2024 GHS Athletic Hall Of Fame - Class Of 2024

Chris Ford

Chris Ford was a key figure in GHS athletics for three years. While he helped the 1977 Maple Leaf basketball team win the first Regional Championship in the history of the school, it was the on gridiron where he excelled for three years. A two-time All-NCIC selection, he gained All-State honors as a senior. He was a three-year starter on teams that were 39-1, and collected three consecutive State Championships. He followed his high school career with four years at Augustana College, again with All-Conference honors and an All-Amereican selection as a senior. Chris has continued to share his talents as a coach at Christian Hope Academy and has served on the National Fellowship of Christian Athletes Football Board.

Lori (Hofer) Boldt

Lori (Hofer) Boldt was a three-peat standout at GHS for four years and added track as a fourth effort as well. In volleyball, she was All-Conference for two years and was chosen as MVP her senior year. During her three year varsity softball tenure, she again gained All-Conference honors after her senior year. On the basketball court she was a four year varsity performer, again earning All-Conference honors twice. After her senior year, Lori was chosen as the GHS Female Athlete Of The Year. After GHS, Lori entered the University of Illinois where she participated in volleyball and basketball.

Autumn (Bassett) Heap

Autumn (Bassett) Heap began her interest in golf at an early age, crediting her initial interest to her family outings at the Geneseo Country Club, beginning in 7th grade. Autumn played softball at GHS, but her focus continued to be golf. She played during summers at the Club and credits Julie (VerHeecke) Frels with helping her, especially with her short game. While in high school, she continued to play in summer tournaments, became a four year varsity letter winner and was the first GHS female golfer to excel in the postseason. She won the IHSA Regional, carding a 77, establishing a school record. Autumn led her team to the State Tournament, the very first GHS Golf team, boys or girls, to do so. That team finished 4th in the State, with Autumn placing 7th individually. After GHS, Autumn took her game to the collegiate level, playing at Illinois State University

Todd Akers

Todd Akers was a three sport athlete at GHS, winning All-Conference honors in both football and basketball where he was also named to the Quad-City and Kewanee Hog Fest All-Star teams. However, his highest honors were on the track where he ran the hurdles, and in the field, where he triple jumped, long jumped and high jumped, and was a four year letter winner. He was the NCIC High Jump Champ and qualified for the State Finals twice. Todd’s GHS record of 6’11” still stands after more than three decades. He received a track scholarship to the University of Illinois where he placed 6th in the Big Ten Outdoor Meet and also began competing in the javelin and the decathlon. After the U of I, he has become a National Registered Paramedic and is a certified search and rescue diver.

Marc Motzer

Marc Motzer was a three sport standout at GHS beginning in wrestling his freshman year when he was a NCIC Conference Champion, on his way to becoming a four year varsity performer. On the football field, he was a two year starter at quarterback, passed for 1,000 yards, was twice an All-NCIC selection, and was named to the Quad-City All-Star team and played a key role on the 1990 IHSA Football State Runner-up squad. Marc was a starter on the GHS Baseball team for three years, again earning NCIC honors and was named the Quad-City outstanding defensive player of the year. He topped off his GHS days by being awarded the John McCormick award as the outstanding Male Athlete of the Year. After GHS, Marc went to Kirkland College where he was a two-year starter and helped lead them to the JUCO World Series. He followed Kirkwood with a stint at Iowa State as a two year starter. After his collegiate days, Marc played with multiple professional teams and was invited to camp with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Allison (Farrell) Cooney

Allison (Farrell) Cooney began a career on the golf course as a GHS freshman that would distinguish her in high school and later at Western Illinois University. At GHS, she was named to the All-Metro golf team four years running, and was All-Conference as a junior and a senior, was named MVP for three years, and was chosen as area Pacesetter. Allison was regional champion her senior year, carding a 78 for the win. Allison's finish at the Sectional meet her senior year qualified her for State. After her GHS days, Allison continued her golf career at Western Illinois University with significant accomplishments on the links consistently for four years accompanied by Summit League All-Academic honors and was named a Distinguished Scholar. During the summer of 2024, Allison teamed with her dad to win the Father/Daughter Invitational Tournament in Kerry, Ireland.

Don Fredericks

Over more than three decades, Don Fredericks established a career resume at GHS that goes far beyond the overwhelming number of successes that his teams rang up. The numbers alone reflect only a small portion of his contribution to our school and community. Don's focus has always been on the student, not what he or she accomplished on the track or in the field, but their personal growth as a person, how they treat themselves and others with the dignity they deserve. While Don's athletes' accomplishments read like a litany of excellence, those who have had the privilege of his influence, from his very early days at GHS until the present, remember and speak of his conduct towards everyone, regardless of athletic success. Don Fredericks set the highest standard of character possible.

