. . . stats and drafts
stats and drafts. • .stats The ideal player I n a season of peaks and valleys for Eastern's softball team. one player perfonned consistently well for the Panthers. Second baseman-pitcher Sara Karcher finished the regular season for the Gateway Conference Champion Panthers as the leader in every offensive category. She finished with a .328 batting average. She drove in 14 RBI's, and added team high 12 doubles and five triples to the cause. The key to Karcher's success, according to coach Janet Marquis, was a lot of hard work. "She has always been a solid player, but she really dedicated herself to making it an outstanding season," Marquis said. " Any time she goes up there she has a chance to get on because she makes the other team play the ball. Sara is the ideal player, " Marquis said. " She gives llO percent everyday and never complains. by Mike Fitzgerald
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stats and drafts Softball 7 E astern's softball team. despite a shaky start at the beginning of the season, managed to accomplish its goal of winning the Gateway Conference regular season title for the second year in a row. The Panthers finished the season 25- 19-1 overall and 13-5 in the league. Three Panthers, juniors Zam Mogill, Sara Karcher. and Angel Lendvay were named to the all-conference team. It was the third straight time for Lendvay, the second time for Mogill and the first time for Karcher. Karcher was the cog that turned the offensive wheel for Eastern in 1987. She led the team with a .324 batting average. 46 hits, 142 at-bats, 25 runs scored. 14 RBf's, 13 doubles, 5 triples and 13 bases on balls. Karcher finished the season with a 6- 6 record on the mound. She posted a 1.20 earned run average while hurling two shutouts. Mogill finished the season with a 19- 13 record with a 0.86 E.R.A.. She struck out 170 and upped her schoolrecord total to 525. Lendvay hit .268 with 33 hits and 13 runs batted in. The Panthers faced a mustwin situation in their last four games of the regular season against Wichita State and Southwest Missouri State in order to take the title. Eastern came through by defeating the Shockers 7-0 and 1-0 and the Bears 3- 1 and 4-2. The Panthers did not fare as well in the conference tournament in which they drew the top seed. Northern Iowa fell to Eastern 2- 1 in the opener, but Southwest Missouri took the Panthers to nine innings and won 1- 0. Southern Illinois then eliminated the Panthers with a 3-2 victory in I 0 innings. Eastern coach Janet Marquis had high hopes coming into this season. and with good reason as the Panthers had all but two starters returning from a team that was 30-15-1 in 1986. "We want to repeat as the dominating team in the Gateway, and we want to win both the regular season conference title and the postseason conference tournament title, " Marquis said. "Our main goal is to make the NCAA Tournament. and to do that we must be ranked as one of the top three teams in the Midwest region." The Panthers scheduled No. 7 Northwestern. No. 14 Indiana and played No. 17 Illinois State in order to beef up their schedule and attract attention from the selection committee. Indiana dumped the Panthers in a double-header by scores of 7 -I and 3- 1. Eastern was able to gain a split with the Wildcats though, losing the opener 1- 0 while winning the nightcap 2-1. It was the double-header loss to Illinois State at Lantz Field that probably squelched any hopes of the Panthers of reaching the NCAA Tournament. lllinois State won the opener 4-0. and then beat the Panthers in game two 2- 0, when the Redbirds scored two runs in the sixth inning. Still, Eastern sparkled in the Northern Tllinois Tournament. The Panthers won the tourney by a run differential rule. beating out Ball State and Northern Illinois. which like Eastern. posted 3-1 records. Mogill fired a no-hitter and struck out 13 in the second game of the tournament against Wisconsin-Green Bay. Although the Panthers did not reach the NCAA Tournament, they still accomplished the goal of a conference title. And that is nothing to shrug at. by Mike Fitzgerald 153
Above: Eastern Freshman Ken Blazek strides to the next hurdle in the 100 yard high hurdles. Right: Eastern's Eric Childs breaks the tape during the 100 yard dash. 154
Men's Track '87 S uccess was the story for the 1987 men's track and field team as they took the AMCU-8 conference by storm winning bothe the indoor and outdoor league titles. The tracksters swept through the indoor season with junior Jim Maton leading the way. Maton began his dominance at the Illinois Invitational in January when he won the 1.000-yard run in the time of 2:08.6 and qualified for the NCAA Lndoor National Championships. The Shelbyville native also led the two-mile relay team, which included senior brother Phil Maton, sophomore AI Oaks and freshman Steve Conlon to a school record 7:36.26 time, beating the old record by more than three seconds. Above: Eastern Senior Darren Barber hurls the discus during the discus competition. 155
Sophomore Fred Neal won the 500-yard run while fellow sophomore Ian Isaacs broke the tape in the 440-yard dash. From the AMCU Indoor Championships, Maton made his way to Oklahoma City, Ok., for the NCAA Indoor meet. There, the junior finished second in kthe 1.000-meter final to Louisiana State's Robin Van Heiden, who recorded a time of 2:20.5 1. Maton came across the line in 2:20.82. With his second place finish, M aton became the first Eastern track and field All-American since sprinter Claude M agee accomplished the feat in 1981. Maton's clocking also put him only 2.82 seconds shy of the world record set by the Soviet Union's Igor Lotoyev in 1986. The Shelbyville native continued his success a month later at the Drake Relays in DesMoines. Ia. Maton did not waste any time as he qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Nationals in Baton Rouge, La. six weeks prior to the meet in the 800-meter run in the time of I :47.9. The Panthers' also accomplished another school record when the sprint medley team of junior Darnell Thompson, Ian Isaacs, Scot Adamson and Maton finished the I ,200-meter race in the time of 3:20.62 at Drake, breaking the old varsity record by more than three seconds. While in the same weekend at the Parkland Invitational at Parkland Junior College in Champaign, Eastern athletes captured three first places, six seconds and eitht third places honors in a warmup for the A MCU-8 Outdoor Championships at Western Illinois in Macomb. Senior Jay Flaall waon the hammer throw waith a toss of 171-3, while fellow senior Dan M atas won the shot plut (55-11) and sophomore Derrick Lee took the long jump (24-31/2). In Macomb, the Panther tracksters rolled to successive indoor and outdoor titles with a 123-90 thrashing of the host and second place Leathernecks. Maton led the Panthers waith double victories in the 800- and I ,500-meter races. Maton's 800-meter time of I :49.01 set a new AMCU-8 record. Eastern recorded six first place awards, eight seconds and II thirds.
