Six individuals and two teams will be honored as the class of 2008 for the Eureka College Athletics Hall of Fame at the annual induction ceremony Friday, October 24 at 6:30 pm in Becker Auditorium of the Cerf Center. The inductees will be: Andrew Hoeniges ('99), Kelly Ducat-Hull ('92), Eric Leiser ('92), Kurt Krile ('87), Alan Wright ('87), Tim Barkei ('80), the 2003 Men's Tennis Team and the 1995 Football team. Sarah Gohl Isabel ('98) was voted in as well, but will be officially inducted next year.
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Andrew Hoeniges ('99) - Football 1995-98
Hoeniges started all 40 games at nose guard during one of the most successful four-year stretches in Eureka College football history. As a freshman on the 1995 Red Devils team that is also being inducted this year, he was named Third Team All-Conference. He still cites winning the conference championship that year and his relationship with former EC head football coach Darrell Crouch as his fondest memories from his time at Eureka. Hoeniges went on to have one of the best individual careers ever at Eureka for a defensive lineman. He earned First Team All-Conference recognition in each of his last three seasons in addition to being the first ever three-time recipient of the Andy Nicks Award as the team's best defensive lineman. He was also a preseason All-American his senior year. A Bloomington Central Cathloic High School graduate, Hoeniges has served as a firefighter for seven years. He lives in Pontiac, Illinois with his wife, Donnell, and children.
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Kelly Ducat-Hull ('92) - Women's Basketball 1988-92
A 5-10 forward from Herscher, Illinois, Kelly Ducat-Hull helped the Eureka women's basketball team improve 10 wins from her sophomore to her senior year. In 1991-92, the Red Devils posted a 19-7 record, the second best mark in program history at the time. She led the team in rebounds for two years, eventually setting the school record in 1992 finishing with 607. She currently ranks seventh on the all-time career rebounds list at Eureka. During the 1991-92 season, Kelly averaged 13.5 points and eight boards per game and was rewarded by being named All-District 20 by the NAIA. A Phi Omega Sorority and Dean's List member, she was also named team MVP and finished her career ranked fourth on the career points list. She credits former EC coaches Nancy LaCursia, Sandy Schuster and Karen Sweitzer for her successful lifestyle and career as a Wellness Coordinator at Provena St. Mary's Wellness Center. She now lives in Clifton, Illinois with her husband, Richie Hull, and three children.
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Eric Leiser ('92) - Football 1988-91
Eric Leiser was a driving force for the only undefeated football team in Eureka College history in 1991 as the starting running back. A three-year starter and four-year letterman, Leiser was voted the top running back and was a unanimous First Team All-Illini-Badger Conference selection his senior year after being named to the Second Team his two previous seasons. He was twice named NAIA All-District 20, while also securing district and conference Player of the Week honors after a 152 yard, six touchdown performance in a 42-28 win over Concordia (IL) in 1991. Leiser cites meeting his future wife, Brenda Murphy, who is also a Eureka graduate, playing for former EC coaches Warner McCollum and John Tully, playing on the undefeated football team and receiving his degree from President Ronald Reagan as highlights of his EC career. He now lives in Herscher, Illinois with his wife and two children and runs the highly successful, family-owned Leiser Furniture, which was established in 1892.
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Kurt Krile (87) - Football 1983-86
A two-time NAIA All-District 20 First Team selection, former assistant football coach and current Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Kurt Krile is in his 25th year at Eureka. He was a four-year letterman, three-year starter at defensive back and co-captain his senior year. The EC defense improved each year Krile was on the squad, going from 255 points allowed in 1983 to just 133 points allowed in 1986. A Pekin High School graduate, Krile played under former EC coach Warner McCollum. The two worked together to recruit many of the members of the 1991 team, which posted an undefeated 10-0 regular season. Krile then served as an assistant coach under John Tully in 1990 and 1991. Among his favorite EC memories are his relationships with coaches McCollum, Marcoline and Barth and defeating Concordia (IL) on the road in 1985. Krile has worked at Eureka since graduation, starting as an admissions counselor in 1987. He has had a major presence at the college and surrounding community ever since. He and his wife, Jodi, have two children and live in Eureka.
