Athletics Hall of Fame Inducts Five

Western Illinois University inducted five new members into its Athletics Hall of Fame Sept. 15 in a ceremony in the University Union Grand Ballroom. The Class of 2006 inductees are contributors Ed Holzwarth and the late Dale Hopper, former volleyball coach Juli Kartel (MS) '94 and former student athletes Sue Perkins '86 (track and field, 1982-86) and Jim Scruggs '77 (football, 1974-76). The ceremonies included a reception and dinner, along with speeches by each of the inductees.

Ed Holzwarth, Contributor
Longtime Macomb resident, fire chief and community volunteer Ed Holzwarth has contributed his energies toward making Macomb and Western Illinois University a successful match for nearly 40 years.

Dale Hopper, Contributor
The late Dale Hopper's contributions to Western Illinois Athletics covered a wide spectrum of musical, emotional and financial efforts. A high school quarterback at Kankakee High School, Hopper left his own mark at Western Illinois football games with his arrangement of "Georgia," which continues to be a halftime tradition. Following 20 years as director of bands (23 years total at WIU), he retired from his post in 2002. He received highest acclaim for the Marching Leathernecks Band and the Jazz Studio Orchestra.

Juli Kartel (Volleyball, 1986-92)
In seven seasons at Western Illinois University, Juli Kartel (MS) '94 won more than 100 matches, advanced to a pair of conference tournaments and coached numerous all-conference players on her way to becoming the most successful volleyball coach in Westerwinds history. Kartel, of Champaign, is a manager at the Mental Health Center of Champaign County.

Sue Perkins (Track and Field, 1982-86)
Sue Perkins '86, the 1981 Class A state high jump champion (at Prophetstown High School), continued her winning ways at Western. She qualified for the NCAA Division I nationals as a high jumper, advancing to the 1985 national outdoor championships and the 1986 indoor championships. She set the Western Illinois women's outdoor record with a jump of 6'0" in 1985 as a junior, and then as a senior set the school's indoor record of 5'11.25." Both records still stand.

Jim Scruggs (Football, 1974-76)
Princeton native Jim Scruggs '77 lettered three years for the Leatherneck football team and capped his four-year career as a 1976 Associated Press All-American. Scruggs is now an insurance salesman for Country Insurance and Financial Services in Princeton.

 

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