Jacobs Hall of Fame to add five new inductees

The Jacobs High School Athletic Hall of Fame committee recently selected its second class of former Golden Eagle athletes for induction into the Jacobs Athletic Hall of Fame. The induction will take place Sept. 20 with a dinner and special presentation during a home football game that night.

John Bradshaw, LaShawna Canty Golden, Evan Jager, Kate Kelly and Eric Vierneisel will be inducted on that night.

Graduating in 1979, Bradshaw was a three-sport student-athlete in football, basketball, and baseball, earning varsity letters in all three sports. He went on to play basketball and baseball at Rockford College.

Canty Golden is a 2000 graduate who participated in track, lettering all four years. A four-time state qualifier, she was an Illinois Prep Top Times All-State team selection in 1997 and 1999. She was also the indoor state champion, two-time outdoor state runner-up and two-time AAU Junior Olympic Games National Champion. She went on to participate in track at the University of Mississippi and the University of Georgia, where she is now an assistant track coach.

Graduating in 2007, Jager was a two-sport student-athlete in cross country and track, lettering in both sports all four years. He was a two-time Gatorade Track Athlete of Year in Illinois, an eight-time All-State selection, and won state championship four times. Jager went on to run at the University of Wisconsin and professionally for Nike. He participated in the 2012 Olympics, finishing sixth in the 3000-meter steeplechase and is currently the United States record holder in that event.

Kelly, a 1987 graduate was a three-sport student-athlete in cross country, basketball, and track, lettering in all three sports and finishing her high school career with 11 varsity letters. In 1986, she was the Fox Valley Conference track champion in the 800-meter run. She is still active in running and playing Gaelic football for a local team in Dublin, Ireland.

Vierneisel, a 2004 alum, was a two-sport student-athlete in basketball and track, lettering in both sports and in all four years for basketball. He was an all-conference selection in basketball, and the 2002-03 honorary captain of the Daily Herald’s Fox Valley all-area teams. He was also selected to the AP All-State team. Vierneisel went on to play basketball at the University of California at Berkeley, and professionally in New Zealand and Germany.

For more information, the Jacobs Athlete Hall of Fame, email JHSHOF@d300.org.