Past Recipients
 

2025 - Katie McNeela '14 - Former North Central College women's soccer player and coach Katie McNeela '14 has been named the 2025 Cleo Tanner Award honoree, the College's athletic department announced Thursday as part of the annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day celebration.

"As a student-athlete, North Central is where I found my voice, my purpose, my people. From player to coach to staff member, every role has deepened my connection to our athletics program," said McNeela. "Receiving the Cleo Tanner Award is an honor that feels like a full-circle moment. The same community that shaped so much of who I am today, is now saying 'we see you, we value your impact.' That hits different. Our North Central athletics program transforms athletes into leaders, day after day -- and it's a privilege to work with this group and be recognized for this award."

McNeela was a standout member of the Cardinal women's soccer team from 2010 to 2014. She led the Cardinals to the program's first College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Tournament appearance in 2012. McNeela anchored a defensive unit that pitched six shutouts in 2011, was second on the team in goals scored in 2013, and was named Academic All-CCIW selection all four years.

"One of the most valuable lessons I learned as a student-athlete was the importance of "showing up". "Showing up" looks different depending on what season of life you're in but the core principles are the same -- coming prepared as your best self, ready to contribute. It's a simple concept that's carried a profound impact for me. Showing up looks like putting in the work during the offseason when no one's watching. It's coming to class prepared and engaged. It's understanding and fully embracing your role on a team. But beyond individual commitment, it's about recognizing when others need support and being there for them - whether that's staying after practice to help a teammate get reps or stepping up in a group project when someone's struggling. Being a student-athlete taught me that success isn't just about personal achievement - it's about lifting others while pursuing your own goals," McNeela said.

She returned to North Central and coached the Cardinals for four seasons. McNeela also worked as an assistant director of marketing before being promoted to director of enrollment marketing at the College.

"I remember visiting campus as a high school student -- looking for a place to continue my soccer career," said McNeela. "During my first campus visit, I remember the distinct feeling as though I wasn't just another name on a roster. Who I was, and what I wanted to accomplish in my four years mattered. The coaches didn't just talk about wins and losses; they talked about growth, community, and impact. The faculty didn't just discuss majors; they talked about connection and possibilities. It became clear to me that this was a place where individual stories mattered. And because of that approach, my four years at North Central were some of the most impactful years of my life. That's why I came back to coach - I wanted the opportunity to create that same experience for other athletes."

In 2023, Katie McNeela was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma. She faced her cancer battle with fierce resolve. Determined to overcome, Katie showed her inner strength and courage as she underwent treatment.

"Katie has the Midas touch. Her optimism and passion are transformative and turn anything she touches to gold," head women's soccer coach Andrew Gamarra said. "Katie's competitive force, both as a player and as a coach, catalyzed the turning point in North Central College Women's Soccer. Those same characteristics that elevated her team also carried her through her cancer battle, which she won with fierce resolve and her trademark positive attitude. Above and beyond all of these things, Katie is one of the most genuine people you will ever meet. We all have much to learn from Katie's example, the most important lesson of which is to bring our whole selves to every endeavor and to pursue our goals with heartfelt enthusiasm."

McNeela graduated from North Central with a bachelor's degree in marketing and organizational communication with a minor in psychology.

"National Girls and Women in Sports Day commemorates the progress made since the passage of Title IX in 1972. It's wild to think that just one generation ago, women's sports looked completely different," said McNeela. "Now everywhere you look women's sports is popping off -- viewership, investment, resourcing. With this much growth, it can feel this progress was inevitable. But it wasn't. It was earned through countless small victories, persistent voices, and unwavering determination. National Girls and Women in Sports Day isn't just a celebration - it's a reminder that we stand on the shoulders of giants. And while we're seeing this incredible season of growth in women's sports, our work isn't done. We're not just celebrating history - we're actively writing it. Every game, every season, every breakthrough is adding another chapter to this incredible story. So we must continue to put in the work -- advocating for equality and opportunity across all levels of sport for all types of athletes."

