2023 Springfield Sports Hall of Fame Inductees

The 31st Springfield Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

WHEN: February 20, 2023

WHERE: Crowne Plaza

TICKETS: $50. ($25 for Hall of Fame members) – Call Lesa Schaive at (217) 529-0008 for tickets.

GUEST SPEAKER: Deon Thomas, Associate Director for Development – Chicago for the University of Illinois Department of Athletics. Deon is also a college basketball analyst for the Big Ten Network and Fighting Illini Men’s Basketball.

Nathanael Browning, Springfield Sports Hall of Fame, 2023

NATE
BROWNING

Dominque ÒMajorÓ Clay, Springfield Sports Hall of Fame, 2023

DOMINIQUE MAJOR CLAY

DOUG
COLLINS

PHIL
ECK

JIM
FILES

John Cox, Springfield Sports Hall of Fame, 2023

JOHN
FOX

TRACY
TATE WILSON

FRIENDS OF SPORT

MIKE
CHAMNESS

LARRY
CHANEY

CRESS
MADDOX

John L. Raynolds, Jr., Springfield Sports Hall of Fame, 2023

JOHN
RAYNOLDS

PAUL
PACHLHOFER

JIM
RUPPERT

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NATE BROWNING

Class A State champion eighth grade 400-meter dash at Springfield Christian Elementary
2-time Class A State champion 400-meter dash (2003, 2004) at Lutheran High School
1,000+ point scorer Class A Boys Basketball at Lutheran High School
First team All-MSM and All-New Salem Conference Basketball (2004)
Two-time track and field All-American Team 4×400 relay (indoor 2007; outdoor 2008)
Two-time All-Southeastern Conference first team 4×400 relay (indoor 2007; outdoor 2008)
NCAA Men’s Track & Field National Championship bronze medalist 4×400 relay (outdoor 2008)
NCAA Men’s Track & Field National Championship silver medalist 4×400 relay (Indoor 2007)
University of Kentucky outdoor top three 4×400 relay (3:02) (five of top seven times all-time)
University of Kentucky top nine outdoor 400 meter dash (46.30)
University of Kentucky top seven indoor 400 meter dash (46.77)
Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll (2005 – 2008)
University of Kentucky Frank G. Ham Society of Character inductee (2007)
State Farm Insurance Scholar Athlete of the Month Award (February 2007)

DOMINIQUE “MAJOR” CLAY

2007 Lanphier High School Graduate
Lettered in track and field and basketball all four years
Undefeated in the high jump from 2005 state finals fifth-place finish to 2007 loss against nationally ranked opponent
Two-time state high jump champion (6-10 in 2006, 6-9 in 2007)
Illinois Prep Top Times Indoor Championships champ (6-10 in 2006, 7-0 1⁄4 In 2007)
Set Illinois Indoor high jump record (7-0 1⁄4)
Lanphier High School record holder (7-0 1⁄4)
2006 Central State Eight Conference Male Athlete of the year
2006 Adidas Golden West Invitational silver medalist
Featured in July 2007 edition of Track and Field News Magazine
2007 Nike Outdoor Nationals All-American
Scholarship to Indiana State University for track and field
Four-time All-Missouri Valley Conference both indoors and outdoors
Four-time MVC high jump champion outdoors
Three-time MVC high jump champion indoors
2011 MVC men’s field most outstanding performer
14- time MVC Athlete of the week honors
Competed in NCAA Nationals Indoors three times and outdoor three times
Earned All-American honors indoors and outdoors
2011 Drake Relays second place 7-2 1⁄4)
Cleared 7-0 in 35 of the 38 indoor meets during his college career
Ranked 10th in the U.S and 18th in the world at his highest level
Indiana State University indoor school record holder (7-5)
Ranks third outdoors in school history (7-3 1⁄4 )
Ninth at 2011 USA Track and Field Championships (7-2 1⁄2)
Three-time Missouri Valley Conference track and field championships team titles
2012 Indiana State men’s track and field team Leadership Award
2012 Indiana State men’s track and field team MVP
2012 took part in U.S Olympic Trials
Indiana State University Class of 2012 graduate

