The East Aurora High School 2020 Hall of Fame Induction ceremony will be Friday, Jan. 31. The reception will be from 4:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the East High cafeteria, 500 Tomcat Lane, Aurora. The induction ceremony will take place following the girls varsity game against Glenbard East
The East Aurora High School Hall of Fame members to be inducted include: Andy Toma, April Nelson, Chuck Mennecke, and Lou Hernandez.
• Lou Hernandez, Class of 1989.
An outstanding football and baseball player, he earned two varsity letters in football and was team captain in his senior year. He was selected honorable mention Upstate 8 all-conference. A highlight of his senior season was the comeback victory over West High which knocked them out of the playoffs. He ran for one touchdown and passed for three.
In baseball, he earned three varsity letters. In both his junior and senior years, He was team captain, Upstate 8 all-conference, and in his senior year was named to the all-area team. He was the number one pitcher for the Tomcats with 65 strikeouts in his junior year, and 75 strikeouts in his senior year. His ERA (Earned Run Average) was under 2.00 both seasons.
Lou was graduated from Aurora University in 1993 with a degree in accounting.
He is director of financial reporting and budgeting for the Eby-Brown Company. He is a member of Aurora Boys Baseball Hall of Fame and the treasurer of the Aurora East Education Foundation. He has been active in the Aurora community coaching boys baseball and travel league baseball and girls junior high basketball.
He is married to former Tomcat, Julie Klespitz, they have six children.
• Chuck Mennecke, Class of 1973.
Chuck, as a junior and senior, was a member of the varsity basketball and track teams at East High.
In basketball, as a junior, he was a member of the 1971-1972 team that was Upstate Eight Conference champion and finished third in the 1972 State Tournament. Then in 1972-1973, as a senior, Chuck had a break out season. In the 1972 East Aurora Holiday Tournament, he helped lead the Tomcats to the championship by scoring 51 points in the opening game against Palatine. He finished the tournament with 106 points, to tie the all-time tournament record and was selected as the Tournament MVP. He was a unanimous selection to the Upstate Eight All-Conference team.
On the Tomcat track team, Chuck was a sprinter, long jumper, and high jumper As a junior, he was a member of the 880 yard relay team that finished first in the Kane County and Upstate Eight Conference meets and set a school record. The relay team qualified for the 1972 State Track Meet.
As a senior, Chuck had an outstanding season. In the Kane County Meet, he won the 220 yard dash, anchored the winning 880 yard relay, and finished second in the high jump, and helped the Tomcat team to a first place finish.
The 880 yard relay team finished 1st at the Upstate Eight Conference Meet. He qualified for the 1973 state meet and set a school record of 22.4, and anchored the 880 yard relay to a first place finish. At the end of the season, he was named the team’s MVP.
After graduating from East High, Chuck attended Western Illinois University, where he was a member of the basketball team. He enlisted in the United States Navy. Chuck is retired after 35 years as a Process Engineer. He and his wife, Liz, have eight daughters and 14 grandchildren.
• Andy Toma, Class of 1985.
Andy was an outstanding track and field athlete. He transferred to East High from Oswego High School for his sophomore year and made an immediate impact by helping the Tomcats win the Upstate 8, Kane County, and IHSA sectional championships as a sophomore high jumper.
He earned three varsity letters in track and field and qualified for the State meet during his junior and senior years. During Andy’s junior year he was all-conference and Kane County champion. He went on to qualify for the IHSA State track meet in high jump.
As a senior in 1985 Andy continued his success by earning by All-Conference honors again, taking home first place in the 110 meter high hurdles and first in the 300 meter low hurdles. He duplicated this feat in the Kane County Meet. At the county meet he set a then meet record in the 300 meter low hurdles with a time of 37.6 seconds. At the Aurora City meet he was named MVP and won four events and set the meet record in the 300 meter low hurdles with a time of 38.02. During his senior year Andy set the school record in the high jump with 6-9.
He qualified for the State meet in the high jump and 4 x 400 meter relay making him one of the few athletes in East Aurora track history to qualify in four events for the State meet. At the State meet he brought home a fifth place medal in the 300 meter low hurdles.
After high school Andy attended Nebraska University and earning a degree in food science. Andy owns and operates Toma Foods in Leland. He has four children.
• April Nelson, East High Class of 1993.
April Nelson attended Oak Park Elementary, Waldo Middle School, and was graduated from East Aurora High School in 1993.
During her four years, April was a three-sport athlete, excelling in cross country, basketball, and track and field.
As a senior in cross country, April was named the team’s Most Valuable runner. She placed first at the City cross country meet and helped her teammates capture the first place trophy. In basketball she was a three-year varsity starter and was selected to Upstate 8 honorable mention all-conference team as a senior.
However, it was in Track and Field where April really stood out. During her four years as a track and field athlete April had many accomplishments and holds two school records. As a freshman, April and her teammates captured the team championship at the Upstate 8 Conference indoor meet. Outdoors, in both the Kane County and Upstate 8 Conference meets, April was a member of the first place 1600-meter relay team. In the IHSA Sectionals, April and her teammates qualified to compete in the IHSA Track Meet in the 800-medley relay.
As a sophomore, she took first place in the 400-meters, 800 meters and 1600-meter relay at the Kane County Meet. April’s performance in the 800-meter run set a meet and school record with a time of 2:23:8. Due to her outstanding performance, she was named the most valuable runner and was named Chicago Tribune’s Female Athlete of the Week.
To finish her sophomore season she qualified for the IHSA State Meet in the 400-meters and 800-medley relay.
During her junior year, she took first place in the 800-meter run at the Upstate 8 Conference meet to break her school record with a time of 2:23.0.
As a senior, April was named co-captain of the track and field team. At the Kane County Meet, she and her teammates placed first in the 800-medley and 1600-meter relays. In the Upstate 8 Conference meet, She was a member of the winning 400 meter and 1600-meter relays. The 1600-meter relay team set a school record with a time of 4:08.5 which still stands. At the IHSA Sectional meet, April and her teammates qualified for the IHSA State meet by winning the 400-meter relay and 800-medley relay. April’s 800 medley relay team capped her senior year by earning a third place medal at the IHSA State meet.
April was extremely valuable in helping the 1992 and 1993 teams win consecutive Upstate 8 Conference championships and three consecutive Kane County Team championships, 1991-1993. April finished her athletic career at East High by being named the 1993 Female Athlete of the Year.
After graduating from East Aurora High School, April attended Robert Morris University where she received a bachelor’s in business in 2002. She attended Aurora University and received a masters of business in 2006. She has worked at Honeywell for the past 16 years as a global strategic sourcing manager. She and her husband, Mark Niemeyer, live in San Diego, Calif., with their three sons.
—East Aurora High School