Women's Track '87 Isaacs placed first in both the 200-and 400-meter dashes, sophomore Robert Flot took home a league title in the I I 0- meter high hurdles (14.90) and the 440-yard relay squad of Thompson, Isaacs, freshman Eric Childs and sophomore Rod Ferguson won a conference crown with a leagur record of 40.72. For the second time in the same season, Moore was named Coach of the Year. The next action forMaton came on JuneS, one monthe after the spring semester commenced, at the NCAA Outdoors. The Eastern junior then became the highest placing Panther ever in an NCAA outdoor competition. Maton finished the 800-meter run in third place with a clocking of I :46.9. First place went to Seton Hall University's Tracy Baskin (whom Maton defeated in the indoor I ,000-meters) in the time
Maton was named the indoor conference Athlete of the Year while twelfth-year Panther coach Neil Moore took home the AMCU's Coach of the Year trophy. Maton led Eastern to victories in the I ,000-yard and mile runs and the two-mile relay. Phil took second in the I ,000 and mile. Sophomore Fred Neal won the 500-yard run while fellow sophomore Ian Isaacs broke the tape in the 440-yard dash. From the AMCU Indoor Championships, Maton made his way to Oklahoma City, Ok., for the NCAA Indoor meet. There, the junior finished second in kthe 1,000-meter final to Louisiana State's Robin Van Heiden, who recorded a time of 2:20.51. Maton came across the line in 2:20.82. With his second place finish, Maton became the first Eastern track and field All-American since sprinter Claude Magee accomplished the feat in 1981 . Maton's clocking also put him only 2.82 seconds shy of the world record set by the Soviet Union's Igor Lotoyev in 1986. Maton did not waste any time as he qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Nationals in Baton Rouge, La. six weeks prior to the meet in the 800-meter run in the time of I :47.9. of I :46.58, while second place went to Penn State's Ray LeVitre (I :46.83). Maton's time at the outdoor meet qualified him for The Athletics Congress (TAC) USA/Mobil Championships on June 25 in San Jose. Cal., where the Shelbyville High School graduate ran a personal best of I :47.16 for a seventh place finish among two of the world's top 10 800-meter competitors. In a three week stretch in July and August, Maton competed in two meets with a United States touring team in Birmingham, England and Belfast. Northern Ireland, where he was the top American finisher in the 800 behind European champions Steve Cram and Peter Elliot. In between the European races. Maton made time for a stop at the U.S. Olympic Festival in Raliegh. N.C., for a second place finish ( I :47 .16) behind the eighth-rated 800-meter man in the world, Stanley Redwine of Santa Monica, Cal. Maton's performance on the international circuit has also led to talk of a berth on the U.S. Olympic team that will compete in Seoul, Korea in 1988. by Barry Bottino
Above: Freshman Dean Grunewald ta.kes a swing during practice. Sixty percent of the squad is freshman. Left: Danielle Boudreau sprints across the finish line. Golf '87 Wth 60 percent of the squad consisting of players with no college experience, competing at the NCAA Division l level was a formidable challenge for Eastern's golf team when its fall season began. Prior to the Panthers' first tournament, Eastern's Invitational on Sept. 8, Coach Paul Lueken knew what would have to occur if Eastern was going to be competitive in the fall. "The biggest factor this season is how well the freshmen adapt to college golf," Lueken said. Unfonunately, the Panthers were not able to win any tournaments on their fall schedule. This does not mean the season was not a success in Lueken's eyes, however. "We'll have everyone back for the spring season and also both seasons next year," the third-year coach said. "There are also freshmen on this club who had exceptional stans to their college careers." Two rookies Lueken cited in this group were John Varner and Scott Dessing. Varner, a Frankfon native who played high school golf at Lincolnway High School, turned in his best fall score at Eastern's tournament, an 18-hole total of 77. Dessig, playing on Lemont's dangerous Cog Hill course for the first time on Oct. 5-6, performed at the AMCU-8 championships like a seasoned veteran. The Hoffman Estates graduate from Schaumburg turned in a 54-hole total of 241 at the conference tournament, just five strokes off the pace set by the tourney's first-place medalist. In addition, the Panthers' best individual placing of the year was recorded by a freshman. Alan Burkel, a high school teammate of Varner at Lincolnway, shot a 76 at the Valparaiso Invitational to take second place among all tourney panicipants. Co-captains Todd Bittle and Jeff Schafer, both juniors, were expected to lead Eastern in the fall, but the duo was plagued by the problem Lueken often mentioned during the campaign. "Mental mistakes hun us, " Lueken said. "We lacked consistency throughout the season." Lueken usually sent five players from hisiO-man roster to compete at tournaments, with the top four scores contributing to the team total. Eastern's best team placings of the fall season were fifth at the AMCU-8 tournament and Valparaiso Invitational, and sixth at the Southern Indiana-Evansville tournament. At the season's conclusion, Lueken reviewed the season with an eye on the future, realizing the experience his young squad had obtained from the fall schedule's seven tournaments. "We had a great fall season," he said. "Especially when you look down our roster and see only one or two players who really had any previous tournament experience." by David Lindquist
Kevin Seitzer He's the silent type, yet he caught the nation's eye. Yes, Kevin Seitzer, better known as the boy next door, has arrived. Seitzer, who starred at Eastern for three seasons ( 1981-83), let his bat do most of the taJ.kjng in the 1987 major league baseball season. When the smoke cleared from his sizzling bat, Seitzer had burned his mark permanently into the American League record books. Seitzer, the soft-spoken 25 year-old from Lincoln, IL.. probably won't be the first to tell you of his accomplishments. but let the record speak for itself: a .323 batting average, good for sixth in the league; 207 hits, which tied him with Minnesota's Kirby Puckett for the A.L. title; 33 doubles; eight triples, fourth in the league; 15 home runs; 83 runs-batted-in: 105 runs scored, ninth in the league; 80 bases on balls; and 12 stolen bases. Seitzer rewrote the Kansas City Royals' rookie records for hits, average. runs and on-base percentage. In addition, Seitzer became the first rookie in 23 years to reach the 200-hit plateau, and enjoyed a 6-for-6 performance Aug. 2 against the Boston Red Sox. But. sheer numbers aren't the only thing that sets Kevin Seitzer off as a breed apart. Here's what some of the people around baseball had to say about Seitzer's magical mystery tour of a rookie season: Marty Pattin, former Eastern pitcher who played 13 major league seasons: "I had the opportunity to see Kevin when I was working out with Eastern. I threw batting practice to him. I felt then that he had the potential to hit big league pitching. He's the kind of kid that works at it. He'd come out at II or 12 at night and hit for two or three hours straight." Tom McDevitt. Eastern coach: "Kevin Seitzer has a long history of hitting. He has hit everywhere he has played. I'm not surprised he's where he is today." BiUy Gardner, former Kansas City manager: "He's meant a lot to this ballclub this year, especially when George Brett went down with an injury to start off the season. We put Seitzer at third ba e and he's played great there, so we left him at third. Kevin is a gamer, a hustler; I like his makeup. Seitzer is very capable of hining over .300 in the big leagues, and someday he might be capable of winning a baning title." Fred White. Eastern alumnus and Royals' TV announcer: "As the years go by, he's going to be one of the most popular players in Royals' history. You watch him play and you fall in love with him." Lou Piniella. 