East Aurora Track & Field Athletes Inducted into the Hall of Fame

Monday, January 14 2013


 

East Aurora, Marmion plan Hall inductions

From Staff Reports January 13, 2013 7:46PM

 

 

East Aurora will hold its annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Jan. 19. There will be a reception from 4:30-7 p.m. in the East High cafeteria. The ceremony will take place following the sophomore East-West game at approximately 7 p.m. The varsity East-West game follows the ceremony.

This year’s inductees are Kim Thurmond, Tony Hurd, Mike Baumann, Bill Fornal and Dennis and Debbie Shamblin.

Baumann, a 1971 graduate, participated in football, basketball and baseball while at East High. He made his biggest impact on the gridiron. During his senior year, the Tomcats won the UEC championship and Baumann was elected team MVP. He was also named all-city and all-conference and was a member of the Chicago Today All-State team and a Parade Magazine honorable mention All-American selection. He was also the first baseman on the Tomcats’ varsity baseball team for two years.

Hurd, a 1976 graduate, starred on the cross country and track teams at East High. In track, he was a three-time state qualifier in the two-mile, and he set school records in both the mile and the two-mile. His mile time of 4:20.9 still stands as a Tomcats record. Named the 1976 Male Athlete of the Year, Hurd was the county champion in both the mile and the two-mile. He was the conference champion in the two-mile and the runner-up in the mile.

Thurmond, a 1988 graduate, participated in volleyball, basketball and track. Her greatest successes were on the track, as she was the UEC champion in the 100-meter and 300-meter hurdles for three consecutive years (1986-88). She qualified for the state track meet three times in the 100 hurdles and twice in the 300 hurdles. She finished seventh in the 100 hurdles at the 1988 state meet. She was also a two-time letterwinner in both volleyball and basketball.

Fornal served District 131 for 32 years as a teacher and coach. He began his career at Simmons Junior High in 1962. He was a counselor for two years and taught P.E. for six years. He was an assistant football coach for the eighth grade team and was later named head coach of the ninth grade team. He came to East High in 1970 as a P.E. teacher and coach. In football, he was assistant sophomore coach, head JV coach and assistant varsity coach. He was the defensive backfield coach for the 1976 Tomcats, who remain the only East High football team to earn a playoff victory. Fornal was also the head baseball coach from 1980-1994 and coached golf in 1992 and 1993.

Dennis and Debbie Shamblin have been members of the East Aurora Sports Boosters Club for 24 years. The two work the concession stand at both East High football and basketball games. Debbie is a member of the executive board of the booster club, a position she has held for several years. Dennis, a 1979 East graduate, coached the Tomcats freshman baseball team from 1989-91. He has coached in Aurora Boys Baseball for 24 years and with the Aurora Superstars Football League for 11 years.