Meet this year's Hall of Fame class at St. Charles East

We live in what I call the "instant gratification" age.

We want things - and we want them now.

Due in part to several technological advances, we're able to get these "things" faster than ever.

Our computers have been upgraded to store more information and work at breakneck speeds. Digital video recorders allow us to watch our favorite TV shows whenever we want - without commercial interruptions.

For my family, monthly text messages far out-number phone calls made.

But we can't have everything right here, right now.

Take for example, the four newest members of the St. Charles East Hall of Fame who will be honored as Jodie Harrison Lifetime Achievement Award recipients at halftime of Saturday's St. Charles North-St. Charles East boys basketball showdown.

To be eligible, a Hall of Fame nominee had to wait a minimum of 10 years upon graduation from high school. Two of the 2010 Hall of Fame honorees have been out of high school for 25-plus years.

Meet the 2010 St. Charles East Athletic Hall of Fame inductees - Kari Batka, Jim Caine, Jeff Howard and Clint Hull:

Kari Batka: Batka didn't attend St. Charles High School (she's a Palatine grad) but she certainly made her presence felt as the Saints' drill team coach from 1992-2005.

In 14 seasons as head coach, Batka's Saints captured 16 state titles, including 10 in a row from 1996-2005.

On a personal note, my oldest daughter, Devon, was a sophomore member of Batka's final team that earned a state title in the Lyrical category and I still feel should have won the Hip Hop competition (they placed second) with its "Believe" dance.

To me, Batka is the Vince Lombardi of dance team coaches as she built a state dynasty in St. Charles.

Batka, who has served as a guidance counselor at St. Charles East since 1991, shares credit for the success.

"We wouldn't have won one state title without the help of Jill Murphy," Batka said of the team's former assistant coach/choreographer. "I feel like we're going in together."

Coincidentally, Batka's Hall of Fame entrance will come on the same night as another highly successful fund-raising event she helped co-found 16 years ago - Kick-A-Thon.

Since 1994, St. Charles drill teams (East and North) have raised more than $500,000 for the American Cancer Society through Kick-A-Thon.

"It's really exciting to celebrate the induction on the night of Kick-A-Thon," said Batka.

"And it's a huge step for the sport of dance. I feel like I'm bringing the whole world of dance with me. I look forward to Saturday night and the opportunity to thank all the people who have been great partners."

Batka, a 2003 Illinois Drill Team Association Hall of Fame inductee, takes special pride in the Kick-A-Thon event.

"I've met some of the finest people from St. Charles through it," she said. "Many people have come forward to embrace that event and I've been very fortunate to be part of all that."

In 2005, Batka co-founded Team Dance Illinois, where she currently serves as a co-executive.

"My biggest accomplishment to this point is turning around and giving kids healthy, competitive opportunities through TDI," said Batka, a former dancer at Palatine and Augustana.

Batka, whose husband, Dan, is an assistant boys basketball coach at West Aurora, and son, Brock, is a sophomore athlete at Batavia, admittedly

became emotional upon hearing the Hall of Fame news.

"I'm a little overwhelmed," she said.

Jim Caine (Class of 1999): Being a Hall of Fame inductee carries special meaning for Caine.

"When I heard the news from my mom, I was really excited about it," said Caine, whose mom, Linda, works at the high school. "When the award was created, I'm pretty sure my dad (Jim) was associated with Central Boosters.

"On a personal level, we knew Jodie Harrison. I actually talked to him the day he died coming back from a regional softball game at Sycamore."

Caine, who has announced Saints' football and basketball games for the last 11 years, has felt a part of the Hall of Fame process since his senior year in 1998-99.

"It has always been a big deal to me," he said. "Some of the people who have played influential roles in my life, people like Dale Wilderspin and Buck Drach, are already in the Hall of Fame.

"I have tremendous respect for all of them. Their bios are truly amazing."

Caine's isn't too shabby, either.

After hitting .370 as a junior, Caine enjoyed a memorable senior season when he batted .538, belted 12 home runs and 12 doubles with 43 RBI.