1969 American League Rookie of the Year with Kansas City and presently New York Yankees general manager: "He'll be around a long time. He's got the star qualities. He doesn't have any weaknesses up at home plate. There's no way to get him out." Dennis Dodd, Kansas City Star and Times baseball writer: "ln a summer marked by Dick Howser's death and Bo Jackson's hobby, Kevin Seitzer has quietly established himself. His bat has been a consistent chisel against the club's no-hit tradition." George Brett, two-time baning champion to whom Seitzer has often been compared: "He reminds me of me when I was 21. He's got that danger. that flair in his eye." That's pretty high praise for a man that would undoubtedly have been Rookie of the Year if it weren't for Mark McGwire's 49 home runs, and who came within a few feet of winning the AllStar Game with a homer of his own. So Seitzer must be walking around with his head in the clouds right? Wrong! "Sure it's been a heck of a year." Seitzer said. "It's the kind of thing you dream of. I'm just so happy to be in the big leagues. It's something I've worked hard for; but, it's something you keep having to work hard to keep." So just who is Kevin Seitzer? Well, TV commentator Roy Firestone may have hit it right on the head when he called Seitzer "Richie Cunningham." He's concerned with the simple things in life such as his wife. Lisa, and his two-year-old son Brandon. In shon, Seitzer is the humble. blue-collar type that faces the daily challenge with a smile on his lips and a blazing fire in his heart. Who knows. maybe Kevin Scitzer will rum up in a Bruce Springsteen song someday. And, like ~he B.oss, ~e'll proba?ly be hearing a whole lot more from Kevm Se1tzer m the commg years. The only difference is that it won't be his voice making the noise; it will be his bat. by Dan Verdun
Charleston Oct. 26 from and come up with the silver medal as was healing from a spiking incident that Havana, Cuba, where he had well." occurred in an Eastern practice prior to played for two Marquess initially took the squad of the (!ip. wee th the U.S. Intercontinental 20 American college players to "It was a week before I could swing Cup Baseball team. Santiago, Cuba, for the first phase of without pain," Royer said. "The hardest After playing a 13-game schedule competition which consisted of round- part was feeling comfortable at the plate against teams from nine other countries, robin play with half of the tournament's and regaining my timing." the United States squad captured second field. The 6-2, 195-pound Royer hit .133 place in the round-robin tournament. This proved to be a period of in Cuba, a statistic considerably less History repeated itself at the adjustment for the Americans as they than one would expect from a player Intercontinental Cup when the host became familiar with each other's style who has a .307 collegiate batting Cuban team placed first to the United of play. average and hit .350 in the highly States' silver medal performance, just as Although the United States could respected Alaskan baseball League this the two teams had done in Indianapolis win only four of its eight games in summer. at the Pan American Games. Santiago, a .500 record was enough to However, Royer did collect one of "The Pan Am team played together propel the team to the second round of only six hits yielded by Cuban pitcher all summer," Royer said from his play along with Cuba, Japan, Canada Jorge Valdez in a second-round game that Charleston home Oct. 26. "Coach and China-Taipei. eventuaJJy decided the tournament's (Mark) Marquess (of defending Division Royer, an economics major, champion Oct. 23. I champion Stanford) thought it was was also adjusting during the United States and Cuba were the only undefeated teams in the tourney at 3-0. However, Valdez tossed a shutout and the powerful Cuban offense hit three home runs en route to a 5-0 Cuban victory. The USA Cable Network carried the game from Havana's Estadio Latinoamericano, which held a capacity crowd of 50,000 Oct. 23. But Royer, who started at first base, did not find the crowd intimidating. "The butterflies left after the first inning," Royer said. "And it wasn't as loud as you would expect." Unlike the Cuban Pan Am team, which was demonstrated against by picketers in Indianapolis, the American players found the Cuban fans to be personable. "They liked the way we played," Royer said. "We took the role of underdogs after the first round and we also exchanged gifts with the fans." Competing and training for 12 months a year until they reach their mid30s, most Cuban players are treated like national heroes in their home land. "It's hard to compete against a team that's played together for one or two years," Royer said. "Their pitchers also have experience where they are to the point of having United States major-
Freshman Talent When I think of Kansas, a picture of a huge dust bowl is the only thing to come to mind. Obviously this is not true fo:- Eastem Soccer Coach Cizo Mosnia. Two of his prime recruits and starting freshmen came from Wichita Northwest high school in Wichita, Kansas. As an avid soccer player around the midwest for most of my life, I can definitely say Wichita is not a soccer landmark around the U.S. or even Midwest for that matter. But, Mo nia has discovered these two bright spots, and may very well tum out to be two of the smartest recruiting decisions he has made at Eastern. To put an end to your suspense, I am talking about Lebaron Holliman and Eric Proffit. These two players chose Eastern in similar ways. The summer before their senior year, both attended highly touted SMV soccer camp in Texas. Mosnia was at the camp and noticed the talent in these two players. Mosnia also told them to apply at Eastern. From there, they both visited campus and liked what they saw. Holliman and Proffit are having a great start to what looks to be a very promising four -year career at Eastern. Their long range goals are to continue with soccer after college, but graduating is their main concern. "I would like to play pro soccer," Proffit said, " but getting my degree is more important to me right now." Both are majoring in athletic related fields; Holliman in athletic training and Proffit in physical education. by Brian Churchey 162
Opposite left: Freshman Lebaron Holiman attempts to steal the baJI from an opponent. Holiman is from Wichita, Kansas. Left: Another freshman sensation, Eric Proffit goes in for the score. Below left: Eric Proffit (#19) steals the ball away. Proffit, like Holiman, is from Wichita, Kansas. Below right: Holiman (#6) dribbles the ball away from an ISU opponent.
