Presenting the 2013 Elgin Sports Hall of Fame inductees
The Elgin Sports Hall of Fame foundation will induct five new members on Sunday evening when the organization holds its 34th annual induction ceremony and banquet at The Centre of Elgin. Below are short biographies on each of the five inductees.
Anton Kossakowski
Anton, a 1986 Larkin High School graduate, is inducted into the Elgin Sports Hall of Fame for wrestling. He qualified for the state wrestling tournament as a sophomore and junior (record of 28- 6). Then in his senior year, while competing in the 167-pound weight class, he finished the season as an undefeated state champion (29 0) winning the first state wrestling championship in Royals’ history.
He attended Northern Illinois University and in two seasons he had records of 30-8 and 25-8 in the 177-pound and 190-pound weight classes. He qualified and competed both years in the NCAA Wrestling Tournament. As a freshman at 177 pounds, Anton finished in second place at the NCAA West Regional, in third place at the Michigan State Invitational and he won the Illini Open Championship. The following year he again won the Illini Open Championship at 177 pounds and he won the NCAA West Regional Championship in the 190-pound weight class.
He was a three-sport athlete at Larkin competing in wrestling, football and baseball. He was named all-conference and all-area in football as a senior and was Larkin’s Male Athlete of the Year in 1986.
Alan Lettow
A 1967 graduate of Larkin High School, Lettow is inducted into the Elgin Sports Hall of Fame for being an outstanding all-around athlete.
Al was a three sport varsity athlete as a junior and senior and was the Royals’ first All-State football player. A fullback and linebacker, he was named All-State by the Rockford Register Star and Champaign News-Gazette in 1966. In addition, he was named Special Mention All-State by the Chicago Daily News and a Chicago Tribune Prep All-Star. He was also first team all-conference and was named Honorable Mention Prep all-American. In a newspaper poll, Al was selected to the All-Time Larkin High School Football Team.
Al was a varsity basketball player for two years and selected captain his senior year.
Competing in track & field, Al qualified for the state meet six times. He qualified three times individually, twice in the shot put and once in the 220-yard dash. He also qualified three times as a member of the 880-yard relay team. Al finished 10th in the state in the shot put in 1967 and once held the Larkin High School record in the shot put (58 feet, 2 inches) and as a member of the 880-yard relay team.
Al earned a football scholarship to the University of Wisconsin where he played three seasons, first as a running back prior to moving to linebacker. Knee injuries ended his career after his junior year and he was then offered a job as an assistant football coach for the freshman team. He worked two seasons for coach John Jardine at the University of Wisconsin.
Jeff Myers
Jeff is inducted into the Elgin Sports Hall of Fame as a friend of sports. He has been broadcasting sports in the Elgin area on local radio, cable television, and the Internet since 1989.
During that time, Jeff served as the voice of Elgin High School football from 1990 to 2007 and covered St. Edward football from 2008 to 2012. Currently he is doing football home games for Elgin High School and Larkin High School for High School Cube on the Internet.
Jeff has also done the radio play-by-play for Elgin High School basketball games beginning in 1989 including Maroons’ games in the Elgin High School holiday tournament and in the state tournament. He provided coverage of Elgin High state tournament action in Peoria in 1998 and the 2008 supersectional.
In 2012 Jeff began broadcasting Larkin High School basketball including the Royals’ trip to the DeKalb sectional in 2013. Further broadcasts have included the Elgin-Larkin football and basketball games on local cable TV from 1993 to 2001, girls volleyball sectional finals and girls softball regional action.
Other local sporting events that Jeff has covered include the Elgin crosstown bowling classic, Elgin Sports Hall of Fame Foundation banquets and excerpts on the cable television program “Elgin Today.” He has hosted sports talk shows on local radio, done interviews with such athletes as Chicago Bear greats Dan Hampton and Otis Wilson and former baseball major leaguer Billy Werber on his 100th birthday. Jeff was the voice of the Chicago Bandits professional women’s softball team in 2008 when the Bandits played in Elgin and went on to win the world championship trophy. He has also covered the Kane County Eagles football team and the Elgin Racers basketball team.
Dave Russell
Dave, a 1961 graduate of Elgin High School, is inducted into the Elgin Sports Hall of Fame for wrestling. He became the Maroons’ first state wrestling champion, finishing 31-0 in the 180-pound weight class during his senior year. Dave won the Big Eight Conference title, the district title and the sectional title, and helped the Maroons to a sixth-place team finish at the state tournament.
Dave attended the University of Illinois and lettered twice, in 1963 and 1964 on the varsity, wrestling as a heavyweight. At Illinois he studied engineering and since that time has gone on to write technical books and lecture on environmental engineering all over the world.