2024 - Liz Robinson-Chan '93/M'03 -  North Central College alumna, Liz Robinson-Chan '93/M'03 has been named the 2024 Cleo Tanner Award honoree for her contributions to women's athletics during her time at North Central. The Cleo Tanner Award for Outstanding Contributions to North Central College women's athletics was first awarded in 2006 to recognize individuals who have positively influenced women's athletics at the college.
 
Cleo Tanner was a pioneer in the North Central College athletics program. Tanner came to North Central College in 1928 as the physical education director for women. She later served as the College's Women's Athletic Association advisor. She was promoted to Associate Professor in the Physical Education Department before she assumed the position of Head Women's Tennis Coach in 1931 and later became the women's basketball coach at North Central.
 
Robinson-Chan was a four-year member of the women's track and field team at North Central. She earned the title of All-American in 1990 as a member of the 4x100 meter relay team which took fifth place at nationals. Robinson also captured five CCIW Championships during her illustrious career as a Cardinal. Her 200-meter dash time in 1992 ranks 10th all-time in school history for an outdoor race.
 
"Some of my fondest memories were those of being a female college student-athlete," said Robinson-Chan. "I remember the teamwork, camaraderie, and the feeling of being a part of a family that you are truly committed to. We worked harder because we pushed one another to do better, along with having the support to persevere and succeed. Another benefit of being part of the North Central Track Team family is that it helped me with emotional well-being and health."

"Being a student, as well as an athlete at North Central has helped me develop my leadership skills, along with my self-confidence and independence," said Robinson-Chan. "The education, love, and support I received here is invaluable."

After earning her Bachelor's Degree in Sociology on the Criminal Justice track, she came back to North Central in 2006 to receive her Master's Degree in Business Administration with a dual focus in Leadership and Management.

"Growing up at North Central in my early adult years helped me learn how to deal with the changes, challenges, and conflicts that life brings your way.  I had mentors like Jim Miller, Marci Thurwachter, Al Carius, Frank Gramaroso, and Walter Johnson to name a few, who helped guide me, gave me support when I needed it, and taught me to work hard to be the best that I could be."
 
Robinson-Chan began her career as a police officer at the Aurora Police Department in 1993 and retired in 2023. Over her 30-year career, she served in many different roles. While she rose through the ranks, she made history with every promotion when she became the first Black female in the department to be promoted to the rank of Sergeant, Lieutenant, and then Commander. She retired as the highest-ranking woman of color in the history of the Aurora Police Department.

Robinson-Chan also served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Aurora Women's Empowerment Foundation, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, and the Police Benevolent and Protective Association.

Throughout her amazing career, Commander Robinson-Chan was a Spanish Translator, DARE Instructor, Bike Officer, Character Counts Instructor, S.L.E.A. Instructor for Crime Scene Practicals, Field Training Officer (FTO), Deadly Force Investigative Team (DFIT) Member, and the Employee Review Board (E.R.B.) Commander
 
Robinson-Chan reflects on what National Girls and Women in Sports Day means to her, "This is a day that we commemorate girls and women and bring us together to celebrate all female athletes. It's an opportunity to recognize the accomplishments and achievements of women throughout the nation. It includes all women in sports of all backgrounds, and we are all included and united with one voice."


2023 - Bert Kinate '67 - Kinate was a member of the women's basketball team coached by Tanner and was a cheerleader during her time at North Central. "She gave me an opportunity to play basketball and I made friends on the team," said Kinate on the impact Tanner had on her as a student-athlete. "With the involvement in a program, I felt like I was able to participate and be part of the team, and I learned some basketball skills as well. Being a part of the program also helped me with my teaching."

Additionally, Kinate was recognized as her class Homecoming Queen before graduating with a degree in physical education. 

"Being elected homecoming queen meant a lot to me," said Kinate. "I remember when they announced that I won I did not believe it. It was nice, it just makes you feel good that you were picked to represent something."