Upper left: Bill Trager (#7) defends his position against two IDinois Chicago players. Above: Brian Henn (#11} goes for the score in a game versus DePaul. Right: David Kompare uses his head against Wright State players. 104
Soccer '87 T he 1986 Eastern lllinois soccer season was one which the players. coaches and fans would like to forget. Problems, both on and off the field, plagued the team, leading to a 6-8-2 finish. So, when the team assembled in August for pre-season training in Colorado, Coach Cizo Mosnia was hoping for a turnaround. What he got was a team that finished U-5-3, including an eight game unbeaten string and a near berth in the NCAA Soccer Championship. The team had only two seniors; goalie Mark Simpson and defender John Glendenning. "John (Glendenning) played with more confidence all year, and really began to shine. (Mark) Simpson had four good years for us, and finished with a flourish," Mosnia said. "The players looked forward to getting a big sho4" Mosnia said, "and they made the most of it when the chance came." Even more important was the togetherness that marked the year. "There was so much mutual respect for each other," Mosnia said, "and that's what made the season so enjoyable. "Everybody gave 100 percent all year," Mosnia said, "and that's all you can ask of them." The official start of the season came Sept. 2, when the team pounded DePaul 15-I , tying a school record for most goals in a match. Following that, the team struggled to gain a 2-2 tie with Xavier. The booters then went to Wisconsin for a weekend and split a pair of matches. The Panthers lost to Wisconsin 4-2, but beat Wisconsin-Milwaukee 1-0 to set up their first showdown of the year. It came at home on Sept 16, when they took AMCU rival Cleveland State. In a tremendous effort, the Panthers knocked off the defending AMCU champions 3-1. However, the team lost to Illinois State I -0, then struggled against Valparaiso, managing to get a 1-1 draw. But the booters then came up with a tremendous effort and upset then top-ranked Quincy College 2-1. When the Governor's Cup tournament came around, the booters had high hopes of regaining the trophy, but a 2-1 overtime loss dashed those hopes. They bounced back with a 1- 0 win over Northern Illinois in the third place game, but the record stood at 5-3-2 at the midpoint. The team then beat Southern Indiana 8-0, Northwestern 1-l, Wright State 2-1 and Evansville 1-0 win. Sandwiched in between was a thrilling win over Western lllinois that gave the team the AMCU title for the third time in five years. The final match saw them drop a 2-1 decision to Miami (Ohio) to give the team a ll-5-3 season record. By Brent Feeney 165
Kurt • 1m on Musical chairs on the field E Eastern coach Bob Spoo played his own version of musical chairs during fall practice when the first year coach moved junior Kurt Simon to quarterback. The switch also moved fifth-year senior Pat Carroll, who began spring practice as the No. I Panther quarterback, to a starting wide receiver position. I don't think it was expected at all," said Carroll, who threw only 21 passes, completing 12 during the '86 season. Carroll also threw for 131 yards and one touchdown during his stint as a backup behind 1-AA All American Sean Payton. Simon, a junior transfer from the University of Hawaii, also said that the change was a surprise. "It wasn't expected right away," Simon said. "I didn't know about it until they brought me in. "It had to be because a shortage of wide recievers," said Simon, "Losing Marcus 0 ' Neal and Derrick Wilhelms hurt us." 0 ' Neal's grades made him ineligible for the season due to the NCAA's Propositiom 48 academic bylaw and Wilhelms left the Eastern program for personal reasons. The Panthers also lost wide outs Mike Milosovic to injury and junior college recruit Alfredo Kamadoi, who left Eastern to return to his family in Right: Kurt Simon #9 prepares to throw a pass at the San Jose game. 166
Pat arroll Utah. "I just wanted to do what's best for the team." said Carroll. "I didn't mind making the switch at all. I plaxed out there (at wide receiver) during all of spring ball." Carroll worked out twice a day in spring practice as both a quarterback and a wide out. Spoo chose to praise Carroll for his team attitude saying, "what Pat did was exemplory. That is exactly what we are looking for-guys who are going to give of themselves. I've got a great deal of respect for him. "He's a model that we've looked at for all our pllayers to follow. His unselfishness really stresses the 'team' idea." As for Simon, Spoo displayed the utmost confidence in him for the season opener at San Jose State. "We've got confidence in him and he has done some good things," Spoo said. "He has made a lot of progress and has probably shown the most improvement of all three quarterbacks," said Spoo after late summer practices ended. "Whoever we would have went with would have gone in relatively cold turkey," Spoo said. "The ball is in his court now." Simon and Carroll are also similar in size with Simon coming in at 6-0, 180 pounds while Carroll checks in at 6- 1. 185. by Barry Bottino Left: Eastern's receiver Pat Carroll #11 hauls in a pass. 167
Football '87 168
