Welcome to the Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame website. We are a 501(C)(3) not for profit Illinois corporation. We have inducted numerous individuals and teams. Their plaques are located in the Peoria Civic Center. As you browse through our site, you will learn that the Peoria area is rich in talent. Many individuals, teams and organizations have contributed to our sports history. If you have any comments or requests, please feel free to contact us at any time.

31st Annual Induction Banquet The 31st Annual Induction Banquet was held April 01, 2012 at the Peoria Civic Center. These individuals and teams were inducted. Here's a few banquet photos. 2011 Indivdual Inductees Al Carius Morton's Al Carius was a cross country Big Ten champion twice running for the University of Illinois. He also was a two time, two mile conference champion. As track coach at North Central College for the past 46 years, Carius' teams have won 14 national cross country titles, the latest in 2011. His teams have placed second another 14 times and he has coached seven individual national champions and 45 conference champions. No wonder he was recently named "Coach of the Century" by United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Dave Golden Dave Golden was a star on the 1964 Pekin state champion basketball team. He was named an all state player twice and first team all tournament player. Golden went on to play at Duke scoring 752 career points. Chuck Buescher Chuck Buescher's coaching record of 528 basketball wins against 184 losses included state titles in 2003 and 2004 along with second place honors in 1983 and 1989. His Central Lions won a total of 21 regional titles. Buescher later served as an assistant at Bradley University from 1971 to 1979 on the hardwoods and was head baseball coach on the Hilltop from 1973 to 1979. Howard Nathan Manual's Howard Nathan was named Mr. Basketball of Illinois in 1991 and was the first Peorian to play in the NBA. He was a leader on Manual teams that played in three state basketball finals. Nathan starred for Louisiana-Monroe University. 2011 Team Inductees Peoria Central Basketball Team 1988-89 The Peoria Central basketball team of 1988-89 won 32 straight games before losing in the state title game in three overtimes. Farmington Softball Teams of 1989 and 1991 The Farmington softball teams of 1989 and 1991 won state titles. Eureka College Basketball Team The 1994 Eureka College basketball team was crowned national NAIA Division II champions.

2011 Neve Harms Award

Bert Sanders Bert Sanders has been the well-known race director for the Peoria Motorcycle club and its TT Races for 28 years. He helped form National Hunting and Fishing Days for some 32 outdoor clubs. He also served as an archery shooting exhibitor for high school students.

2011 Old Timers Award

Carl "Pappy" Stutzman The winner of the Old Timers Award is the late Carl "Pappy" Stutzman. A co-founder of the Peoria Gun Club, Stutzman was generally considered as the state's best marksman and one of the world's best in his day. He won seven state, four national, and three world championships as a skeet shooter. In 1970, he won a fourth world skeet shooting championship competing in the senior division. He was 79. A year later he gunned down 200 straight targets setting a world record. Candidates for the Old Timer Award are over the age of 65 and have been long-time nominees for Hall of Fame Induction.

2011 Tri-County Awards of the Year

Matt Elliott - Male Athlete Matt Elliott finished his high school career with seven individual state titles.      Roland Brown - Male Coach Roland Brown saw his football Knights rebound from a 0-3 start to wind up playing for the Class 6A high school title. Caitlin Comfort - Female Athlete Caitlin Comfort finished second in the Big Ten cross country championship meet and third in the NCAA regional event. Lynn Thompson - Female Coach Swimming and diving coach Lynn Thompson led Richwoods female swimmings last fall to the Mid-State 6 title and did the same for Matt Elliott as he captured state title #7.

GPSHOF 2012 Newsletter Large pdf file. You must have Acrobat Reader to access this file.

---

THE GPSHOF SOCIAL NETWORK IS NOW OPEN!! The Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame social network, where YOU can help us appreciate all these fine individuals and organizations, is now open. This new social network is a part of Peoria.CitiSlicker.com.

To participate in the GPSHOF group...

1) click here (you will be linked to the new GPSHOF social site)
2) register as a user of peoria.citislicker.com
3) join the GPSHOF group and you will be able to share your comments, pictures, blogs and a whole lot more. Take our appreciation of Peoria area sports to a whole new level.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN US AND SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES.
Register and join the GPSHOF group.