"North Central prepared me to be a physical education teacher, and that's what I did all my life. I put all my effort into being a P.E. teacher," said Kinate. "[This award] means a lot. I love my job, I love teaching P.E. and I feel like I had good results. At this time in my life being recognized for my efforts as a teacher means a lot."

After commencement, Kinate brought her influence to Willbrook High School where she taught physical education and coached the gymnastics team. From 1968-70 she taught at Pontiac High School where she was the cheer and gymnastics club sponsor.

During the 1970-71 school year, Kinate taught at Addison Trail High School before returning to her alma mater Dwight High School in 1972, she was the sponsor for cheerleading and the Girls Athletics Association.

Once Title IX was passed in 1972, Kinate began the girls tennis team at Dwight. During her more than 30 years at Dwight, Kinate coached tennis, track and field, golf, and Co-Rec while being a class advisor. Kinate also served 33 years as a volleyball official.

"North Central has left me with a lot of friends. [There are] a lot of classmates I still correspond with and see on a regular basis. North Central is a place where you can make friends and keep them for life. I would say that it is great value in my life to have all these friends."
 

2020 - Jenny Garrison - In just the four seasons that North Central has fielded a triathlon team, the Cardinals have won three USAT Division III Team National Championships, had three USAT Division III Individual National Champions, seven Collegiate Triathlon Coaches Association (CTCA) All-American selections, and 11 CTCA All-Region selections.  Garrison was also named USAT Division III Coach of the Year in 2019 and now has a Cleo Tanner Award to add to her extensive collection of awards.

"My life is sports, so if I can do anything to help further other young women and girls in my field, I will do that," said Garrison. "Winning the award means a lot to me because it's neat that my kids and my family see what I do and my passion for it, and they're recognizing that. I would say that I'm pretty blessed."

Garrison, who grew up in Naperville, began her athletic career as a swimmer because her parents needed to find a way for her to get rid of all of her energy. Although she wasn't sold on it to begin with, she stuck with it throughout high school. She started her college career as a rower at Purdue University, which allowed her to continue competing. 

That next summer, she went back to her gym where she would meet her future husband, who enjoyed cycling. Adding her swimming and running background with a newfound passion for biking, triathlons were a perfect fit for her.  At age 20, Garrison competed in the triathlon in Naperville as well as the Chicago Triathlon a second time. At the Chicago triathlon, she learned she had qualified for the Ironman Hawaii and was invited to the Olympic Training Center in both Colorado Springs and San Diego. 

After college Garrison took a break from competing but was later connected with Barb Lindquist, an Olympic-caliber athlete who was ranked No. 1 in the world at triathlon in 2003 and 2004. In 2010, Lindquist was inducted into the USA Triathlon (USAT) Hall of Fame. 

"I received this phone call from Barb, who was an Olympic athlete and now an elite coach and here I am, holding a newborn baby and I haven't competed in a few years. I thought, this is amazing," said Garrison. "I was the first athlete that she coached, and then 10 months later, I won nationals as an amateur."

Following her second nationals victory a year later, Garrison decided to turn pro.

"I raced professionally the following few summers and it went really well, but the lifestyle of being a professional athlete and a mom caught up to me," said Garrison.

In the summer of 2015, she accepted her current role as the head coach of the Cardinal triathlon team. Since then, Garrison has then led North Central to three-consecutive USAT Division III Collegiate National Championships.

2019 - Kari Kluckhohn - Kluckhohn is the North Central College head women's track & field coach. A native of Wiota, Wisconsin, Kluckhohn grew up playing nearly any sport available in her small town, going so far as to play baseball over softball because it was more competitive. Even though played basketball all throughout high school, Kluckhohn recognized track was the sport she excelled at the most. More than her natural talent, though, there was something deeper about the sport that she didn't find in other sports.

"You earned what you got: your efforts and times don't lie. There's no politics in track and field," Kluckhohn said.