Far left: An Eastern defender knocks the ball loose from a Southern IUinois player. Below: John Sengstock fights for yardage against Southern. Above: Free Safety Scott Johnson congratulates a teammate after scoring a touchdown. T he best analogy for Bob Spoo's first year as Eastern's football Coach would be someone throwing a keg of nails in front of a moving car. But the Purdue University graduate did not let minor flat tires make the wheels fall off of the Eastern football machine. Spoo took over as Eastern's mentor last Spring and was hit hard early when faced with the loss of defensive starters John Jurkovic and Jeff Mills to knee injuries. Linebacker Bill Cochrane further complicated Spoo's defensive woes when he decided to forego his fmal year of eligibility in favor of graduation. Meanwhile on offense, Spoo lost running back Uasi Latu, tight end Derrick Wilhelms and wide receiver Marcus O'Neal due to academic problems. Yet the 50-year-old Spoo did not let the loss of key players disrupt his plans for a strong showing by his young and inexperienced team. The Panthers fmished 5-6 overall and 3-3 in the Gateway. And when post season honors were handed out in the Gateway, it was Eastern's offense that brought home the bacon. The Panthers placed three players on the first team offense, including senior running back DuWayne Pitts, senior placekicker Rich Ehmke and freshman wide receiver Ralph 169
Stewart, and sophomore defensive back Daryl Holcombe on the first team defense. On the second team, honors were awarded to junior center Sean O'Brien on offense and lineman Jeff Rolson and Carl Parker, defensive back R.L. Reynolds and punter Steve Tillotson on defense. Redshirt freshman quarterback Eric Arnold, who sat out the '86 season to extend his eligibility, made his first collegiate start in the seventh game against Indiana State and remained the starter with 92 completions on 186 attempts (49.5 percent) and 1,159 yards. Junior Kurt Simon, who started the ftrst six games, tossed for 819 yards. Senior DuWayne Pitts lent his experience to the young backfield and did the bulk of the work on the ground. The Detroit native climbed into the No. 3 spot on Eastern's all-time rushing list with his 884-yard season. Walk-on freshman fullback John Sengstock was the second-highest ground gainer for the Panthers with 237 yards. In the receiving corps, speedy freshman Ralph Stewart put on exPanther Roy Banks' No. 2 jersey and picked up where the current Indianapolis Colt left off by leading the Panthers in receptions with 38 in II games. Stewart also piled up 634 yards in gains, averaging 16.7 yards per catch. On defense, the Panthers were led by sophomore sensation Daryl Holcombe, who led the team in solo tackles (59}, total tackles (97), blocked punts (2), and tied junior Scott Johnson for most interceptions (3). By Barry Bottino Top left: Mark Peterson reaches to grab a fumble against Southwest Missouri. Left: Fullback James Marable climbs over defenders against the Southern lllinois. Above: Freshman John Sengstock heads for the Saluki end zone. 171
Cross Country T he 1987 men's cross country season was filled with ups and downs.At the begining of the year, assistant coach Tom Ahers emphasized depth as the stronghold of the team. Ahers was filled with optimism for John Wells, "the honorary captain," senior Brian Gordon "our most improved runner," adding junior college runner Shannon Hough "a great asset to us. Ahers also looked forward to Scott Colver coming off a redshirt year, Matt Close, Brian Reilly and sophomore Terry Goodin. "Sometimes your season is measured by more than you won-lost record, I'd say this is one of those seasons," Ahers said. ''I'd classify it as a real good season, it just ended on a real downer." by AI Lagattolla
Volleyball '87 Eastern volleyball coach Betty Ralston entered the 1987 season hoping that a blend of youth and experience would help the team to its first winning season since 1983. The end product of that blend thus far has gonen the team four tournament titles, an Eastern record, and. more importantly a winning season with a 22-7 record with only four matches left in the season. Ralston was confident that outside hitter Laura Bruce, middle hitter Gianna Galanti and setter Jeanne Pacione would perform like the experienced players they are, but she didn't know how the four freshman she recruited would handle the pressure. But Diane Kruto, Deanna Lund, Kelly Stover and Cindy Geib all came through when they were called on by Ralston during the season. The Panthers opened their season with a defense of their 1986 DePaul I nvitational Tournament championship. After an opening loss to Auburn. the Panthers rolled, beating DePaul, Marquette and Butler enroute to a win over Mississippi in the title match. "It was a balanced effon," said Ralston. "We played eight players most of the time and we did get a good effort of everybody we played." The Panthers opened the firM EIU Coors/Coors Light Classic tournament with Missouri. and had to go the full five games before finally subduing the Tigers. Eastern thrashed DePaul in the second match of the tournament to set up the title match with Clemson. It was a great tournament for Pacione who earned the Most Valuable Player award, and also became Eastern's all-time assists leader. The highlight of the year for Eastern occured when the team traveled to Central Florida and won the Central Florida Invitational. The team's fourth title was also a school record. ln the Gateway Conference, Southwest Missouri swept the Panthers i5-IO, 15-5 and 15-9. Eastern took out its frustrations by unplugging the Wichita State Shockers the following day 15-8, 15-8, and 15-7. Two days later, the Panthers traveled to Southern lllinois but hung tough, taking game one 17- 15 before losing game two 10-15. Eastern won game three I 5- l 0, before blowing a 9-5 lead in game four enroute to a 9- 15 loss. Southern also took game five by a I 5-9 count. The last home match of the season in Lantz Gym finally brought good tidings. The Panthers erupted and swept out the Bulldogs 15-7, 15-6 and 15-7. The win gave Ralston her !50th career victory. by Mike Fitzgerald Opposite left: Jeanne Pacione defends the net against Bradley. Top left: A point winning spike by Deanna Lund. Above: Practice makes perfect for Deanna Lund and Gianna Galanti. Bottom left: Keeping her eye on the ball, Laura Bruce sets a shot 175
