Elgin Sports Hall of Fame announces new candidates
From Staff Reports August 16, 2012 5:52PM
Vince Webber
Updated: September 18, 2012 6:04AM
The Elgin Sports Hall of Fame Foundation has announced six additional candidates for induction, including former Larkin running back Vince Webber and longtime Elgin High baseball coach Dave Cooklin.
Cindy (Strom) Bryniarski, an Elgin High graduate nominated for golf, Paul Hudgens, a former Elgin High basketball player, Jennifer Kiefer-Gumm, an Elgin High product nominated for basketball, and Elgin grad Mark Stettner, nominated for football join Webber and Cooklin as the newest candidates on the ballot.
Webber set Larkin records for single game rushing yards (381), career rushing yards (4,142), and touchdowns (71), which ranks sixth in state history. Webber was named Upstate Eight Conference Offensive Player of the Year as a junior and was a consensus All-State choice. He played at Central Michigan but his career was curtailed by injuries.
Cooklin posted a 435-339 record in 25 seasons as the Maroons baseball coach, good for a .562 winning percentage. His teams won three UEC titles and his 1995 squad advanced to a sectional. Cooklin mentored four athletes who played professionally, including ESHOF inductee Steve Hinton.
(Strom) Bryniarski, a 1962 graduate of EHS, won more than 25 club championships in her career in Arizona, Colorado and Illinois. She has set four course records and won the senior amateur championships in Arizona and Colorado while also qualifying for the round of 64 at the United State Golf Association’s Senior Amateur several times.
Hudgens, a 1955 graduate of Elgin High, was the playmaking guard and captain of the 1955 team which finished second in the state tournament, compiling a 26-4 record. During his senior year, Hudgens led the team in assists, averaged 11.3 points per game and set the record of 33 points in a game for a guard (since broken).
Kiefer-Gumm, a 1993 Elgin High grad, set school records for assists (603) and steals (238). During her senior year she averaged 16.1 points per game and had 233 assists. She played three years at Michigan where she served as team captain her senior year.
Stettner, a 1974 EHS grad, was an all-conference running back his senior season as well as All-State special mention. He led UEC rushers with a 6.8 yard per carry average and in scoring with 51 points. At Eastern Illinois, Stettner was the team’s leading rusher in his freshman and sophomore seasons. He set school records with 604 carries (now 8th), 2,638 rushing yards (now 10th), and the single-game record of 44 carries in 1977, which stood for 16 years. Stettner was nominated as a Division II All-American running back in 1977.
The ballots have been sent to all ESHOF members and must be returned to the Board of Directors by 6 p.m. on Sept. 10. Results will be announced on Sept. 11.
The annual induction banquet will be held Nov. 4 at The Centre of Elgin.
Visit eshof.org to view the entire ballot and a list of past inductees as well as information on how to join the foundation.
