Friday, October 16, 2009 11:07 PM CDT
EIU's famed five
By JG/T-C staff
sports@jg-tc.com
Four former athletes and a Friend of Athletics are joining Eastern Illinois’ Athletics Hall of Fame today. They are to be inducted this morning at a brunch and then be introduced during halftime of today’s football game against Tennessee Tech scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m. at O’Brien Field.
EDWARD ‘MAC’ CORLEY
Edward ‘Mac’ Corley, Friend of Athletics, has been the Panther Club fund drive individual leader for five consecutive years raising nearly $50,000 during this period. He won four consecutive fund MVP awards (2005-2008), and this year earned the Membership Development and Phone Warrior awards. In 2006 he was honored with the Glen Hesler Award, which is the department’s top Panther Club award. Mac was the 2004 Panther Club ‘Big Catch’ Award winner for obtaining the single largest donor. He’s been a volunteer official at EIU track meets and a marshal at the IHSA Boys’ and Girls’ State Track Meets for 25 plus years. Mac served a Chicago Board of Trade Doctoral Fellowship while at Oklahoma State University. He has been an EIU commencement marshal and currently is an EIU Annuitant Ambassador at the Neal Welcome Center. Ed retired in 2003 after 36 years as a Professor of Economics.
HENRY DOMMERCANT
Henry Domercant, Class of ‘03, is EIU’s and the Ohio Valley Conference’s career basketball scoring leader with 2,602 points. At the conclusion of his career he ranked No. 30 among all-time NCAA Division I scorers. He is just the 11th NCAA Division I player to finish three times in the top five single-season scoring, and was No. 2 in 2003 with 27.9 points per game. Among the 15 EIU single season and career scoring records he holds is career average (21.7 ppg) and single season points (817). Henry was 2002 OVC ‘Player of the Year’, three-time First Team All-OVC, 2002 Honorable Mention All-American, two time National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District and a member of the 2001 Panthers that advanced to the NCAA tournament. Henry also ranks as Illinois’ No. 4 all-time collegiate scorer. For the past six years he has been one of European professional league’s top scorers and three point shooters competing for teams in Turkey, Russia, Greece and now Italy.
SEAN LYONS
Sean Lyons, Class of ‘99, was a three time All-Ohio Valley Conference outfielder for the baseball team earning First Team All-OVC honors in 1997 and 1998. He still ranks in the EIU top 10 in 11 offensive categories and holds the school record for single season runs scored (66) while tied for career runs (182). His .349 career batting average is eighth best, and three times (1997-99) he led the team in hits. Sean was a member of the 1999 Panther team that advanced to the NCAA Division I tournament beating nationally ranked Arizona for third place in the regional. Sean was an assistant coach at EIU the past five years before taking a job as an assistant at Bradley. He has recruited three major league draft picks including Tyler Kehrer, an ‘09 first round selection. During his tenure the Panthers won the OVC tournament to advance to the NCAA in 2008, and then were regular season champs in 2009. He previously was an assistant coach at Liberty (Mo.) High School.
DON NEECE
Don Neece, Class of ‘65, earned NAIA First Team All-American wrestling honors in 1965 by winning the national championship in the 191-pound class. He also placed fourth in the 1962 NAIA tournament, again earning All-American recognition. He was a three time All-Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selection with conference championship at 177 pounds in 1964 and runner-up finishes in both 1963 and 1965. The Panthers were IIAC champs his junior season. Don was a Dean’s List student his junior and senior year. A graduate of East Alton-Wood River High School, he placed sixth in the state wrestling championship as a senior, and was a three time state qualifier. He recently retired as Assistant Superintendent at East Alton-Wood River High School.
TONY ROMO
Tony Romo, Class of ‘02, the 2002 Walter Payton NCAA Division I-AA ‘Player of the Year’ award winner, is a two time NFL All-Pro quarterback with the Dallas Cowboys. A free agent signee in 2003, Tony holds the Cowboys’ single season record for touchdown passes (36), passing yardage (4211) and games over 300 yards passing (7). In 2007 he directed the Cowboys to a record tying 13-3 regular season record and ranked fifth best among NFL quarterbacks. At EIU, he was a 2002 consensus First Team All-American leading the Panthers to three straight NCAA I-AA playoff appearances (2000-2002). Tony was a three time Ohio Valley Conference ‘Player of the Year’ recipient, 2001 Third Team Associated Press All-American and led I-AA in passing efficiency in ‘01. He holds the EIU and OVC record for single season (34) and career touchdown passes (85), and tied for most EIU touchdown passes in a single game (6). Tony ranks second at EIU and third in the OVC with 8,212 passing yards.
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