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Wheeling selects four for high school Hall of Fame

The latest additions to the Wheeling High School Athletic Hall of Fame will be officially introduced at halftime of the Wildcats' 6 p.m. boys basketball game against Rolling Meadows this Saturday.

Rick Benedetto, Brian Lichtenberger, Ann Kent Haller and Tom McManus will be recognized as the Class of 2015 in a special ceremony at approximately 7 p.m.

A reception will be held in the cafeteria after the game.

This is Wheeling High School's 50th anniversary.

Here is a closer look at the four inductees:

Rick Benedetto: The longtime coach and teacher at Wheeling served first as an assistant football coach, a position he held for 17 years. He was on the staff in 1981 when Wheeling won seven games for the first time in its history.

Taking over as head coach in 1983. Benedetto had a career record of 61-50 for 12 seasons. He is the longest tenured head football coach in the history of Wheeling.

In 1984, his Wildcats became the second team in school history with seven wins.

The following season, Benedetto guided the Wildcats to their first conference title and IHSA playoff appearance. The 1988 team also won the conference championship and made the playoffs for the second time in school history.

In 1994, Benedetto's team also won the MSL and qualified for the IHSA playoffs. That team became the only one in the school history to win a playoff game and holds the record for most wins with nine.

Benedetto was a two-time MSL coach of the year.

He also served as the head baseball coach, assistant basketball coach and assistant golf coach.

He was a physical education and health education teacher at Wheeling for 33 years. In 1992, he was selected as Wheeling's Teacher of the Year.

Now in retirement, Benedetto coaches a football team in Lugano, Switzerland during the spring.

Ann Kent Haller: Haller was a standout three-sport athlete at Wheeling, excelling in volleyball, basketball and track and field. She earned 10 varsity letters. As a three-year starter in volleyball, she was a co-captain and team MVP. She also earned all-conference recognition in 1982.

She was a three-year starter on the basketball team, serving as the team captain and named the team MVP.

She was all-conference and Daily Herald all-area honorable mention player in 1983.

From 1980 through 1983, Haller helped Wheeling dominate in track and field.

She was part of the team that won four straight MSL championships. Haller was a two-time MSL champion in the discus and an MSL champion in the shot put.

She also qualified for the high school state track meet multiple times. In 1982 she finished fourth in the discus. She was third in 1983 and seventh in the shot.

Her discus throw of 134 feet, 3 inches in 1983 still stands as the Wheeling school record. Haller capped her career as the Wheeling female athlete of the year and the District 214 Howard Lester Award winner.

Haller attended Ohio University on a track and field scholarship.

At Ohio, she served as a team captain and her team won several MAC championships.

Haller was second in the MAC championships in the shot put and third in the discus.

She was selected to be part of the International Sports Exchange Track and Field Team. As a member of that team, she traveled to Hong Kong and took first place in the shot put and discuss.

Haller also spent three years coaching track and field at Wheeling under the guidance of Hall of Fame coach Mark Saylor. She helped coach one conference champion and three state qualifiers.

Brian Lichtenberger: Lichtenberger left a lasting legacy on the Wheeling athletic training program.

From 1980 to 2007, he served as the head athletic trainer at Wheeling and for many of those years he was the only trainer on staff. He has cared for thousands of athletes and attended thousands of Wheeling athletic events.

With his expertise from over 70 sports seasons, Lichtenberger not only served Wheeling but the state of Illinois.

He was the vice president of the department of Professional Regulation for Athletic Trainers.

Litchenbeger was also the journal editor for the Illinois Athletic Trainers Association for 10 years.

In 1998, he was inducted into the Illinois Athletic Trainers Hall of Fame.

Among his numerous accolades are the Distinguished Service Award, Outstanding Contribution to Education Award, and the Principal's and Superintendent's award.

He was one of the trailblazing certified athletic trainers in District 214 and his influence is still felt across the district and state today.

He was also a physical education teacher at Wheeling and eventually became the division head for Health and Physical Education.

Litchenbeger was the Wheeling Associate Principal for Operations and later Director of Operations for District 214. He returned to Wheeling, where he currently serves as the Building and Grounds Supervisor.

Litchenberg has been a member of the Wheeling Park District Board since 2006 and was awarded the Eastern Illinois University Lifetime Achievement Award from the College of Education and Professional Studies.

Tom McManus: McManus is one of the best football players in Wildcat history. A standout linebacker, he was voted a team captain and was an all-conference/all-area selection in 1986 and 1987,

In 1987, McManus was named to the Chicagoland Top 44 team and to the Champaign News-Gazette All State team.

He was also a member of Wheeling's and field team.

McManus was a scholarship athlete at Boston College where he was a two-time first team Big East selection. He was a third team all-American and named the top player in New England in 1991.

In 2009, McManus was inducted into the Boston College Sports Hall of Fame. He played five years in the NFL for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Now an independent consultant in the private equity space, McManus connects businesses to private capital and private capital to opportunity.

He is a self-proclaimed "networking fool" as he loves to facilitate relationships and opportunities for people.

He is author of the book, "We'll Always Be Pals," a true story about his father, his incredible life, and their relationship together.

McManus is an established motivational speaker, speaking to a range of audiences. He owned and was host of the Tom McManus Uncensored Radio show for 10 years and continues to be a guest on TV shows revolving around football.

He owns a multimedia development and production company called TommyMac Entertainment, which focuses on film, TV, musical, and digital production.

His message is all about accountability, tough love, and passion for life.

His No Excuses, No Regrets Tour centers around looking in the mirror first, offering no excuses and being the best you can be in everything you do.

McManus is heavily involved with the Northeast Florida community and beyond, helping out charitable causes wherever he can, most notably, Tom Coughlin's Jay Fund Foundation and The C.H.I.L.D. Cancer Fund.

Women's track

Lewis sophomore Mollie Dalton (Conant) placed second in the 1,000-meter run (3:15.23) as the Flyers took the title of their own Illiana Invitational at the Student Recreation and Fitness Center Fieldhouse.

Lewis' Eva Poznanski (Wheeling) was second in the high jump with a mark of 1.55m (5-1).

• Please email Sports Notes items to jleusch@dailyherald.com

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