2007-2008 Maple Leafs Basketball Team

The 2007-2008 Maple Leafs Basketball team, coached by GHS grad Brad Storm was a senior dominated squad that was ranked all year in the State top 20 and topped their season with 20 wins. They began the season by winning a championship of their own Thanksgiving Tourney and finished it off with a trip to the Sweet 16. In the interim, they played to a second place finish in the rugged NCIC Conference, won two games at the prestigious Pekin Holiday Tournament, and reached the Championship game in the Iowa/Illinois Shootout, falling in triple overtime to the top team from Iowa. In the postseason, the Maple Leafs were Regional Champions and qualified for the Sectional finals, placing them in the Sweet 16 for only the second time in Maple Leafs Basketball history.

113 State Mat Champs First Won at Geneseo!

By Keith Brake
Geneseo Current

Geneseo attracts, expects and demands quality.

That's a statement. Can it be measured?

How about this: The number 113.

No, not the number of inches of snow in the ditches by the end of this weekend.

That is the number of Geneseo Wrestling Invitational individual champions who have gone on to win state championships.

Wow, no wonder Geneseo Athletic Director Joe Nichols – and others – have called it one of the premier high school wrestling tournaments in the United States.

Coaches love it too, for its competition and its execution of tournament details by Geneseo officials, who have been doing it for a long, long time.

The weather willing, they'll do the 48th annual Geneseo Invitational on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 12 and 13.

This event was started in 1977, the fruit of an idea by Geneseo hall of fame wrestling coach Larry Kanke, who wanted to bring together the best from two states – Illinois and Iowa – which happen to be two of the more reputable wrestling states in the country.

It was called the Bi-State Invitational at first, and it took a few years to gain traction in the wrestling community. But gain it did. National powers like Chicago Mt. Carmel and Joliet Catholic have been here – Joliet Catholic is scheduled again this year.

Iowa powers joined the fray, and for a while, some of the best in both states battled to uphold their state's reputation.

That came to a halt when COVID-19 hit, canceling the tourney that year – and the Iowa teams haven't been back since.

Kanke coached 32 years at Geneseo and four at Rock Island. He came wanting to make the Maple Leafs competitive with Quad-City schools. He knew to do that, he had to fill all the weight classes.

That mission was accomplished. He coached 66 state meet qualifiers and 12 state place winners in Geneseo, and later an individual state champ in his fourth and final season at Rock Island.

Jon Murray was on Kanke's staff for eight years and now is in his 22nd season as the Leafs' head coach.

Kanke's teams won 393 dual meets during his tenure. Murray recently won his 350th.

Murray has also won the Maple Leaf Medallion, the district's highest honor, which recognizes the recipient's emphasis on teaching, learning, and caring.

Nichols said Murray likes this tournament for how well it prepares wrestlers for the coming conference tournament, and the state post-season series.

“There are no easy matches in our tournament,” Nichols said. “It's a dress rehearsal for state.”

In that regard, there's even some pageantry, including a grand march of finalists and a face off before the Saturday championship session.

The event starts promptly at 4 p.m. Friday, and they get a lot of wrestling in that night, going as late as 11 p.m.

They resume at 9:30 a.m. Saturday with semifinals and championship matches remaining. Teams usually are back on the road home by 2:30 p.m.

Last season, seven state champions and 37 state medalists competed in this meet. Of the state champs, two didn't win their weight class at the Geneseo Invite.

Tickets are $5 (cash) for each session, for school age and up.

Geneseo won this tourney in eight of its first 10 years. By then, word had gotten around about how good an event it was, and some nationally-ranked teams started coming in.

Former athletic director Travis Mackey did a lot of promoting of this event during this period, Nichols said.

The Leafs won in 1988, then not again until 2022.

Nichols said a team finish in the middle of the pack means you have a strong team. He said Murray thinks this Geneseo team can be in the top third, “which would be an accomplishment,” Nichols said.

Daniel Makarewicz put together a summary of this year's weight classes as part of a comprehensive program you can get at the tournament.

It lists multiple winners, including Geneseo's only four-time winner, Adam Sheley ('06-'09).

Here then are weights where Leafs could be in the hunt:

113 pounds – Junior Tim Sebastian is rated 9th in Class 2A and is one of five mentioned wrestlers at this weight.

138 – Leaf freshman Isaac Gaines is honorable mention in Class 2A and is one of seven strong candidates at this weight.

144 – Senior Josh Hock is a 2A honorable mention.

150 – Junior Zach Montez will try to become Geneseo's seventh two-time champ. He is ranked second in Class 2A. Montez is a two-time state medalist. IC Catholic's Patrick Mullen is ranked third in Class 2A.

165- Sophomore Kye Weinzeirl, a 2023 state qualifier, is ranked seventh at 157 pounds, but will compete at 165 in this event.

Dozens of volunteers make this showcase event possible. So grab a ticket, and go enjoy some quality!