As it turned out, Kluckhohn built an impressive resume as a long sprinter for the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse: a seven-time Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) champion, an eight-time NCAA Division III national qualifier, four-time All-American, and a member of the NCAA Division III national-champion 4x400 relay in 1993.

For her first head coaching job, Kluckhohn became the head cross country coach for Texas Lutheran University. Although she was hired for cross country, as soon as she arrived on campus she began pushing the administration to reform a women's track & field program, which had been absent from campus for two decades. Sure enough, the University agreed and she quickly went to work building the program from the ground up. 

After Texas Lutheran, Kluckhohn took the reins at North Park University, where she served as the head coach for men's and women's cross country and track & field. Two years later, she became the head coach for women's track & field at North Central.

As North Central's head track & field coach, Kluckhohn has been nationally recognized for her dedication and contributions to the sport, earning the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Jimmy Carnes Distinguished Service Award in 2015. The organization also recognized Kluckhohn as the Midwest Region Coach of the Year three times.

2018 - Alyssa Gaudio '11/M'13 - Gaudio is the program leader in average career strokes with 82.33 and single season average in 2010-11 where she shot 79.80. She was a top-ten finisher all four years at the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Championship, earning All-CCIW honors. Gaudio placed first as a freshman, ninth as a sophomore and fifth as a junior. She finished second as a senior and has been the only four-time All-CCIW golfer in program history. 

Gaudio also had the opportunity to compete at the NCAA Division III Women's Golf National Championship in 2011 where she led the team with a 44th-place finish and became the program's first All-American. 

After completing her master's degree at North Central and gaining valuable coaching experience, Gaudio was ready to take the helm at a program of her own. She became the head coach at Chicago State University where she helped the team reach new heights and helped lead the team to a second place finish at the PGA Minority Championship in 2014. 

Since her time at Chicago State, Gaudio has moved on to become the head women's golf coach at Oakland University where she has impacted the program in similar fashion. As the program's first coach, she helped coach two players to achieve Horizon League accolades and get the Golden Grizzlies to the Horizon League Championship where they placed second.  

In her second season, Gaudio and her team returned to the Horizon League Championship and won. She was named the 2016 Horizon League Coach of the Year and saw three players honored with all-league awards. In 2017, she once again earned Coach of the Year and finished the season with a team that did not place lower than fourth in any tournament. 

2017 - Pristina Jones '99 - During her time at North Central, Pristina was a three-time national champion, 11-time All-American, in the long jump and 4x100 and 4x400 relays. She graduated in 1999 with a degree in  marketing and a minor in computer science with an emphasis in communication. 

Post-graduation, Jones entered corporate America though, after a few years, Jones became bored and found herself drawn back to athletics. In 2000, she joined the Indiana Invaders, an Amateur Elite Track & Field Club, where she spent five years competing, as well as mentoring and coaching high school and college-aged student-athletes. She concluded her post-collegiate career with a personal record of 20 feet, six inches in the long jump. It was during this time that Jones accepted her first major coaching offer as the assistant track and field coach at Jacksonville State University.

About taking a chance and moving to Alabama Jones said, "That was the best leap of faith that I ever took. I would not take it back for anything because here I am today. That was the best thing that I have ever done in my life. I don't regret it at all, taking that leap of faith."

After one year, Jones left Jacksonville State and took the position as the head coach at Chicago State. Jones was a Cougar for three years and helped to rebuild their athletic program. Jones then took her coaching abilities to the high school level, coaching and mentoring female students at Warren Central High School in Indianapolis while working toward her master's degree in Applied Management from Indiana Wesleyan University. After that, she went back to Jacksonville where she worked for she worked up until 2011, when she accepted a job at Notre Dame University, where she still coaches to this day. 

She hopes to one day become a head coach again and work with the NCAA to establish a women's graduate assistant program which will "mentor young women in coaching and helping them to understand the balance of life and coaching as a female, and help them matriculate through and get mentored as much as possible from different aspects."

