Three-time Major League all-star Bill Madlock is one of ten athletes plus a coach and a team to get inducted into the very first Decatur Public Schools Athletic Hall of Fame. The honorees will be introduced on the day of the annual Braggin' Rights football game between MacArthur and Eisenhower -- August 27th at 3 p.m.
From Decatur Public Schools:
Michael Dugan, interim co-superintendent of District 61, presided over the committee meeting where administrators, retired coaches and media representatives selected the class.
In alphabetical order, these are the former Decatur Public School athletes selected for induction: Ken Barnes, Marsha Bond, Hubie Carter, Wayne Dunning, Penny Hammel, Bill Madlock, Mark Malley, Rudy Phillips, Lee Sentman Jr. and Deana Simmons.
In addition, the committee selected Gay Kintner to be recognized for all his achievements at Decatur High where his teams won three state championships. And the committee agreed Lakeview's 1965 undefeated football team should be enshrined as well. That was before the Illinois High School Association created the football playoffs.
"We are thrilled with the quality the selection committee has come up with for our inaugural athletic Hall of Fame class," said Dugan. "Their picks provide a great balance for inductees with all schools represented--Decatur High/Stephen Decatur, Eisenhower, Lakeview and MacArthur.
"These men and women excelled in their respective sports as student-athletes in the Decatur school district of which we could not be more proud for what they achieved here and after they left us," Dugan said. In addition, he also praised the committee for their recommendation to include a coach and a team with its picks of Kintner and the 1965 undefeated Lakeview football team.
Inductees
Ken Barnes made the game-winning free throw to give his Stephen Decatur Runnin' Reds their 1962 state championship. During his Runnin' Reds career, Barnes tallied 1,473 points. After graduation, he went on to play for the Wisconsin Badgers and later became a top administrator in the Rockford Auburn school system.
Marsha Bond prepped at MacArthur where she excelled in volleyball, earning a scholarship to Kentucky where she continued her superb career. She competed for United States in the Olympics and was inducted in 2007 into the Kentucky Hall of Fame.
Hubie Carter led his Eisenhower Panthers to their 1976 fourth place state tournament finish and scored 1,267 points in his brilliant basketball career there.
Wayne Dunning scored 1,021 points during his outstanding play with the Lakeview Spartans and, after graduation, continued his superb career at Millikin where he also excelled.
Penny Hammel won two state golf titles and a fourth place during her shining golf career at MacArthur. She later went on to become one of the best golfers on the ladies professional tour.
Eisenhower's Bill Madlock is one of the best baseball players to come out of the city and became one of the Major League's best hitters where he won four batting titles, two with the Chicago Cubs and two with the Pittsburgh Pirates. But what people may not remember, he also could play basketball as evidenced by his scoring 1,017 points during his Panthers career.
Stephen Decatur's Mark Malley earned his selection for his grappling ability on the wrestling mats where he won first place medals in the Illinois High School Association wrestling championships in the 145-pound weight classes in 1967-68 and 1968-69.
MacArthur's Rudy Phillips was Decatur's first football prep All-American and scored 152 points in a season. No one could stop him. He later went on to play at SIU-Carbondale.
Lee Sentman Jr. ran hurdles for Decatur High in the late 1920's where he finished fourth and second in the 220-yard low hurdles in 1925-26 and 1926-27, respectively, before going to Illinois where he continued his superb career, once running a world record in the Kansas Relays in the 120-yard high hurdles.
MacArthur's Deana Simmons is in a class of her own in girls track and field. She jumped her way to first place medals in 1996 in the long and triple jump events, placed third in the 300-meter low hurdles and seventh in the 100-meter high hurdles. The year before as a junior in 1995, she won the long jump, and placed second in both hurdles events, and also earned medals as a Generals freshman and sophomore in numerous events in 1993 and 1994.