aura ruce "Setting" an example Eastern volleyball player Laura Bruce is one of the prime examples as to why the term student-athlete still holds water in collegiate athletics today. Bruce, a junior from LaGrange, plays outside hitter for the Panthers. It is her ability to perform well in the classroom as well as play volleyball which allows her to standout in the crowd. Bruce, a third team GTE/College of Spons Information Directors of America (COSIDA) Academic All-American lsast fall, attributes her success in the classroom and on the volleyball coun to discipline. "It takes a lot of discipline," said Bruce. "I realized that hitting the books was going to carry me through life. r also get a lot of satisfaction from it." The Panthers looked to Bruce to help them to their first winning season since 1983. Eastern coach Berry Ralston relied on Bruce's leadership and example to help the team achieve its biggest goal. "Laura is definitely our leader. She's not real vocal, but she leads by example," Ralston said. Bruce put her experience to work in the DePaul Invitational Tournament, the first of four tournament titles the Panthers won last season. Bruce hit .750 against Butler, the second highest hitting percentage in Eastern history for a single match, and .491 for the tournament. "I felt I had a good tournament, but there was great passing, great blocking and great serving. Everybody contributed to our wins," Bruce said. Bruce's performance earned her the first 1987 Gateway Conference Player of the Week award. "We are real pleased that the Gateway honored her. We thought she was real deserving of the honor," Ralston said. It was by her example in the classroom and on the coun that helped make her year and the Panthers' year a successful one. by Mike Fitzgerald Right: Eastern volleyball standout Laura Bruce goes for the kill. 176
ntramurals: Eastern's ''hidden'' athletes Eastern has its share of teams and players , wins and upsets and granted they are all worth every bit of praise- they get, not for performance only - but their dedication and hardwork. In addition to these recognized teams and athletes Eastern has 'hidden athletes' for every sport you could think of and even those you wouldn't. These poor souls practice and play grouling games without the support of fans, except for the occassional few that were bribed to come and watch with the same e nthusiasm as a "real game". And what is all the sweat and bruises for, well the reward comes in after the team has won the championships and recieves brand new, all-conon t-shirts from the intrammural department. These undiscovered athletes take part in Eastern's year-round intrammural sports program to compete, but most of all for the fun of it. The program seems to be expanding every year and "participant statistics have mushroomed," Dr. Dave Outler, director of recreational sports said. Outler said the addition of such events as floor hockey and ultimate frisbee as league format activities are just a couple of reasons he believes participation has increased. Outler said he's unsure of what the future holds for the intrammural program because the program is at a max as far as help and facility access goes. lntramurals is a break from the books, a good way to stay in shape and even though it's not 'big league stuff there is still that satisfaction and sense of achievement in a victory. Who knows, maybe someday Easterns' humble and undiscovered athletes will tum pro, until then 'linle league' is where the excitement is at. by Bridgette Hensley Above left: A defensive player goes for the "tackle" during an intramural flag football game. Left: The team plans their strategy for the next play.
Football Strike Benefits Former Eastern Students J ust two weeks into its 1987 season, the air was let out of the National Football League. Yes, the NFL was facing its second players' strike in five years. This strike, however, would be different than its predecessor in 1982. During this walkout, stadiums across the nation would not remain silent. Following a week's layoff, the NFL owners signed replacement players, or "Scabs", and sent them out to play out the league's schedule. Among the first of these replacement players to sign was Sean Payton, Eastern's all-time leading passer and the NCAA's No. 3 career passer. "I see this as an opportunity to play in the NFL," Payton said of his signing with the Chicago Bears. 178 Payton wasn't the only former Panther to sign with NFL teams. Quarterback Jeff Christenson signed with the Cleveland Browns, offensive lineman Chris Geile signed with the Detroit Lions, and center Lyn Seward joined Payton with the Bears. But while these players no doubt enjoyed their brief three-week careers as NFL players, fans couldn't wait for the real pros to drop their picket signs and again don their helmets and pads. Yet, the waiting was indeed the hardest part as NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw and owners representative Jack Donlan squared things out. And as with so many fighters, both talked a tough game. but did linle when it came to action. Upshaw would say something; Donlan would roll his eyes. Then Donlan would say something; Upshaw would roll his eyes. Fans did get to see a handful of regular players during the strike. Players such as Gary Hageboom, Tony Dorsett, and Mark Gastineau crossed the picket lines to play with the replacement players. As the weeks passed, the number of players returning increased from a trickle to a near flood. Finally, after a four-week layoff, the NFL returned full force as the replacements were released and all the regulars retumed. The NFL was back to normal, but there was little doubt that the "Strike of 1987" would cast a haunting shadow over the world of professional sportS. By Dan Verdun Opposite: Former Eastern football star Sean Payton, shown here in a practice session, signed a contract with the Chicago Bears as a free agent to play for the team in the event of a strike by the NFL Player's Association.
