Jacobs Athletic Hall of Fame set for first inductions
The Jacobs Athletic Hall of Fame will hold its inaugural induction ceremony on Friday prior to and during the Golden Eagles’ football game with McHenry.
Sarah (Ahnen) Rappaport, Kelly Becker, Don Biagioni, Kim Kelly, Jorie (Miguel) Fontana, Tom Schafer, Joe Scime, Mark Slimko, Matt Whalen and Pat Whalen will make up the first class of former Golden Eagles athletes/coaches to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Rappaport is a 1999 Jacobs graduate who is being inducted for volleyball. She played the 1998 Jacobs supersectional team and was the 1998 Daily Herald all-area co-captain. An all-Fox Valley Conference player for two years, she went on to play volleyball at Michigan Tech.
Becker graduated in 1980 and was a three-sport athlete in volleyball, basketball and track. She was all-conference in volleyball and basketball and became the first Jacobs athlete to compete at a Division I university, having played volleyball at Michigan State. She was chosen as MSU’s Women’s Athlete of the Year in 1986 and the Athlete of the Decade for volleyball at Michigan State.
Biagoni was a multisport coach and counselor at Jacobs for 18 years. He became head volleyball coach in 1989 and retired in 2005. His 1998 and 1999 teams each won 30-plus games, setting the school record with 38 wins in 1999, reaching the Sweet Sixteen that year. Biagoni passed away in 2011.
Kelly is a 1987 graduate who competed in track and cross country, lettering in each sport all four years. She won the Fox Valley Conference 1,600 and 3,200 meter runs in 1986 and the 3,200 in 1987 and won the McHenry County title in the 3,200 from 1984-87 as well as being on the county 3,200 relay champion both years. She helped the Jacobs cross country team to four straight FVC and county titles and was a state qualifier her senior year. She is still actively involved in coaching and running and has earned graduate degrees from Columbia, New York University and the University of Alaska.
Fontana is a 2000 Jacobs alum who played volleyball and soccer for the Golden Eagles. She was a 3-year all-FVC player and was also a Daily Herald all-area volleyball captain. She went on to play college volleyball at Loyola and is now the head girls volleyball coach at Crystal Lake South.
Schafer, a 1983 grad, is being inducted for basketball. He was all-conference and all-state and was named the McDonald’s City-Suburban game MVP his senior year. He went on to play at Illinois and Iowa State, was drafted by the Denver Nuggets and played professionally in Europe.
Scime graduated in 1978 after a three-sport career in football, basketball and baseball. He was all-conference in all three sports and an all-stater in baseball, which he went on to play at Wisconsin before being drafted by Atlanta. He played in the minor leagues for Atlanta and Detroit.
Slimko, a 1985 grad, played basketball and track. He was a unanimous all-FVC basketball player for two years and went on to play that sport at the Air Force Academy.
Matt Whalen, a 2002 graduate, participated in football as well as track and field. He was the state shot put champion in 2002, winning the FVC and McHenry County titles in that event in 2001 and 2002. He went on to participate in track and field at Mississippi.
Pat Whalen, Matt’s brother, graduated in 2004 and won the state shot put championship that year after finishing fourth in 2003. He was also the FVC shot put and discus champion both years and was fourth in the state in the discus in 2004. He went on to compete at Ohio State.
Friday’s festivities will begin with a dinner in the school’s commons at 5 p.m., followed by the induction ceremony in the auditorium at 6 p.m. The inductees will then be honored at halftime of the varsity football game.
For further information, email jhshof@d300.org or contact Jacobs athletic director Dan Vosnos.