DOUG COLLINS

1987 Lanphier graduate
Selected to Lanphier Hall of Fame in 2012
Scored 986 points in two varsity seasons
All-City and All-Mid-State 10 pick as a senior, when he led city and M-S 10 in scoring City Tournament scoring champion in 1987 with 64 points
IBCA All-Star Game in 1987 and was South MVP
Illinois Basketball Coaches Association fourth-team all-state
Second in IBCA Slam Dunk contest
Played at John A. Logan in 1987-88 and 1988-89
Freshman of the Year in the Great River Athletic Conference
Transferred to Iowa State in the Big Eight Conference
Scored 224 points as junior and 442 points as senior
Top 20 in Big Eight in scoring, assists, rebounding and steals as senior Two-time honorable mention All-Big Eight
Big Eight Defensive Player of the Year as senior in 1991
Team MVP as both a junior and senior
Invited to Phoenix Suns rookie free agent camp in 1991
Drafter by Tulsa Zone of the CBA in 1991
John A. Logan Hall of Fame inductee 1995
24 years as girls basketball coach at Lanphier

PHIL ECK

1980 Springfield High School graduate
All-City soccer player as junior and senior
Payed on Quincy College NAIA national championship teams in 1980,
1981 Head boys soccer coach at Springfield High for 22 seasons
Compiled 352-131-43 record, including 132-22-9 CS8 record and five conference titles
Won 15 regional and six sectional titles
1997 team won Class A state championship
Coached one NSCAA All-American and two Parade Magazine All-Americans
Coached 7 All-Midwest players, 38 all-sectional players, 15 all-staters Coached 91 all-conference players and 55 guys who played collegiately
Two-time Coach of the Year
1999 Soccer Person of the Year by the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association
Member of Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association Hall of Fame

JIM FILES

1980 Lanphier High School graduate
1979 Illinois state cross country champion (14:18.3)
First male state cross country champ in Springfield history
Moved up 43 places from junior to senior year
First Lanphier runner to earn all-state honors
Lanphier record-holder for fastest time at Lincoln Park (15:03)
Three-time state meet qualifier
Set school records of for 3,200 meters (9:29) and 1,600 meters (4:24.9) Served four years in U.S. Army upon graduation

JOHN FOX

1976 Lanphier High School graduate
Earned nine varsity letters — 4 basketball, 4 baseball, 1 golf
First freshman to start for Hall of Fame coach Arlyn Lober
Scored more than 1,400 points during his career
Two-time All-City selection in basketball
Baseball pitcher and catcher and two-time All-City selection
Baseball scholarship to Eastern Illinois University
Transferred to Quincy College after two seasons at EIU
Suffered career-ending knee injury during only season at Quincy
Member of Springfield Sports Hall of Fame Thorobred League World Series team Won Round The Town Golf Tournament in 2004.

TRACY TATE WILSON

1983 Springfield High School graduate
First golfer in Springfield history to win back-to-back high school state titles (1980-81) Earned all-state honors a third time while placing fifth at state in 1982
First of three all-staters in Springfield High history
73 amateur and junior golf titles
Played basketball for SHS, and ran track for Illini Capital Striders alongside brother Perry Received golf scholarship to University of South Florida
Transferred to play golf at Oklahoma State University
Won first of her seven Women’s City Golf Tournament titles as 14-year-old in 1980 Played in first LPGA event as 14-year-old
PGA teaching professional and golf operations manager at Walt Disney World First female to go through PGA of America program at Disney and receive Class A professional status while at Walt Disney World
Callaway Golf interactive golf Director for Pebble Beach, Las Vegas, Orlando facilities, as sales manager for Callaway helped launch the sales and team for the Callaway Golf Ball Vice President PGA tour apparel
Gear for Sports and Under Armor Sales Manager and Director of National Accounts Now with Ahead for 18 years as National sales manager for Resort and Tournament/ Event divisions overseeing USGA, R&A, PGA of America, PGA Tour events and all Resort accounts Married, one son 16 years old RJ, baseball and football player, resides in Park City, Utah

FRIENDS OF SPORT

MIKE CHAMNESS

State Journal-Register sports editor 1986-91
Created State Journal-Register Baseball Classic
Part of group that established Springfield Sports Hall of Fame in 1990
Inducted into Murphysboro High School Hall of Fame in 2019
Named to Murphysboro Academy of Distinguished Alumni 2022
Chairman Illinois Terrorism Task Force 1999-2020

LARRY CHANEY

Coach, teacher and administrator in District 186 for 33 years
16 seasons as head baseball coach at Southeast High School 8 years as athletic director at Southeast
Played major role in formation of Central State Eight Conference
Named Class AA Outstanding Athletic Director in 2001
Inducted into the Illinois Athletic Directors Association Hall of Fame in 2006

CRESS MADDOX AND JOHN RAYNOLDS

Pioneers in Title IX effort in District 186
Instrumental in getting girls soccer added as part of District 186 athletics
Worked tirelessly in securing Lee Field as a home field for District 186 soccer
Raised money for lights and construction of Lee Field