NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State Athletics Department will honor a group of six outstanding individuals with induction into its Percy Family Athletics Hall of Fame during Homecoming Weekend, Oct. 23-24, 2015.
The 2015 class of the ISU Percy Family Athletics Hall of Fame includes former student-athletes Brian Anderson (men's golf), Kristi Cirone (women's basketball), Neal Cotts (baseball), Laurént Robinson (football) and Liina Suurvarik (women's tennis) as well as Rudy Klokkenga, who will be honored with the Campbell "Stretch" Miller Award.
The official induction ceremony will take place Saturday, Oct. 24, in the Brown Ballroom of the Bone Student Center on the Illinois State University campus beginning at 8 a.m. The five inductees and the Stretch Miller Award winner will also be recognized during halftime of the Illinois State-Western Illinois football game later that day. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.
The class is the 43rd in the history of the ISU Athletics Percy Family Hall of Fame, which began with the charter class in 1972. Tickets for the Hall of Fame ceremony are $25 per person and can be purchased through the Weisbecker Scholarship Fund office by calling Melanie Piekos at (309) 438-3639. Tickets for the event must be ordered by Friday, Oct. 16.
2015 ILLINOIS STATE HALL OF FAME CLASS
Brian Anderson – Men's Golf (2000-04)
Member of the Missouri Valley Conference All-Centennial Team … four-time All-MVC selection, making him one of four men in league history to achieve that feat … finished in the top-6 individually in each MVC Championship he competed in … named MVC Golfer of the Week four times during his career … 2004 MVC Medalist, after shooting 219 (76-73-70) at TPC Deere Run … as a senior, received the D.A. Weibring Medalist Award for posting an ISU record for lowest scoring average at 72.9 for the season … posted seven top-10 finishes in his final season as a Redbird … earned his first career victory at the Branson Creek Invite as a junior, where he posted a low-round score of 68 … tied for fifth place at the MVC Championships as a sophomore in 2002, thanks to a season-low round of 70, to help lead the Redbirds to the MVC Championship and a NCAA Tournament berth … finished third in the MVC Championship as a freshman, earning All-MVC plaudits … was a 2012 Nationwide/Web.com Tour member, highlighted with a tie for ninth place at the Utah Championship.
Kristi Cirone – Women's Basketball (2005-09)
Her No. 10 jersey was retired by Illinois State in 2010, making her one of three women's basketball players to have her number retired in the rafters of Redbird Arena … member of the Missouri Valley Conference All-Centennial Team … three-time MVC Jackie Stiles Player of the Year (2007-09), only the second player in the history of the conference to win the award in three-consecutive years, with the other being the award's namesake … four-time All-MVC selection … three-time MVC All-Defensive Team selection … two-time WBCA and Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American, while being named a John Wooden nominee as one the nation's best players … was also a nominee for the Nancy Lieberman Award, which is awarded to the nation's top collegiate point guard … guided Illinois State to two WNIT berths and one NCAA Tournament berth in her career … led the Redbirds to back-to-back MVC regular-season championships in 2008 and 2009 … Illinois State's all-time leader in points (2,139), three-point field goals made (229), three-point field goals attempted (613), free throws made (512), free throws attempted (655), assists (681), and assists per game (5.3) … holds single-season records for points in a season (657) and assists (203) … ranks No. 4 in MVC history in points scored … earned MVC Tournament MVP honors as a junior in 2008 while leading the Redbirds to the MVC Tournament title … scored 22 points and had four assists in the NCAA Tournament First Round against Oklahoma in 2008 … named the 2008 and 2009 Jill Hutchison ISU Female Athlete of the Year … voted as the 2006 MVC Freshman of the Year and was selected as an All-Freshman Team member … following her collegiate career, played professionally in Greece and Poland, as well as the WNBA, with the Connecticut Sun and Chicago Sky.
Neal Cotts – Baseball (1999-2001)
Missouri Valley Conference All-Centennial Team selection as a starting pitcher … posted a career record of 18-9, with a 3.58 ERA and 263 strikeouts in 236.1 innings pitched … recorded nine complete games in 46 career appearances … four-time MVC Pitcher of the Week during his career … ranks No. 2 in ISU history in strikeouts per nine innings (10.02) and No. 5 in strikeouts with 263 … holds ISU's single-season record for most strikeouts with 113 and has the fourth-highest mark with 104 … named a 2001 All-MVC First-Team selection, after finishing the season with an 8-3 record and a 2.89 ERA in 13 games started … led the MVC in strikeouts (113) with a .192 opponent batting average that season and was No. 3 in ERA … ranked No. 13 nationally in strikeouts per nine innings (11.7) in his final season with the Redbirds … earned All-Midwest Region Second-Team honors as well that season … two-time MVC Scholar-Athlete Team selection (2000-01) … earned All-MVC Honorable Mention plaudits as a sophomore in 2000, when he posted a 7-5 record with a 3.25 ERA and 104 strikeouts … selected in the second round of the 2001 MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics, becoming the second-highest draft pick in school history … has pitched for 10 seasons at the major league level with the Chicago White Sox (2003-06), Chicago Cubs (2007-09), Texas Rangers (2013-14), Milwaukee Brewers (2015) and Minnesota Twins (2015) … went 4-0 while appearing in 69 games for the White Sox in 2005, throwing 60.1 innings and compiling a 1.94 ERA … pitched in all four games in the World Series that year and was the winning pitcher in Game 2 … earned the MLB.com Setup Man of the Year Award in a fan vote following the 2005 season.