 

2016 - Nancy Zeumer '67 Kranpitz - Kranpitz was the first woman at North Central College to participate in a conference championship in a men's varsity sport. An article in a 1963 edition of the North Central Chronicle indicates that "Nancy was steered to North Central because she wanted a small school 'not too far away from home, but far enough,' by a high school instructor who was a North Central graduate. After looking over the campus and talking to (coach John Molitor '60), 'with no assurances,' she decided North Central was the school."

She swam for three years under Molitor, despite a rule instituted her sophomore year that forbade women to be on the men's team. She continued to swim with the team and compete in other meets and invitationals, including the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women National Championships, and for that she's very grateful.

"If I hadn't had this opportunity, I might have just decided to stop swimming," said Kranpitz.

Despite the odds, Kranpitz had the opportunity to swim and compete in an era where most female athletes couldn't.

2015 - North Central Athletic Training Staff (Sara Koski, Taylor Arman, Christine Spear, Brittany James) - In 2015, the College had the privilege of honoring not one, but four exceptional women.

"We haven't awarded an inside member at North Central in a while," said assistant athletic director Susan Kane. "So we took a look in our organization at who is making an awesome impact and it was an 'a-ha' moment when we thought about our athletic training staff."

Koski is the head athletic trainer at the College, starting her time here in the summer of 2013. She brought with her nine years of experience being the head athletic trainer at Albion College.

James is the graduate assistant for the athletic training department wrapping up her second year in the program. She graduated from North Central in 2010 with her bachelor's degree in athletic training and has worked previously as the athletic trainer at York High School.

Spear is a outreach athletic trainer for Athletico and has been with North Central since the fall of 2012. Spear graduated from Eastern Illinois University with her bachelor's in athletic training in 2010.

Arman has been the assistant athletic trainer since the fall of 2012. She received her bachelor's degree in athletic training from North Central in 2009 and master's degree from Old Dominion University in 2011. Arman was also the head athletic trainer at Lake Taylor High School for three years.

2014 - Nancy Range - Nancy Range grew up in Niles, Ill. and is the oldest of five children. She attended Niles West H.S. in Skokie. While in high school she played on the girl's tenis and badminton teams. She was very active in G.A.A. which was the Girl's Athletic Association. This group coordinated the girl's intramural activities at the school and sponsored sports nights during the year.

After graduating from high school, Nancy attended North Central College from 1970-74. She majored in mathematics and physical education. Nancy was a three-sport athlete playing on the tennis (MVP 1974), basketball (co-captain 1973-74), and volleyball teams, She and her partner Carol Drennan DeRoche won the 58th annual Dorothy McClure Invitational Tennis tournament at Millikin University. They competed against 40 doubles teams from 23 colleges and universities from four states.

After college she became a mathematics teacher at Parkview Jr. High School in Morton Grove. She was the official at the first basketball games played by the girls in 1975. She also started coaching tennis at Niles West High School in the fall of 1975. From 1976-78, Nancy coached the Niles West JV girls basketball team and assisted Arlene Mulder in varsity. In 1979 she returned to coaching basketball at the junior high level.

She married Allen Range in 1981. Later in 1983, Nancy gave birth to her first daughter, Barbara. In 1985, she had her second daughter, Diana. From that point forward she devoted her time to her family. She and Al coached their daughters' softball teams all through grade school. Nancy volunteers many hours in the schools and tutored algebra to struggling high school students. Her daughter, Barb, attended Butler University, and is now a dual language 3rd grade teacher in Elk Grove Village. Her daughter, Diana, attended North Central College from 2004-08. She played volleyball for Coach Bunkenburg. Diana is now a 4th grade teacher, also in Elk Grove Village.

Nancy currently is a senior volunteer in her daughters' classrooms, in the area of mathematics. She also continues to tutor algebra students.
 

