(Sugar Grove, IL.) – Waubonsee Community College held its Annual Athletic Banquet and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on May 22. Highlighting the event was the formal enshrinement of the 1970-71 Men's Basketball Team into the college's Athletics Hall of Fame, along with the induction of record-setting Women's Basketball player Julianna Wadsworth. In addition, Waubonsee student-athletes from the 2024-2025 school year were recognized during the evening for their accomplishments. Softball player Alyssa Perkins was honored as the Sophomore Female Athlete of the Year, with basketball player Christian Meeks being named the Sophomore Male Athlete of the Year. Two-sport athlete Josie Rader was chosen the Freshman Female Athlete of the Year, while cross country runner David Valkanov was selected the Freshman Male Athlete of the Year. Volleyball player Joselyn Roche was named the Vermillion and Gold Award winner, and softball player Morgan Iwanski was the S.T.A.R. Award recipient.
The 1970-71 Men's Basketball Team, guided by Hall of Fame coach Ray Lumpp, captured the college's first ever Skyway Conference Championship and laid the foundation for Waubonsee's decades-long winning basketball tradition. Despite the turmoil of eight members of the team serving in the Vietnam War either before, during or after the season, the Chiefs put together a 10-game winning streak and finished 9-1 in conference play to win the title. Led by All-American performer Phil Neal, the Chiefs scored over 90 points in 11 games and exceeded triple digits four times with games of 110, 112, 113 and 114 points, well before there was a three-point line. With the construction of Erickson Hall Gymnasium still a few years away, the squad played all their games on the road with 'home games' at Kaneland, West Aurora, Geneva, East Aurora and Batavia high schools. That season Waubonsee also played against five major college opponent's freshman or junior varsity teams that season, when freshmen were not allowed to play at the NCAA Division I level. The Chiefs played even with the University of Illinois at Assembly Hall until the final minutes, and also competed against DePaul University, Northern Illinois University, Aurora College and Northwestern University.
Wadsworth holds Waubonsee career records for scoring with 1,211 points and steals with 241, along with program marks for free throws and field goals made. The Oswego East High School graduate is the only two-time NJCAA All-American in Chiefs' program history, and was also a two-time All-Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) First Team and All-Region First Team selection. The 5'9" forward was named the Region 4 Tournament Most Valuable Player in leading the Chiefs to the Region title and the program's first ever berth in the National Tournament as a freshman. Wadsworth then set a national tournament record with 16 made free throws in a game as the unranked Chiefs finished 11th nationally. Her sophomore season she eclipsed her own single season mark with 628 points and finished among the top 10 players nationally in scoring, steals and free throw percentage on the way to being named the Skyway Conference Player of the Year for the undefeated (14-0) league champions. Wadsworth led the Chiefs to another Region championship and an 11th place finish, going 27-9 overall. The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tennessee recognized her by displaying her jersey in their annual "Ring of Honor" throughout the rest of 2016. When Wadsworth took her Chiefs' uniform off for the final time, she held 20 program records, many of which still stand.
Perkins was named Female Athlete of the Year for the second year in a row. The Aurora West High School graduate batted a robust .446 on the season with 19 home runs and a team-leading 59 runs batted in, compiling a .892 slugging percentage. The right-handed hitter also paced the Chiefs with 55 runs scored, booked 70 hits and posted a .508 on-base percentage. Perkins was selected to the All-ISCC First Team for the second straight year and also was named All-Region 4 First Team. The slugging first baseman and designated hitter finished her Waubonsee career second in home runs, runs batted in and slugging percentage, while also placing in the top 10 in 14 other statistical categories and setting a Chiefs' program record with a home run in six consecutive games. Perkins will be transferring to Benedictine University in the Fall.
Meeks, a sophomore from Homewood-Flossmoor High School, was chosen the ISCC and Region 4 Player of the Year after helping lead the Chiefs to a share of the ISCC title and a 28-4 record overall. The 6'6" power forward was a force to be reckoned with throughout the season on both ends of the floor on the way to being selected an NJCAA Division II First Team All-American, the eighth Chiefs player overall to earn that distinction in the annals of the program. Meeks averaged 18 points and 9 rebounds per game, to go along with handing out 2.5 assists and shooting 58.5 percent from the floor. He will be moving on to play at NCAA Division I affiliate Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland.
