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Athletics

First All-Leatherneck Reunion a Success | Waste Management Court Receives Face Lift | Waste Management Court at Western Hall Officially Dedicated with Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

First All-Leatherneck Reunion a Success

Approximately 100 former Western Illinois student-athletes and coaches attended the first All-Leatherneck Reunion, held April 17 at Hawthorne Park in Cicero, Ill.

“A very special thanks to Charlie Carey and John Passananti for taking the leadership on this new event,” said Director of Athletics Dr. Tim Van Alstine. “It was a huge success for our entire department. More importantly, the reunion provided a terrific opportunity for former coaches and student-athletes to reconnect with each other and Western Illinois University, and to connect with many of our current men's and women's coaches.”

The three-hour event featured a short program emceed by Passananti, and included comments by President Al Goldfarb, Van Alstine, and recently-hired men's basketball coach Jim Molinari.

The reunion, which has plans to become an annual event  to raise funds for the Athletics Department, was a cooperative effort between the WIU Alumni Association, Intercollegiate Athletics, and loyal Western alums.

PHOTO: (L to R) Don Patterson (head football coach), Charlie Hubbard '76 (running back, 1973-74), Dwaine Roche '94 (associate athletics director), Steve Nelson '77 (quarterback, 1975-76), Jay O'Brien '78 (offensive lineman, 1975-77).

Waste Management Court Receives Face Lift

Waste Management Court at Western Hall received a new look last month, complete with updated logos of Western Illinois and The Summit League, and the addition of the Waste Management logo.

The new court features a lighter-colored, more natural looking wood finish. A Western Illinois sweep logo with a deep purple replaces the old WIU sweep logo at mid-court. In the lanes, the large basketballs are gone, and purple and gold Summit League logos have been painted in front of the free throw stripes. Waste Management's logo appears on each side of the court near the top of the three-point lines. The new men's three-point line is painted in purple, just outside the existing women's line in black. The outside of the court is defined by a wide purple block.

In less than two weeks, the old paint and finish were sanded down to the bare wood and the new design was painted. As sealant is currently being applied, the court will not be in use again until graduation.

Former Leatherneck Starts for Colorado Rapids in Season Opener

Former Western Illinois men's soccer player Kosuke Kimura made his first MLS career start in the season opener for the Colorado Rapids against the Los Angeles Galaxy earlier this spring.

Kimura helped the Rapids in a 4-0 victory to start the 2008 season. As a defender, Kimura found himself marking the likes of David Beckham and Landon Donovan throughout the matchup.

“It's very rewarding to see one of our guys get to play in the MLS in a big game setting,” said Kimura's former coach, and current Western Illinois men's soccer head coach, Dr. Eric Johnson. “This is a result of his work ethic and desire to compete at a high level.”

After completing his senior campaign at Western, Kimura was selected 35th in the MLS supplemental draft on January 18, 2006. He was the first Leatherneck drafted into the MLS and joins Tom Soehn (current D.C. United head coach) as the only Western alums to play in the league.

“The whole team here is very excited for him,” Johnson added. “We had a bunch of guys watch the game together. A lot of them played with him and trained with him while he was here. It's special for them to see him playing on TV with some of the best players in the country.”

After the match, Kimura was interviewed and talked about his transition from Japan, to Western Illinois and now into the ranks of professional soccer.

The interview can be seen on the Rapids website at http://www.coloradorapids.com/FanCenter/AudioVideo.aspx.

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