Waubonsee Community College held its Annual Athletic Banquet and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony May 22. Highlighting the event was the formal enshrinement of the 1970-1971 men’s basketball team into the college’s Athletics Hall of Fame, along with the induction of record-setting Women’s Basketball player Julianna Wadsworth. In addition, Waubonsee student-athletes from the 2024-2025 school year were recognized during the evening for their accomplishments. Softball player Alyssa Perkins was honored as the Sophomore Female Athlete of the Year, with basketball player Christian Meeks being named the Sophomore Male Athlete of the Year. Two-sport athlete Josie Rader was chosen the Freshman Female Athlete of the Year, while cross country runner David Valkanov was selected the Freshman Male Athlete of the Year. Volleyball player Joselyn Roche was named the Vermillion and Gold Award winner, and softball player Morgan Iwanski was the S.T.A.R. Award recipient.
•The 1970-1971 men’s basketball team, guided by Hall of Fame coach Ray Lumpp, captured the college’s first ever Skyway Conference Championship and laid the foundation for Waubonsee’s decades-long winning basketball tradition. Despite the turmoil of eight members of the team serving in the Vietnam War either before, during or after the season, the Chiefs put together a 10-game winning streak and finished 9-1 in conference play to win the title. Led by All-American performer Phil Neal, the Chiefs scored over 90 points in 11 games and exceeded triple digits four times with games of 110, 112, 113, and 114 points, well before there was a three-point line.
•Wadsworth holds Waubonsee career records for scoring with 1,211 points and steals with 241, along with program marks for free throws and field goals made. The Oswego East High School graduate is the only two-time NJCAA All-American in Chiefs’ program history, and was also a two-time All-Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) First Team and All-Region First Team selection. The 5’9″ forward was named the Region 4 Tournament Most Valuable Player in leading the Chiefs to the Region title and the program’s first ever berth in the National Tournament as a freshman. Wadsworth then set a national tournament record with 16 made free throws in a game as the unranked Chiefs finished 11th nationally.
•Perkins was named Female Athlete of the Year for the second year in a row. The Aurora West High School graduate batted a robust .446 on the season with 19 home runs and a team-leading 59 runs batted in, compiling a .892 slugging percentage.
•Meeks, a sophomore from Homewood-Flossmoor High School, was chosen the ISCC and Region 4 Player of the Year after helping lead the Chiefs to a share of the ISCC title and a 28-4 record overall.
•A freshman from Somonauk High School, Rader earned All-ISCC Second Team honors for the Chiefs’ soccer team. The defender registered seven shutouts and allowed just 19 goals all season en route to finishing 10-7 overall.
•A Kaneland High School alumnus, Valkanov ran away from most of the competition all Fall on the way to earning ISCC and Region 4 Runner of the Year honors.
•Roche, a sophomore from Batavia, was given the Vermilion and Gold Award which is given annually to the Waubonsee student-athlete who best exemplifies the true ‘heart and soul’ of Chiefs’ athletics.
•A Kaneland High School product, Iwankski was the S.T.A.R. Award winner which goes to the student-athlete that displays a good work ethic, dedication to academics and achieved perfect attendance.
— Waubonsee Community College