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Bob Spoo Name: Bob Spoo. Age: 50. Birthplace: Chicago, lllinois. Occupation: Head Football Coach, Eastern illinois University. Marital Status: Married. Children: Katie, age 6. Projects currently working on: Recruiting. I stay home to watch: Cheers. The book I've been recommending: The One Minute Manager. Favorite performers: John Gary and Judy Collins. Childhood memory: Going to South Bend to see my relatives. I've never been able to: Overcome my fear of public speaking. HI could do it over, I'd: Studied harder. I'd give anything to meet: Mother Teresa. When nobody's looking 1: Pig out on sweets. My fantasy is: To win the lottery. My most irrational act: Cutting a math final to visit my girlfriend in Chicago. The best time of my life: Right now. If I've learned one thing in life, it's: That you never stop learning. What sort of previous football experience did you have prior to arriving here at Eastern? Three years as QB/DB at St. Rita High School, Chicago; Four years as quarterback at Purdue University; 1960-1973 high school football coach; 1973-1978 Assistant Football Coach at the University of Wisconsin; 1978-1986 Assistant Football Coach at Purdue University. What attracted you most to Eastern? The opportunity to be a head coach. What do you consider to be the highlight(s) of the season? The last minute victories against Southwest Missouri and Indiana State. What sort of plans do you have for the future, not only for the team but in your own life? I want to win the conference and go on to win the lAA championship. In my personai Jjfe I just want to enjoy my family. By Becky Gibson 181
Go EIU! 0 utstanding recognition in national competition has gained a great deal of prestige for the hardworking cheerleaders at Eastern. The 12 performers sent a video to the Universal Cheerleading Association consisting of one sideline. a fight song, and a cheer to compete with approximately ISO schools nationwide. The first time Eastern entered the competition, they received seventh place followed by fourth place last year. ln addition. they have consistently held the number one title in state competition. Aside from cheering at football games and men and women's basketball games, the cheerleaders performed for last year's Special Olympics and have done several promotionals for companies. including Marathon Oil. They pass out tickets. help with sales and serve at banquets. "I can't believe how much our quality has improved just in the four years since I've been here," said Co-captain Dave Thomas. "It is finally showing in the awards we've won." by Becky Gibson Right: The latest in cheerleading attire- " rally rags." Far right: All in a day's work for cheerleader Steve Myers. 182
f f I think no one realizes the work that is involved with being a Pink Panther," Coordinator Irene Williams noted. The hours that are required of an EIU Pink Panther are long and hard. The girls spend two hours Monday through Friday in rehearsal and an hour and a half on game days. In addition, practices are at 7 a.m. on the day of a basketball game. The Pink Panthers are a group of fifteen students with previous experience in porn poms, cheerleading or dance Upper left: Viva Pink Panthers! Above: A Pink Panther jacket comes in handy on a cold day. classes. They represent all classes, most being seniors. Traveling is also a part of the experience. The Pink Panthers attend a camp at Memphis State to learn new ideas and dance styles. They have performed at the opening game for the Chicago Bears, the University of Ulinois and some Cardinal games. "I have been a part of it for two years," Williams continued. "It is all defmitely worth it. Especially this year; the girls are really talented." Pretty • 1n Pink The time spent in rehearsals and performances have paid off for girls who went on to further the experience. Some have become cheerleading sponsors in high schools. Others have become Honeybears or a part of the Big Red line with the Cardinals. "The girls give up a lot," Williams concluded. "They have to realize that the Pink Panthers have to come first." Co-captains this year were Jennifer Engels and Laura Rubidge. by Becky Gibson 183
Swimming & Diving F or several years, swimming at Eastern hasn't been as successful as in past years. "We usually get swimmers who develop as they go on in college," said Coach Ray Padovan. "We count on the development of the underclassmen so by the time they're seniors, they're pretty good." It takes quite a bit of dedication to their sport. Take seniors Tim Schnittker and Mark Brandt. "We used Tim in many events," said Padovan. "He's the main person in our lineup. Mark Brandt is the kind of swimmer I was talking about. He was mainly a individual medley person when he came here, but he's really improved his butterfly and has gotten better each year he's been here." 184 The women's team this year was more balanced. according to Padovan. "We didn't have one dominating swimmer this year." Padovan said. "Instead. we had a well-balanced main group of swimmers who just went out and swam as best as they could." Chief among those swimmers were sophomores Elizabeth Curvey and juniors Betsy Watkins and Carolyn Guditis. "Carolyn was ve1y consistent all year," Padovan said. "Elizabeth and Betsy just swam as hard as they could." The real mainstay of the team was senior Michelle Harsa and for the future, Padovan is looking towards freshmen Stacey Peterson, Jan Rhudy and Michelle Stoppenhagen. "I can see all three of them coming along really well as they go on in college swimming," Padovan said. '87-'88 When the season began. the men and women both dropped lopsided decisions to the University of Indianapolis, but bounced back later in the Indianapolis Invitational Tournament. The men won the meet and the women finished fourth. Just before Christmas. the two teams dropped decisions to Ball State. and went to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. for some training. The team, despite losing three of four meets to Evansville and Vincennes Universities. swam several personal best times in the weekend. Other swimmers swam right at their best times and didn't miss a beat coming off of Christmas. It appears, then, despite a lack of funding for the program, the future of Eastern swim teams appears bright. By Brent Feeney
Top: The swimming day starts early at Lantz Gym. Left: Becky Zukowski concentrates on form. Above: The swimming Panthers are in top form. 185
186 Basketball '87-'88 E astern's basketball team entered the 1987-88 campaign with a unique blend of returning lettennen. junior college transfers and freshmen. "There's a different attitude." Samuels said prior to the season's start. referring to frustrating pe1fonnances last year. "Our upperclassmen are accepting the concept that they will be relied upon. They real ize what has to be done." the eight-year coach added. The veterans responded well in the early season. as the Panthers took a 5-1 record into Christmas break. One highlight of these games was the Panthers upset 59-52 victory over Wisconsin at Lantz Gym Dec. 3 . Eastern was paced in scoring that game by junior guard Jay Taylor who scored 23. It was a stingy Panther defense. though, that keyed the victory. "It was a team defensive effort." Taylor said. "We played pressure for forty minutes and I think they This victory is the highlight of my basketball life." The 6-3 Aurora native would have more games to remember in the season's first half.