Laurént Robinson – Football (2003-06)
Missouri Valley Football Conference Silver Anniversary Team selection at wide receiver … ranks No. 1 in the conference and ISU record books for receiving yards in a game (292) and yards in a season (1,465), both set in 2005 … comes in at No. 5 in the MVFC record books in career touchdowns receptions (29) and is one of only six players in league history to amass over 3,000 career receiving yards (3,007) … ranks second in ISU history in career receptions (192), receiving touchdowns and receiving yards … named a 2005 All-American selection by the Walter Camp Foundation, The Sports Network, the American Football Coaches Association and the Associated Press … selected as a 2005 Walter Payton Award finalist, which is given to the top player in FCS football … All-MVFC First-Team selection, after catching 86 passes for 1,465 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior in 2005 … named an All-MVFC Second-Team selection in 2006 as a senior, after catching 40 passes for 718 yards with seven touchdowns … helped lead the Redbirds to the FCS Playoffs that season and caught a pair of touchdowns in the quarterfinals at Youngstown State … invited to participate in the 2007 Hula Bowl and the 2007 NFL Draft Combine … drafted in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons … played six seasons in the NFL with the Falcons (2007-08), St. Louis Rams (2009-10), Dallas Cowboys (2011) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2012) … in 59 career games, caught 167 passes for 2,110 yards and 15 touchdowns … had a standout season in 2011 with the Cowboys, when he played in 14 games and caught 54 passes for 858 yards with 11 touchdowns … those 11 touchdowns were third-most amongst wide receivers that year in the NFL.
Liina Suurvarik, Women's Tennis (2000-04)
Member of the Missouri Valley Conference All-Centennial Team … four-time No. 1 singles champion at the MVC Individual Championships … three-time No. 1 doubles champion at the MVC Individual Championships (2000-02) … four-time All-MVC selection in singles ... four-time All-MVC selection at the No. 1 doubles position … 2001 MVC Freshman of the Year … two-time NCAA participant (doubles in 2002, singles in 2003) … ranks No. 1 in ISU history with 130 singles wins and 115 career doubles wins … posted a career mark of 47-1 in MVC play … three-time member of the CoSIDA Academic All-District V Team (2002-04) … ITA Midwest Region doubles champion in 2001, with partner Alesa Mikalayvea … competed in the ITA All-American Championships twice (doubles in 2002 and singles in 2003) … three-time MVC Scholar-Athlete Team pick (2002-04) … chosen as the 2003 and 2004 Jill Hutchison ISU Female Athlete of the Year selection … was a 2004 recipient of the Valley Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award … honored as the 2004 Linda Herman Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year … 2003 Milwaukee Tennis Classic champion in singles and doubles … 2001 ITA Omni Hotels Midwest Regional Champion in doubles … earned a bid to the 2003 WTA State Farm Women's Tennis Classic … played professionally in Women's Tennis Association (WTA) events until 2007.
Rudy Klokkenga, 2015 Campbell "Stretch" Miller Award Recipient
Klokkenga has been a fixture around the Illinois State softball program for over a decade, and the Bloomington-Normal community for over 30 years … in his duties as the public address announcer for Redbird softball, Klokkenga saw the Redbirds win multiple championships and served as the voice of the 2007 Missouri Valley Conference Softball Championship hosted at Marian Kneer Stadium … due to his dedication and generosity to Redbird softball, the Illinois State Board of Trustees approved the naming of a new press box at the stadium in his honor … in addition to his work with the Redbirds, Klokkenga has volunteered his time at various IHSA and IESA softball tournaments held in Bloomington-Normal and has served on the board of the Bloomington Hearts for over 30 years … he has also been instrumental in the community hosting several Amateur Softball Association (ASA) and National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) tournaments, which earned him the 2009 Volunteer of the Year Award from the Bloomington-Normal Sports Commission … in 2014, he was inducted into the Illinois ASA Hall of Fame and was named a distinguished alumnus by Hartsburg-Emden High School in 2007 … in times when he was not volunteering at softball events, Klokkenga worked for State Farm Insurance in Bloomington for over 34 years and was presented with the Spirit of State Farm Award in 2000, for his devotion to the company and the community.
