T.A.R. Award recipient.

Clark was a two-time All-Conference First Team selection on Waubonsee's back-to-back Skyway Conference Championship teams in 1977 and 1978. He represented the Chiefs at the Illinois Junior College All-Star game, back when all 45 Illinois Community Colleges competed in one division. Clark transferred to Monmouth College, where he twice earned All-Midwest Conference First Team honors and helped propel the Fighting Scots to the conference title his senior year, averaging 18.6 points-per-game and leading the team in rebounding. Clark played professionally for a year in Sweden and went on to serve as a leader, mentor and counselor during a 30-year career working at the Illinois Youth Center in St. Charles, engaging with juvenile offenders and at-risk youth as a Corrections Officer. In 2014 he was inducted into the Monmouth College Athletic Hall of Fame.

The 2011 Waubonsee women's soccer team was the first squad from Region IV to ever win a District title and advance to the NJCAA Division I National Tournament in Melbourne, Florida. The Chiefs finished with 17 wins, one shy of the program record, and were ranked seventh nationally in the final NJCAA poll. Waubonsee captured the Region IV crown with three straight dominating shutouts, and then downed Delta (MI) College 2-1 in the District title match, out shooting their four playoff foes a combined 94-6 along the way. The Chiefs tallied a team record 125 goals and established a program record of 111 assists on the season. Nine different players reached double figures in points on the way to tallying a record 361 team points. The Chiefs' dominating offense registered a program record 644 shots on goal and had 16 different players score at least one goal while every player booked at least one assist. Waubonsee's defense set a school-record with 15 shutouts and allowed only 120 shots on goal in 25 matches. Overall 10 different Chiefs earned All-Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference and All-Region accolades, with head coach Leslie (Ferguson) Raney being named the Region IV Women's Soccer Coach of the Year. In the end, the 2011 Chiefs broke nearly every program record that fall, 14 of which still stand today.

Larsen, a graduate of Indian Creek High School in Waterman, was a key to the Chiefs' success on the basketball court this past season helping Waubonsee finish 20-8 overall. The 6'5" forward averaged 9.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest, while making 50.9 percent of his shots from the floor and 75.9 percent from the foul line. Larsen was named to the All-Tournament team after helping lead the Chiefs to the Region IV Division II title game. The sophomore also excelled in the classroom, compiling a 3.90 grade-point-average. Larsen will be continuing his academic and athletic career at Loras College in Iowa this fall.

An Oswego native, Niesman led the Chiefs's basketball team in scoring while also being assigned to guard the opposing team's top player. The 6'2" guard averaged 17.2 points per game with a team-leading 430 total points and 169 made baskets. The freshman also averaged 2.8 assists and 5.3 rebounds per contest to go along with 53 steals, 37 three-pointers and a free throw percentage of 78.9 percent in Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) games. Niesman was selected All-ISCC First Team, All-Region First Team, was named to the Region IV All-Tournament team, and was an NJCAA All-American nominee.

A two-sport standout, McPherson went back and forth from the volleyball court to the soccer field simultaneously throughout the fall. The 5'5" McPherson was an offensive force as an outside hitter for the volleyball team and an equally potent threat on the soccer pitch. After an All-American soccer season in the Spring where she led the nation with 26 goals in just 13 matches played, the sophomore followed it up with a dozen goals and nine assists in 12 matches this Fall. McPherson finished her Chiefs' career fourth in both overall points with 90 and in goals with 38. Her eight game-winning goals the last two seasons were instrumental in helping the Chiefs capture back-to-back ISCC and Region IV titles, and consecutive National Tournament appearances. On the volleyball court she was named to the All-ISCC First Team for the second straight season, garnering the ISCC Player of the Year, as well as being selected to the All-Region squad. McPherson led the team in kills with 442 and points with 531.0, placing in the top-20 among all NJCAA Division II players in five different categories. The sophomore from Aurora West High School also tallied 71 service aces and 490 digs. McPherson is set to transfer to Benedictine University where she will continue to play both soccer and volleyball.