Vince Webber
Vince, a 1998 graduate of Larkin High School, is inducted into the Elgin Sports Hall of Fame for football. As a sophomore running back, Vince scored 22 touchdowns while rushing for 954 yards and 10.1 yards per carry. In his junior season, he scored 32 touchdowns and gained 2,032 yards rushing. Despite missing half his senior year due to injury, Vince scored 17 touchdowns and gained 1,156 yards. He set Royals’ records for single game rushing yards (381), career rushing yardage (4,142), and touchdowns with 71, which ranks 6th in IHSA history. Vince was Upstate Eight Conference Offensive Player of the Year as a junior, as well as being named to the Chicago Tribune All-State First Team and the Illinois High School Coaches Association All-State Team. He was also a Chicago Tribune All-State Team special mention as a sophomore.
He went on to play running back for three seasons at Central Michigan University, but saw his playing time limited due to injuries.
ELGIN SPORTS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
2013
Anton Kossakowski
Alan Lettow
Jeff Myers
Dave Russell
Vince Webber
2012
Beth (Fitchie) Barnes
Paul Hudgens
Jim Kossakowski
Ryan Sienko
David Wurm
2011
Stacy Nagel Cheek
Jay Goedert
Gary Kane
Raul Rodriguez
Phil Sokody
2010
Gary Bohlin
Jeff Brown
Ryan McKenna
Fred Rhoades
Blaine Royer
2009
Mike Coyle
Julie (Kovacs) Fisher
Corry Carter Irvin
Jim Perkins
Dick Stephens
2008
Sean Harrington
Katy (Carter) Potts
Chris Sigourney
Ralph “Gus” Vaughan
Ellamae Williams-Roessler
2007
Tom Aley
Rick Andresen
Dick Durrant
Lisa Stack Pawlak
Curt Whipple
2006
Harry Chamberlin
Ralph Depalma
Steve Hinton
Lee Turek
Doug Wallace
2005
Scott Hulke
Glenn McCormick
Mary O’Brien
Melissa Parker
Leslie Schock
2004
Ken Barnhart
Randy Engel
Amy Kovacs-Young
Brian Rose
2003
Donnell Daniel
Frank “Lefty” Schrieber
Mike Sheehy
John Toomey
Jeff Wilkins
2002
Jim Harrington
Eugene C. Jones
Derrick Mayes
Milt Rein
Dick Roth
2001
Kevin Coleman
Terry Drake
Roger Smithberg
Jim Stowell
Gregg Ziegler
2000
Mark Baugh
Rick Kehr
Jeff Mirabella
Andrew Solyom
Bob Survant
1999
Orlow Davis
Chuck Emmert
Ken McGhie
Dr. John R. Tobin
1998
Tony Adams
Charlene Barnett
Anne Rotundo-Riley
Eddie Williams
1997
Don Brown
Kevin Callahan
Forrest “Fod” Cotton
Beth Hasenmiller-Sauser
1996
Mike Armentrout
Terry Carlson
Bill Hofstetter
Walter Rust
Mark Wilson
1995
Joe Armentrout
George Childs
Gregg Fohrman
Betty Ostdick-Villella
1994
Bob Baldwin
Dick Estergard
Don Kienlen
Larry Nemmers
1993
Mark Hattendorf
Don Mapes
Karl Plath
Jim Smith
Frank Termini
1992
Ray Haley
Dave Huske
Vic Masi
Charlie Weber
1991
Jim Hannula
Robert E. Morton
Ralph “Red” Vaughan
Walter “Wally” Wetzel
1990
Clifton Adams
William “Wild Bill” Mehlhorn
Bob Peterson
Judith Allison Wegner
1989
Mel Cole
Edward McDonough
Larry Michelson
1988
Bob Duffield
Linda Gough
Dr. Ralph Muchow
Bob Thoren
Chapman “Chappie” Wells
1987
Charles C. “Chuck” Brandt
John Kenneth “Ken” Brown
Irwin A. “Irv” Johnston
Charles J. “Chuck” Smith
1986
Donald T. Berna
William R. Chesbrough
Alfred Y. “Al” Kirkland
Richard “Pete” Kovacs
1985
James J. Biggins
Jacque Keeney
Paul Sokody
1984
Emery Ebbert
Willard Schuldt
Ronald Weisner
1983
David J. Casper
William A. “Bill” Hoffer
John F. “Jack” Meagher
Phillip M. Odle
Rick Sund
1982
Mike A. Farroh
Glen E. Lose
Robert E. “Red” Farney
Herman J. “Hermie” Walser
Louis “Soup” Semeny
1981
Al Huske
Wally Graf
Samuel P. “Sam” Sauceda
Greg True
Louis A. “Lou” North
1980
Frank “Lefty” Breen
Earl Tanner Britton
Jack Burmaster
August W. “Gus” Farwick
John A. Krafft
Douglas “Gaga” Mills
Brian Oldfield
John Paul
Flynn Robinson
Don Sunderlage