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Alan Wright (87) - Men's Basketball 1983-87
Alan Wright did not take long establishing himself as a key contributor to the Red Devils' great success in the mid-1980s. Shortly after graduating from East St. Louis High School, he moved into a part-time starting role as a freshmen, then started at center his last three seasons. The Red Devils posted an impressive 80-28 record during his four years, culminating with Eureka's only run to the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City when there was still just one division of NAIA in 1986-87. Eureka went 26-3 that year, which still ranks as the best winning percentage since 1925. Wright was always one of the top rebounders around, grabbing a total of 231 boards in the 1986-87 season to rank second in the Prairie College Conference and eighth for a season in EC history. He was also third in points his senior year with 402. He was named the squad's Most Improved Player his junior year after leading the team in blocked shots and rebounds. Wright served as an RA and was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha and EC Black Student Union. The Houston, Texas resident is an award-winning Whirlpool Corporation Account Manager in Sales, having worked there for 17 years.
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Tim Barkei (80) - Football 1976-79
Tim Barkei is one of the most respected members of the Eureka College football teams of the late 1970s. He was a three-year starter at offensive guard, while also being named the "Best Conditioned Athlete Under 195 Pounds." Barkei was around for a drastic turn-around for the EC football program as the Red Devils had their most wins since 1902 with a 6-3 mark in 1976, then improved to 7-3 in 1977. The 1977 football squad was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006. Barkei was selected as First Team All-Conference in 1978 and Second Team in 1979 as he paved the way for 1,000-yard running back and EC Hall of Famer Carl Perkins. He was named Player of the Week in 1978, and received votes amongst scholarship athletes from 19 different schools for NAIA All-District honors. The Aurora Central Catholic High School graduate was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha and voted as team captain his senior year. Barkei has remained very active in athletics after graduation as a coach and official for numerous sports. He lives with his wife, Tammy, and three children in Aurora, Illinois.
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2003 Men's Tennis Team
Under the guidance of veteran EC coach and NIIC Coach of the Year George Owcarz, the 2003 Eureka men's tennis team was indeed at its best when playing as a "team." Although just one Red Devil captured an individual Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference championship, the Red Devils swept all three doubles flights en route to the NIIC title. Eureka was a perfect 5-0 in regular season league play leading up to the conference tournament. Senior Jeff Seckler won all four sets he played in the No. 3 singles bracket and was declared the conference champion at No. 1 doubles with No. 1 singles player Jake Cooper when it was ruled that the Dominican University team had used an ineligible player. Jimmy Jordan and Darin Cooper came back from a set down to win the No. 2 doubles NIIC championship match, while the senior duo of Travis Matthews and Mat Mundell pulled out a third set tie-breaker to take the No. 3 doubles title. All six players were named to the All-Conference team following the tournament.
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1995 Football Team
The 1995 Red Devils still own the second most wins and second highest winning percentage in Eureka's 118 years of football. Under first-year EC head coach and conference Coach of the Year Nick Fletcher, the Red Devils came within three points of an undefeated season. The squad went 9-1 overall, winning Eureka's last Illini-Badger Conference title. The season came on the heels of an 8-3 campaign in 1994, giving EC its best two-year span ever. Led by First Team All-American wide receiver Kurt Barth and Third Team All-American quarterback John Furmaniak, the Red Devils topped 30 points six times in 10 games, including the team's only loss (53-50 to Lawrence). Barth and Joe Duczak were both selected by Dan Hansen's Football Gazette as All-Americans, while Nate Hutchings was a Burger King Scholar Athlete Winner. The Red Devils avenged losses from the previous season to Monmouth (40-33) and Quincy (33-13), finishing with a perfect road record of 5-0. The team featured eight First Team selections and a total of 19 All-Conference players in all.
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A.
Individual Inductees |
1. |
Will receive an
engraved plaque in appreciation for their contribution
to Eureka College. |
2. |
Will have photo added to rotating video display in
Reagan Center Lobby Hall of Fame area. |
3. |
Will receive a Lifetime
Pass to all home Eureka College athletic events. |
B. Team |
1. |
Team members will
receive an engraved plaque in appreciation of their
contributions, as a member of a team, to Eureka
College. |
2. |
The number of plaques
awarded will be equal to the total number of team
members allowed in conference, regional, or national
competition. Plaques will also be awarded to coaches
and participating support staff. |
3. |
Lifetime Passes
will be given to all those who receive plaques.
A team photo will be added to rotating video display
in the Reagan Center Lobby Hall of Fame area. |
C. Coach |
1. |
Will receive an
engraved plaque in appreciation for his/her contribution
to Eureka College Athletics. |
2. |
Will have a photo added to rotating video display in
Reagan Center Lobby Hall of Fame area. |