And that's just half the story.

As a pitcher, Caine was equally dominant with his 12-0 record and 145 strikeouts in just 86 1/3 innings. The right-hander, who was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 10th round of the 1999 MLB First-Year Player Draft and earned a baseball scholarship to the University of Kansas, recorded a state-record 31 consecutive victories as a starting pitcher from 1997-99.

His 31st consecutive win came in the Saints' 4-1 state quarterfinal triumph over Champaign Centennial at Elfstrom Stadium. The Class of 1999 Fleur-de-Lis winner helped lead coach Len Asquini's Saints to their first-ever state baseball championship.

"That was something I wanted more than anything - it really was an amazing feat," said Caine. "We had a wonderful group of guys and it was a great senior class - guys like Pat Durr and James Trayser.

"I've always been a competitive type of person. It's the way my family raised me - not accepting second place and not accepting mediocrity.

"I'll always remember something Coach Asquini once told us - 'Never give up, never give in, never be satisfied.'"

At the age of 29, Caine is a first-ballot Hall of Fame selection. But he isn't even the first Hall of Fame inductee from his family - older sister Melissa was honored in 2005.

Jeff Howard (Class of 1974): A 3-year varsity basketball veteran from 1971-74, Howard helped lead coach Ron Johnson's Saints to 3 straight regional championships. In 1973, his 16 assists tied a single-game school record and he finished his prep career as the fourth-leading scorer in Saints history.

"I had some great times playing at St. Charles," said Howard, who has spent the last 10 years as a varsity assistant at Elgin High School, where his sons Marcus (Indiana State) and Quintin were standouts.

"We were an extremely close-knit group, even from my days at St. Patrick Grade School. I still stay in touch with most of the guys."

Howard, who called playing on Johnson's squad for 3 years a "dream come true," was coached by his dad and older brother at St. Pat's before his high school arrival.

"Coach Johnson was a great guy to play for," said Howard. "He let us play with more of an up-and-down the floor style. His overall preparation separated himself from others."

As a junior, the state-ranked Saints finished 21-8 with 7 of their losses coming against Elgin, East Aurora and West Aurora.

"The Upstate Eight was the best basketball conference in the state back then, even better than the Chicago Public League," recalled Howard. "We finished fourth in our conference but were ranked 16th in the state. Ten players from the conference went on to play Division 1 basketball.

"We never played before less than a packed house. There were 2,000 people at every game."

Howard went on to become the all-time leading scorer and rebounder at Elgin Community College, and was the school's first Hall of Fame inductee. He then attended Loras College, where he became the school's first 1,000-point scorer over a 2-year period.

He currently is the president and CEO of Howard Sportswear Graphics Express.

Clint Hull (Class of 1985): A 2-year varsity soccer starter, Hull helped lead the 1983 squad to its first Elite Eight appearance and then was a co-captain on the Saints' 1984 team that finished third in the state.

It was Hull's overtime goal that was the game-winner in the third-place contest.

Over his final two seasons, coach Tim Dailey's Saints recorded an impressive record of 42-6-3.

"At that time, it was huge," said Hull, who still plays soccer in an over-40 league. "The program first started in 1979 and we had never made it to the Elite Eight until 1983. It also was very exciting since the state quarterfinals were held at our high school. It was a big advantage."

"My senior year probably stands out a little bit though because of our third-place finish and 24 wins. It was a record that stood for a while until being obliterated in the 90s."

Hull remembers attending St. Charles football and basketball games at an early age.

"My mom (Jean) taught high school in the 70s and she was a sports nut," said Hull. "We went to all the games."

The 1990 University of Illinois grad went on to attend Law School at DePaul

University, where he graduated in 1993.

Hull, who coached Tri-City Soccer and St. Charles Storm youth basketball, served on the St. Charles Park District Board for 8 years (he was Park Board president from 2002-04).

Today, Hull works in the States Attorney's Office serving as an Associate Judge in the 16th Judicial Court in Yorkville.