(Sugar Grove, IL.) – Waubonsee Community College is set to induct three individuals into its Athletic Hall of Fame later this spring. The 2023 class of inductees will consist of former softball coach Perry Clark, who helped elevate the program to new heights during his tenure; standout Chiefs' baseball player and later fastpitch softball champion John Sudges; and All-American women's soccer player Haley (Kilbride) Jochim. They will all be formally enshrined at the college's Annual Athletic Banquet and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Thursday, May 18. The invite-only event will begin at 6:30 p.m. (CST) and will be streamed 'live' via a link on www.GoChiefs.com. In addition, Waubonsee student-athletes from the 2022-2023 school year will be recognized during the evening.
Clark, a graduate of Oswego High School in 1983, helped transform Waubonsee's softball program during his 20 years in the Chiefs' dugout. The Chiefs became a perennial power among northern Illinois junior colleges, and ranked in the top-25 nationally seven of his final 10 years at the helm. Under Clark's guidance Waubonsee won an unprecedented seven straight Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) titles going a combined 80-8 in league play during that span. Three of his teams finished as Region IV runner-up before his 2017 crew finally broke through to win the Region IV Championship and advance to the NJCAA Division II World Series for the first time in school history, finishing tied for ninth in the nation. With the support of his late wife Linda, Clark directed the Chiefs to 302 wins overall, the all-time leader in program history. In ISCC play his teams compiled a 104-25 mark for a winning percentage of 81 percent. Clark was chosen the ISCC Softball Coach of the Year eight times and was named the Region IV Coach of the Year and the ISCC Women's Sports Coach of the Year in 2017. Clark is currently the head softball coach at Mount Mary University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Sudges has been a key part of numerous title-winning teams throughout his baseball and fastpitch softball careers. The Aurora West High School graduate batted .343 as a freshman in helping Waubonsee capture the 1984 Skyway Conference title. As a sophomore Sudges was named All-Skyway First Team and represented Waubonsee at the Region IV All-Star game. He transferred to Marietta (OH) College where he was an All-Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) First Teamer on the Etta Express' 1986 National Championship team. His senior year he earned All-OAC, All-Region, All-District and NCAA Division III All-American honors while setting a Marietta record for putouts in a season. Sudges then competed for over 20 years at the highest level of fastpitch softball. He was a key member of the Decatur Pride's 1995 International Softball Congress (ISC) National Championship team and was twice named to the ISC All-World Team. Sudges was the leading hitter at the 1999 ISC World Tournament and was selected three times in the 1990's to participate at the USA National Team Camps. In 2005 he earned American Softball Association First Team All-American honors. Sudges eventually returned to playing baseball and has been part of seven Chicago Central Men's Senior Baseball League title teams since then.
Jochim excelled on the soccer pitch and in the classroom. The graduate of Rosary High School was named All-ISCC as a freshman and helped the Chiefs (12-6) reach the Region IV title game. As team captain her sophomore year, Jochim led Waubonsee to the Region title and a berth in the NJCAA Division I National Tournament. The speedy 5'2" midfielder was named an NJCAA Division I Second Team All-American after tallying 15 goals and 14 assists, placing her 13th nationally among all NJCAA Division I players in assists. Jochim's 44 points were the 10th highest single-season total in program history, and she finished her Waubonsee career sixth in points, fifth in assists and fourth in total games with an assist in the Chiefs' record book. The Batavia native was selected the Region and ISCC Player of the Year after helping lead the Chiefs (15-5-2) to an undefeated 6-0 conference title in 2014. Jochim was just as accomplished in the classroom as she made the Dean's List all four semesters at Waubonsee, culminating with NJCAA Second Team Academic All-American honors her sophomore year. She was a 2014-2015 Lucille Gustafson Scholarship recipient and earned Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference All-Academic recognition both years.
