Three former athletes and a coach were inducted into East Aurora High School’s Athletic Hall of Fame Friday, Jan. 16.
Inductees were Frank Schuster, Aurora, Class of 1970, baseball pitcher; Tim Young, Colorado Springs, CO, Class of 2015, wrestler; Abraham Kanneh, Milwaukee, Class of 2013, soccer; and Calvin “Cal” Tyson, Louisiana, coach.
East Aurora Sports Boosters and athletic department sponsored the ceremony. After a reception, the ceremony took place at halftime of the East-Larkin boys’ varsity game. Presenters were Frankie Zepeda, Booster president; Saul Olivas, vice president, District 131 school board; Noel De La Mar, East athletic director; Jennifer Mitchell, principal; and Robert Halverson, Ph.D., superintendent.
Tyson, a former Auroran now residing in Louisiana, received a Friend of Program plaque for 27 years of service as a teacher, coach, mentor and community leader. Tyson coached baseball, football, boys’ basketball and girls’ basketball. For more than 25 years,he served as lead instructor for the First Tee program which helps underserved youth develop both golf and life skills.
At East, Schuster was an Upstate Eight all-conference and all-area pitcher. Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 1970, he spent five seasons with the Twins’ AAA Tacoma, WA team, before retiring in 1975 due to injury. He compiled a 27-30 record and 3.54 ERA.
Kanneh, a four-year varsity letter winner in soccer, was a three-time Upstate Eight all-conference player. Named team MVP his junior and senior seasons, he was selected to the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association all-state team and earned honorable mention on the High School All-American team. After East, Kanneh was a four-year varsity player at University of Wisconsin-Parkside (2013-2017) and played professionally for the National Premier Soccer League, Milwaukee Torrent and United Premier Soccer League Brew City Legends and Bavs Bavarian.
Founded in 1991 by East Aurora Sports Boosters, the Tomcat athletic hall of fame has inducted more than 175 former athletes, coaches and friends of the program.
—Al Benson