2013 - Karen Hill -  In 1977, Karen Hill was named the head coach at North Central College for both the women's basketball and women's volleyball teams, or half of the varsity women's athletic programs on campus.  Although she remained at North Central for just six years, the impact she had on the college's female athletic programs can't be understated.  

Hill also worked part-time in admissions when she first came to North Central while juggling her duties with the basketball and volleyball teams.  She remained the basketball coach for two seasons, and was the volleyball coach for four years.  In her final season as the head volleyball coach, she led the Cardinals to a second-place finish in the Illinois Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (IAIAW) Tournament.  Prior to 1982, the NCAA did not sponsor women's athletics.  

The women's track and field team earned varsity status in 1978, with Hill being named the first head coach in program history.  Under Hill's direction, Lisa DuChene '81 qualified for the IAIAW Track Meet and finished third in the 1,500 meters in the program's inaugural season.  

Hill's success continued on the softball diamond from 1978-82, as she is second all-time in coaching victories with 74.  In her final three years at the helm, Hill's teams qualified for the AIAW National Tournament, placing fifth in 1980 and third in 1981.  

Hill is currently in her 27th year teaching physical education at Henry Winkelman Elementary School in Glenview, Ill. and will be retiring at the end of the 2012-13 school year.  
 
2012 - Bev Thornburg - Beverly Thornburg grew up in Milwaukee, WI, and after graduating from high school she attended the University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse.  While in high school she played on a variety of teams – her softball team had to be
sponsored by a private business since the school did not sponsor women's athletics.  At UW-Lacrosse, Bev played field hockey and was honored as an All-Star. Unfortunately, Bev could not attend the All-Star event because the school was unwilling to help her financially afford the trip and she couldn't fund the trip herself.  It was this event that made Bev realize that she needed to play a role in the development of opportunities for women in competitive sports.
 
Bev arrived at North Central College in 1970 after the retirement of Cleo Tanner.  She assumed the role of women's tennis coach and was the driving force behind the movement to develop intercollegiate athletic opportunities for women at North Central after the launch of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, the predecessor to the NCAA, for women's sports championships.  Bev started the intercollegiate volleyball program in 1971 and soon followed with basketball in 1972.  In 1975, she began coaching the softball program and also laid the foundation for both the women's swimming and women's track and field programs (other individuals were hired to coach these two sports).  Before Bev got involved with the AIAW she was a member of the IAIAW (Illinois' governing body of the AIAW).  She served on the volleyball committee of the AIAW and in 1977, North Central College hosted the National Tournament.  She later served as IAIAW President for a two year term. 
 
Bev left North Central College in 1988 and at that time there were 6 sports for women; five of which she had played a
significant role in starting.  Since leaving North Central College, Bev has worked in real estate, taught volleyball at a local community college in California, and worked in sales/marketing.  She has served as a missionary for her church and spent four years in Cameroon, she's a Eucharistic minister, president of her tennis club, and tournament coordinator for the Oceanside Golf Club.  Bev continues to stay active, playing tennis five times a week and golfing twice a week. 

2011 - Marcy Kritikos - Marcy has helped to shape the face of athletics for young women, both with her contributions to the community and to North Central College. She graduated from Morton High School in 1988 where she was an all-conference, all-area and all-state performer as a pitcher and first baseman.

While playing for North Central, she continued her success, earning All-CCIW honors from 1989-92 and an NCAA III All-Region honor in 1990. She still ranks in numerous categories of records at North Central, including fourth in career RBI (99), second in single-season RBI (45), fifth in career doubles (35), sixth in single-season doubles (14), 12th in career hits (134), second in
career fielding percentage (.976), third in career innings pitched (388.6), fifth in single-season innings pitched (145), fourth in career wins (37), fifth in career ERA (1.80), fourth in career shutouts (10.5), fourth in single-season shutouts (7), fourth in career strikeouts (124) and second in single-season no hitters (3), including one perfect game.   2011 marks the 9^th season in which Marcy will serve as assistant coach to Jim Kulawiak;  previously she spent five years coaching at Argo High School in Summit, Ill.