Flores was named the ISCC Player of the Year, All-Region and an NJCAA Division II Second Team All-American after anchoring a Chiefs' defense that recorded 13 shutouts, tying for second nationally among all Division II junior college teams in that category. The Aurora Central Catholic High School product made numerous defensive stops throughout the season, helping the Chiefs post the fourth best goals-against-average in the nation at 0.55 goals per match. With Flores roaming the Chiefs' end of the field, Waubonsee allowed only 11 goals all season to tie for fourth nationally in least goals given up. The freshman was instrumental in helping hold down some of the top offensive players in the country, as the Chiefs competed against 15 of the nation's top-50 scorers during the season. Flores even scored a goal and had two assists on the season from her defensive position.

Wyeth, a sophomore from Aurora West High School, was the Chiefs' number one singles and number one doubles player in tennis this past Fall. Wyeth was also a member of the Chiefs' successful basketball team during the winter, helping Waubonsee secure 23 wins on the season. On the softball diamond this Spring Wyeth batted .384 with a dozen stolen bases as the Chiefs' starting third baseman. She will be moving on to Central College in Pella, Iowa to continue her tennis and academic career.

Ferris was a key cog in the Chiefs' stellar back line defense on the soccer field this past fall, earning All-ISCC First Team honors. A Geneva High School product, she managed to score six goals and was credited with four assists while helping the Chiefs control the ball a majority of their matches. Ferris was a part of a Chiefs' defense that established new program records in least goals allowed in a season and lowest goals-against-average. Waubonsee's defensive unit also booked 13 shutouts, the second most in a season behind only the 15 booked by the 2011 Chiefs' team.

Several other student-athletes were recognized throughout the evening for their stellar performances this past school year. Among them was Women's Basketball player Janiece Thomas, who was All-ISCC First Team, All-Region First Team and an All-American nominee. The Metea Valley High School alumnus was also selected the NJCAA Division II Player of the Week in early February and averaged nearly 17 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three steals per game for the season. Teammate Delani Kosner was recognized for setting a Waubonsee single-season record for assists with 247 and assists per game at 8.5, leading the nation in both of those categories. Outfielder Jori Peters was named All-ISCC First Team and All-Region First Team after batting .413 with 14 doubles, a triple, 6 homers, 38 runs batted in and 20 stolen bases. Goal keeper Isabelle Harkleroad was also recognized after a record-setting season in net for Waubonsee. The Geneva native was selected the ISCC Goalie of the Year, chosen All-Region and to the All-American Second team. She set Waubonsee records for save percentage (.957), total saves (156) and goals-against average (0.44), while tying the school mark for wins in a season with 16. Harkleroad was twice named the NJCAA Division II Goal Keeper of the Week during the regular season, and was tabbed the Most Valuable Player of the Region IV Division II Tournament. She will be continuing her collegiate career at the University of South Dakota.

A trio of Waubonsee coaches were also honored for leading their teams to success. Steve Kish was named the ISCC Volleyball Coach of the Year after leading the Chiefs to the league championship with a 7-0 record. Kish, who stepped aside following the conclusion of the season, guided Waubonsee to 237 wins, three ISCC titles, two Region titles, two National Tournament appearances and four Region runner-up finishes over 10 seasons at the helm. Brad Schlemmer was selected the ISCC, Region IV and Midwest District Women's Soccer Coach of the Year. Schlemmer has led Waubonsee to 123 wins in his 10 seasons as head coach, including a winning percentage of 73.7 percent in conference matches. Waubonsee has won three ISCC crowns, three Region IV championships and made three National Tournament appearances during his tenure. Jim Williams was named the ISCC Women's Basketball Coach of the Year after leading the Chiefs to a second-place finish. His squad compiled a 23-6 overall record and finished in the top-15 nationally in eight different categories, including leading the nation with an average of 22 assists per game.