A freshman from Somonauk High School, Rader earned All-ISCC Second Team honors for the Chiefs' soccer team. The defender was an integral part of Waubonsee's defense that registered seven shutouts and allowed just 19 goals all season en route to finishing 10-7 overall. Rader also was named All-ISCC Honorable Mention in basketball as a key reserve, averaging five points, three assists and six rebounds per contest. The 5'7" guard nailed 24 three-point baskets and shot 79 percent from the foul line.
A Kaneland High School alumnus, Valkanov ran away from most of the competition all Fall on the way to earning ISCC and Region 4 Runner of the Year honors. He was also chosen as the NJCAA Division II National Runner of the Week in October. Valkanov went on to place ninth at the NJCAA Division II National Championship Meet in Richmond, Virginia, and was tabbed a First Team All-American, the highest finish ever for a Waubonsee runner. The freshman, who was in third place midway through the race, turned in the fifth fastest 8K time in school history crossing the finish line with a time of 25:45. Valkanov has transferred to Elmhurst College to continue his athletic and academic career.
Roche, a sophomore from Batavia, was given the Vermilion and Gold Award which is given annually to the Waubonsee student-athlete who best exemplifies the true 'heart and soul' of Chiefs' athletics. The 5'4" Roche led the Volleyball team with 48 service aces, while also tallying 99 assists and 142 digs as the team's back-up setter this past fall. Off the court she served as an Executive Leader for Waubonsee's Student Athlete Council, was a student worker in the college's Fitness Center, volunteered to help with several athletics' fundraisers, and worked numerous other sports events on campus.
A Kaneland High School product, Iwankski was the S.T.A.R. Award winner which goes to the student-athlete that displays a good work ethic, dedication to academics and achieved perfect attendance in Waubonsee's athletic monitoring program. The sophomore compiled a perfect 4.00 grade-point-average as a Nursing major. A pitcher on the softball team, Iwanski tossed 69 innings while earning four wins and posting a 3.25 earned-run-average in the circle.
Several other student-athletes were recognized throughout the evening for their stellar performances this past school year, including Cross Country runner Meghan Johnson earned the ISCC Female Runner of the Year and All-Region First Team status for the second consecutive year. The Women's and Men's Tennis programs were recognized as well after the programs were re-started after a nearly four-year absence. And it was officially announced that this coming summer construction of new tennis courts and pickleball courts on the north side of campus will commence. The college also hosted several community events throughout the year, highlighted by a high school basketball All-Star game and a Special Olympics basketball game.
Men's Basketball was honored for their record-setting season. The Chiefs were Co-Champions of the ISCC for the second straight year, set program records for points in a game (131), points in a half (73) and combined points in a game (246) in a romp over McHenry County College. They also set Chiefs' records for longest winning streak (24) and most regular season wins with 27. The last two years a quintet of sophomore players were part of 56 wins, equaling the program mark for a two-year span. In addition, Waubonsee finished the year in the top-10 among all NJCAA Division II teams in three-point baskets, assists per game, free throw percentage, made free throws, defensive rebounds and scoring average.
Competitive Co-Ed Cheerleading placed first at the Xtreme Battle Royale in Elgin, and won a bid to the National Cheerleading Association (NCA) National Championships and the Team Spirit Award at the College NCA Camp held at Lewis University in Romeoville. The squad went on to place sixth in the Intermediate All-Girl Junior College Division at the NCA Nationals in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Waubonsee coaches were also honored for leading their teams to successful seasons, while a trio of coaches reached milestone victories during the 2024-2025 school year. Women's Soccer head coach Brad Schlemmer collected his 150th career coaching victory at Waubonsee. Men's Basketball head coach Lance Robinson tallied his 100th coaching victory at Waubonsee with a win in early November, and Women's Basketball head coach Jim Williams' collected his 100th career win at Waubonsee in December.
The evening was capped off as members from the 1970-71 basketball squad, Waubonsee's first Skyway Conference winning team, posed for a group picture with members of the 2024-25 crew which won the 19th ISCC championship in program history this year.
1970-71 Skyway Conference Champs Julianna Wadsworth and her parents Members of WCC's 1st and 19th ISCC title teams
Alyssa Perkins Christian Meeks Josie Rader David Valkanov Joselyn Roche
S.T.A.R. Advisor Amanda Messmer, Morgan Iwanski and S.T.A.R. Counselor Cindy Weber