Coach Marcy is the owner/head instructor at GenuWIN Sports Training Inc. and has been a private pitching and hitting instructor for 13 years.  GenuWIN is a 24,000 square foot sports complex in Romeoville featuring two indoor fields and seven full size batting cages.  Marcy's staff includes NCC alums Dana Litchfield, Kristen Jarosik, Jackie Nelson and Holly Roadruck.  In a single year, Coach Marcy and her staff conduct over 7,500 private lessons along with numerous clinics for coaching softball and baseball.  In this role of a private hitting and pitching instructor, Marcy has had the opportunity to positively affect many young women and grow the sport of softball in the western suburbs. 

2010 - Dr. Nancy Peterson - Dr. Nancy Peterson currently serves as Professor of chemistry and is the faculty mentor for the women's basketball team at North Central College. She came to North Central College in 1994 as Assistant Professor following a post-doctoral fellowship at the Baylor University College of Medicine. Dr. Peterson was awarded a National Institutes of Health Research Fellowship Award for her study entitled, "Sorting GABAA Receptors in MDCK and Nerve Cells" while at Baylor.

At North Central, Dr. Peterson coordinates the biochemistry program and the science scholarship program. From 1998 to 2002, she served as chemistry department chairperson and from 2002 to 2004, Dr. Peterson was the chemistry and physics department chairperson. For eight years, Dr. Peterson coordinated the Rall Symposium for Undergraduate Research and served as the faculty mentor for the women's softball program for two years. Currently, Dr. Peterson is a member of the Faculty Personnel Committee and the First-Year Experience Committee, in addition to serving as a member of the student disciplinary panel.

Dr. Peterson enjoys outdoor sports like canoeing, backpacking, waterskiing, hunting, and fishing, in addition to supporting North Central College athletics. She coached t-ball (boys and girls) when she was in graduate school, 7-9 year old girls fast pitch softball when she was a post-doc, and most recently with her son's t-ball and baseball teams. Dr. Peterson has one son, Alex (9), who enjoys playing football, basketball and baseball, depending on the season. Originally from Minnesota, she's a Twins and Vikings fan (unfortunately, the North Stars moved to Texas and she never really got into the Wild).

2009 - Heidi Matthews - Heidi Matthews assumed the role of athletic training education program director in 2000 after serving as head athletic trainer and director of sports medicine for seven years. She enters her 16th year at North Central College in 2008-09. In 2002, North Central's athletic training education program received accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education. Matthews received her bachelor's degree in 1981 from the University of Wisconsin and her master's degree from the University of Arizona in 1982. She served as head athletic trainer at Northern State University (S.D.) from 1982-87, head women's athletic trainer at Emporia State University (Kan.) from 1987-91, and school outreach program coordinator at Sports Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy Associates, Inc., from 1991-93.

Heidi began as an athletic trainer in a time when it was still surprising to see a woman in that job. She speaks of days when she would attend the national convention and be one of the few women there among hundreds of men. Now, women are equally represented in this profession. She was not afraid to forge new roads and stand where some might have thought she didn't belong.

Heidi carries herself in a way that lets student-athletes and coaches know that her gender plays no factor in her quality of work. She treats all student-athletes and coaches with respect and dignity and only asks for that in return for her and her staff. The work that Heidi did for equality in athletic training in her early professional years made it possible for young female athletic training students to be positively influenced by a successful, tenured role model in the athletic training profession.

2008 - 1982-1983 NCAA Division III National Champions, North Central College Women's Basketball Team - In 1983, the Cardinals defeated Elizabethtown College in Worcester, Mass., on ESPN, to win the 1983 NCAA Division III women's basketball crown! The Cardinals (26-6) won the Chicago-Metro Conference Tournament to earn an automatic bid to postseason and then hosted both the Central Regional and the West Quarterfinal at Gregory Arena.

