Beals & Cross Country Teams Inducted
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The 1988 Chrisman Boys and Girls Cross Country teams along with Coach Roger Beals have made it into the Greater Illiana Sports Hall of Fame.
The Greater Illiana Sports Hall of Fame was designed to honor the outstanding athletic achievements of the greatest teams, media members, game officials, legends, coaches and athletes from over fifty two High Schools in East Central Illinois and West Central Indiana, along with Danville Area Community College.
The idea came from Arena Manager Joe Dunagan. Dunagan said he has seen many different sports Hall of Fames at the places where he has worked and says there are plenty of names to choose from in the Danville Area.
“There’s names on that list that, once you start to dive into it and you see what these people have done and what they have gone onto accomplish in their athletic and sports career and in their lives, it’s just incredible,” Dunagan said.
The mission of the Hall of Fame is to celebrate and preserve memories in order to allow future generations to enjoy and appreciate the success experienced by those in athletics and in the Eastern Illinois and Western Indiana area.
The Inaugural induction took place on Saturday, June 25, 2022 at the Palmer Arena in Danville. The honorees were provided a mixer consisting of drinks and appetizers, followed by a program. The class is made up of fifteen teams, thirty-one individual athletes, seventeen coaches, two officials, three media and one legend.
Among those inducted as a coach was Chrisman’s Roger Beals. Beals has 638 career wins at Metcalf Young America, Varna Mid-County and Chrisman as a basketball coach. He has won four District Titles, fourteen Regionals, four Sectionals and two Super-Sectionals. He also brought home the Runner-Up State Basketball Trophy in 1985 and a 3rd Place State Trophy in 1987.
Beals is a member of the IBCA and Eastern Illinois University Hall of Fame. He was a Basketball MVP at Eastern Illinois University in 1960 and has the Chrisman High School Gymnasium named after him. Along with basketball, Beals coached Cross Country.
He brought home not only one but two State Championship trophies in 1988 as the boys and girls were the first school in the history of IHSA to win both in the same year. That record was in place until 2002 when Winnebago High School became the second school in history of Class A to win both boys and girls. In 1988 & 1989, Coach Roger Beals was named the IHSA Cross Country Boys and Girls Coach of the Year.
Inducted with Coach Beals were his State Cross Country Champions. In 1988, the Boys Cross Country team finished the season with a record of 195 wins and 3 losses and a State Championship Trophy. The members of the team that could make the Hall of Fame induction were: Cory Chaney, Don Griffith, Dusty Micheals and Bill Harvey. The other members that were part of the team but could not be there were: John Waltz, Chad Beals, Greg Stortzum, Brent Jenness, Andy Mills, Lee Waltz and the late Brian Spicer.
The 1988 Girls State Cross Country Champions were also honored. In 1988, the Girls Cross Country Team finished the season with a record of 121 wins and 1 loss and a State Championship Trophy. The members of the team that could make the Hall of Fame induction were: Karen Morris, Kathy Morris, Michelle (Kindred) Lunger, Amy (Malaise) Allison, Courtney Porter and Allana Hennette.
Those that could not make it but were also part of the team were Traci (Butler) Montgomery, Daphne (Bottom) Maurer, Tonia Schackman, Elaine Yaw and Stephanie Rhoads.
Coach Beals and each team were presented with a plaque and a program detailing all the honorees.