as Taylor boasted a team-leading 19.9 points per game average through 16 games. Taylor also set a career high with 29 against Northern Illinois and tied it two games later at Cleveland State. "Jay is an excellent athlete with great strength and good quickness. He's a very versatile offensive player," Samuels said. The Panthers' second leading scorer through 16 games was senior forward Tony Hemphill with I 0.5 ppg. Junior center Vince Macciocchi and junior forward Mark Fowler were each averaging 8.5 points per game. Eastern slipped by the Salukis at home 67-63 Dec. 10 and topped the Huskies at Lantz Gym 88-80 Jan. 13. In fact, Eastern won their first seven home games, including a 120-41 landslide over Harris-Stowe on Dec. 7. Seven Lantz Gym and Eastern records were eclipsed in that contest However, the Panthers lost their first four league games, three at home by a combined margin of defeat of II points. In those conference losses, Eastern dropped close decisions to AMCU foes Illinois-Chicago, Cleveland State, Wisconsin-Green Bay and Southwest Missouri State. by David Lindquist and James Betzold Opposite top left: Mark Fowler (#54) concentrates on shooting. Opposite left: Balance is the name of the game as Jay Taylor reaches for the ball against Wisconsin-Green Bay. Left: Tony Hemphill fights to score a basket against Southwest Missouri State. 187
188 Right: Jay Taylor (#24) attempts a shot against Wisconsin- Green Bay. Bottom: Ron Tate charges past a Wisconsin- Green Bay defender. Opposite page: An Eastern player fights for the ball.
Women's Basketball 87-'88 E astern's 1987-88 women's basketbal l season began just as the previous year had endedwith a loss. The Lady Panthers. after losing out on a trip to the NCAA tournament in March 1987. dropped a 21-point decision to Purdue in the season opener. The Lady Panthers humbled Ball State 58-48. got by Butler 61-57 in their Lantz Gym debut. dropped defending MidAmerican Conference champion Bowling Green 76-62 and bombed St. Louis University 66-42. Eastern met with bad fortunes at the Western Sizzler Tournament at Northern Arizona University, when they lost successive decisions to UNA (63-62) and Colorado State (88-78). Hilke's gang then reeled off a fivegame win streak. The Lady Panthers began by snapping Southern Illinois' 30-game Gateway Conference winning streak with a 12-point win After successive wins over Gateway opponents Western Illinois (73-55), Bradley (7 1-68). Nor1hern Iowa (78-66 ). and Drake (60-57), Eastern was on top of the Gateway heap. But the Southwest Missouri Bears spoiled that one week later with a 95-85 triumph over the Lady Panthers. Eastern rebounded with a Gateway win over Wichita State two days later to move their league record to 6-1 and into a four-way tie into first place with Southern. Illinois State and Indiana State. Yet. in front of a boisterous contingent of Indiana State fans who made the trip to Charleston, the Lady Panthers dropped a 86-76 decision to the Sycamores in Lantz and sl id into a tie for second place with Southern, who suffered a 20-point loss to Illinois State. The Redbirds were the next opponent for Hilke's Lady Panthers and Eastern put themselves back into contention at the Gateway halfway point as all four teams went 1- 1 to resume a four-way tie for the top spot. By Barry Bottino 189
Above: Eastern Illinois takes on the Huskies of NIU. Right: Todd Matichak is temporarily thrown off balance. Opposite: Cedric Garrett finds himself in a tight squeeze. 190
Wrestling '87 Going into the 1987-88 Eastern Illinois University wrestling season, Coach Ralph McCausland was very optimistic about his prospects. He had National Junior College Heavyweight Champion Copache Tyler coming into the program, as well as some promising youngsters. As of Jan. 25, the team had a dual meet record of 6-2 and had done well in their tournaments, including a first place finish at the Southwest Missouri Invitational Jan. 22-23 at Springfield, Mo. But even more pleasing to McCausland was the progress his wrestlers had been making. "We've got a great bunch of guys here," McCausland said. "They've been progressing very well since the season started, and that's been really pleasing to me." The grapplers began their season Nov. 8 at East Lansing, Mich., finishing fifth at the Michigan State Invitational. Tyler won the championship at his weight class in the meet, sening the tone for the potential of the season. The team then did well at open tournaments in St Louis and the University of Illinois, placing 12 wrestlers at the Ulinois Open. They also did very well at the Southern Open at Chattanooga, Tenn., during Thanksgiving Break. As the season went on, wrestlers like seniors Chris Simcox, juniors Marty Molina, Tyler and Craig Sterr and sophomore Craig Campbell provided needed leadership. "They've really stood out this year," McCausland said. "The freshmen have made some great accomplishments this year, and it's really great to see," McCausland said. The team defeated Wright State of Dayton, Ohio, just before break, then did well at the Midlands Tournament in Evanston, Ill., one of the nation's best collegiate wrestling tournaments. Afterwards, the team went 3-1 at the Redbird Duals at Illinois State, finishing third in the meet. The squad then defeated Miami (Ohio) and Southwest Missouri State. "We're going to try to qualify as many as we can for nationals," McCausland said. "Hopefully, the best for us is yet to come." By Brent Feeney 191
Fitness Craze A ccording to Eastern's aerobics instructor, the developing aerobics programs in the past two years are much more than a passing interest to students concerned about their health. Americans have become aware in recent years of the importance of exercise and this program has been well received by Eastern's student body. Eastern offered four to five classes per day during the fall semester. Afternoon classes were taught in McAfee Gym and evening classes at Buzzard. Almost two hundred girls participated in the exercises each day. During the Spring 1988 semester, only four classes were taught and all were held in McAfee Gym, more than were held at Eastern last year, the first year aerobics was taught Opposite: An Eastern student steps in time during an aerobics class at Buzzard. Below: A crowded gym is a common sight to Eastern aerobics students. Nearly 200 packed into McAffee and Buzzard for the classes. Aerobics Coordinator Lisa Mariani works with assistants in the recreational sports program, including instructors assisted Joanne Gaertner, Tina Fasano and Tarnmi Fort. "Our program is very good and we have lots of participation," Lisa said. "I even have a lot of guys in my class." The success of the aerobics program at Eastern is largely as a result of Lisa's dedication. She tries to inspirate her students because she feels strongly about the importance of exercise. "I feel that exercise is extremely important. I can really get into it a lot now. It is both mentally and physically stimulating. If I miss just one day, I'll feel so lazy," she said. By Becky Gibson 193
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