In the Central Regional Tournament, the Cardinals defeated Buena Vista College behind 28 points from senior Bonnie Hansen. Then they took 32 points from Camie Loudenbeck and 21 points from senior Brenda Sanders to edge Central College in the Regional Championships. Junior guard Kim Wallner scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as North Central set an NCAA Division III Tournament record with a 100-82 romp over the University of Minnesota-Morris. Sanders and Loudenbeck each scored 23 in an 84-74 win over Knoxville (Tenn.) College in the national semifinal.

The championship game matched the Cardinals against Elizabethtown, the defending champions. North Central led 39-32 at the half and then outscored Elizabethtown 15-0 to start the second half. Hansen and Sanders led North Central with 25 and 24 points, respectively. Sanders and Wallner were named to the all-tournament team, and ESPN named Sanders the game's MVP.

2007 - Shirley Wilson

2006 - Marcy Thurwachter - Upon her arrival on the North Central College campus in 1985, Marcy Thurwachter immediately assumed many job titles, including those of an administrator and professor in the physical education department, but felt most comfortable in the role of a coach.

As the coach of the Cardinals’ women’s volleyball and track and field programs, she quickly elevated to new competitive heights and inspired student-athletes to aspire to higher levels of success. She was named North Central’s assistant athletic director in 1991 and associate director in 1994. Thurwachter earned a promotion to associate professor and served as acting department chair before moving on from the College in 2002.

As coach of the Cardinals’ volleyball team from 1985 to 1997, she inherited a team that was sorely in need of numbers to fill the roster and quickly went to work putting together a group of players who would serve as the catalyst for greater success to come.
“When I came to North Central, Al Carius was the athletic director, and he told me I might not have a team that first season,” she said. “The team had gone through some instability and there had not been any recruiting. The admission office gave me a list of women who were planning to attend North Central who had an interest in playing volleyball, but the level of quality was certainly unknown.”

Thurwachter worked the phones and put together her first recruiting class. Several student-athletes from that class became integral parts of the team that went from a 10-28 overall record in 1985 to a 24-20 record and a second-place finish in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) in 1988. The program continued to progress and eventually won its first CCIW title in 1992.

“It was interesting, the first year,” Thurwachter said. “Getting to double-digit wins was a big deal for us. It didn’t take long to double that number, get to .500, and by the time they were seniors we had added more quality players. We had our ups and downs, but we fielded pretty competitive teams.”

Thurwachter’s recruiting efforts also served her well as head coach of the women’s track and field team. Her first recruiting class included Ophelia Johnson ’91 and Megan Allen ’90 Gossett, both of whom wound up becoming 12-time All-Americans. Johnson became the Cardinals’ first individual national champion in the 100-meter hurdles in 1989 and was a member of North Central’s first Athletic Hall of Fame induction class in 2004. Gossett was inducted in 2005.

North Central’s women’s track and field program won five CCIW team championships (including the inaugural CCIW women’s meet in 1986) and nine individual and relay national championships in Thurwachter’s tenure, along with 106 All-American certificates and 217 individual CCIW titles. The Cardinals’ ascension to the national level also began during the recruiting process. Thurwachter challenged young women to consider the heights to which they were willing to go.

“I think one of the things that made my signature in the recruiting process was to ask, ‘How good do you want to be?’” she said. “A lot of high school seniors don’t have any idea. In the ‘80s, very few athletes I recruited said they wanted to be an All-American. I don’t know if many of them knew it was an option.

“It took a long time, but once they came to North Central, got into the program and had that first taste of success, their expectations changed dramatically. They had a better grasp of what it took to be successful on the national stage.”

Now assistant director of operations for the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association, Thurwachter remains in contact with many of the athletes who competed for her, including seven North Central Athletic Hall of Famers.

“The most important thing is the experience of working with people as teenagers and seeing that transition to adulthood,” she said. “It’s a special time in people’s lives and to get a front-row seat is really special.”