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1990 Girls' Track
The 1990 Sterling High School girls’ track team, coached by Paul Hess, had a combination of veteran talent, infused with some talented youngsters, and they did not disappoint. Hess’ Warriors breezed to a 9-1 dual season, claimed a third straight North Central Illinois Conference championship, took second at the Rock Island Sectional, and qualified ten individuals and two relays for the IHSA State Track Meet.

The Warriors dominated the NCIC meet, literally lapping the competition, finishing with 140 points, more than double that of second-place Princeton. Juniors Angie Kent and Jenny Schwab were both double winners – Kent in the 100 and 200 dashes; Schwab in the 800 and 300-low hurdles. They anchored winning relays: the 800 (with Justine Ortiz, Dawn Schuetz, and Keely Kunde) and 1600 meters (with Brandy Zion, A. Kent, and Schuetz) respectively. Senior Stephanie Hess, a four-year standout in the weight events, won both the shot put (37-10.25) and the discus (117-1), while Kunde led the charge in the 55-meter high hurdles (8.91), as Christine Kent ran a 1.04.6 to claim the 400-meter dash.

As they had all season, Angie Kent, Jenny Schwab, Teri McCormick, Keely Kunde, and Stephanie Hess fueled Sterling’s sectional effort. Schwab, who set two records in two events, and A. Kent were Charleston-bound in four events, while McCormick, Kunde, and Hess each advanced in two. Schwab recorded her records in the 800 (2:18.74) and in the 300-meter hurdles (45.5).

At the IHSA State Track Meet at Eastern Illinois University’s O’Brien Stadium, A. Kent finished ninth in the 100 (12.4) and earned a fifth-place medal in the high jump (5-5). Schwab took home a seventh-place medal in the 800 and a sixth-place medal in the 300 hurdles (46.2). McCormick placed eighth in the discus (124-7). As a team, the Warriors placed 11th at the IHSA meet.

Team members: Rachel Benters ’92, Melinda Evans ’90, Jenny Guerrero ’90, Stephanie Hess ’90, Dawn Johnson ’92, Angie Kent ’91, Caroline Kent ’93, Christine Kent ’93, Keely Kunde ’90, Kriston Long ’92, Teri McCormick ’92, Justine Ortiz ’92, Dawn Schuetz ’91, Jenny Schwab ’91, Tammy Sheehan ’91, Eva Woessner ’92, and Brandy Zion ’91
Coaches: Paul Hess, Phil Smith, and Phil Hoffreiter

1992 Girls' Track
The Sterling Warrior girls’ track team, coached by Paul Hess, began their 1992 campaign as the odds-on favorite in Northern Illinois. They spent the season running, jumping, and throwing their way to an undefeated dual meet record.

The 1992 Golden Warriors rolled to their fifth consecutive North Central Illinois Conference title, racking up 162 points, outdistancing second-place Mendota with 89. Leading the way for the Golden Warriors was senior Christine Kent, who set new NCIC and SHS high jump marks of 5-8.25. Her sister, Caroline Kent, added a 5-6 leap to place second. Christine followed up her record-breaking performance in the high jump with impressive victories in the 200 (26.9) and 400-meter (1:01.2) dashes, along with being a member of the 800-medley relay team. That group included Melissa Estrada, Kriston Long, and, Caroline Kent with a 1:53.9 finish.

Four-year standout McCormick earned first place in the discus (121-1) and was the runner-up in the shot put (39-10). Sophomore Jennye Lawrence led one, two Warrior sweeps in both the 1600 (5:32.5) and 3200 (11:54.7) runs. Senior Chris Zolli used a strong kick to take second in the 1600 (5:38.1), and Jacqui Vasquez took second in the 3200 with a time of 12:10.7. Long and freshman Stephanie King combined for a one-two sweep in the 100-high hurdles, running 16.1 and 16.4 respectively.

Sterling edged the Rock Island girls for the sectional title, sending 13 competitors in 10 events to the IHSA State Track Meet in Charleston, Illinois. As expected, McCormick advanced in both weight events, and the Kent twins in the high jump, the 400-meter dash, and the 800-medley relay. Lawrence took the 3200 run (11:45.31) and the 1600 (5:23.99). Unexpectedly, King qualified in the 100-high hurdles (15.65). Sophomore Kelly Vaughn also earned a state ticket, taking second to McCormick in the discus with a throw of 116-2. The 3200-relay team of Vazquez, Sharon Barron, Zolli, and Rachel Benters recorded a second-place 9:55.63 to qualify.

At the state meet, McCormick took fifth place in the discus with an SHS record-breaking throw of 129-8. Christine and Caroline Kent earned third and sixth place, respectively, in the high jump. Lawrence was sixth in the 1600-meter run. Sterling totaled 16 team points, good enough for 11th place in the final standings.

Team members: Rachel Benters, Dawn Johnson, Kriston Long, Teri McCormick, Jodie Reaver, Chris Zolli, Caroline Kent, Christine Kent, Megan King, Kriston Long, Danielle Bailey, Sharon Barron, Amy Beveroth, Karren Crownhart, Heather Gerdy, Jennye Lawrence, Natalie Marks, Melissa Estrada, Stephanie King, and Jacqui Vazquez

Coaches: Paul Hess, Phil Smith, Jay Rhodes, and Phil Hofreiter

2001 Girls' Track
The 2001 girls’ track team, coached by Paul Hess, had a record-breaking season. They went undefeated (19-0) in the regular season, captured the conference title, and placed seventh at the IHSA State Track Meet.

At the NCIC meet, the Warriors scored points in all but one event, racking up 171 points, more than doubling runner-up Geneseo with 74. Senior Tori Gaumer won three events, including the pole vault (school and meet record 11’), the triple jump (meet record 35-6), and the 300-meter hurdles (47.7). Sterling freshman Shanon Beelendorf was a double winner, taking the 400 (1:01) and 200 (27.1). Taylor Carbaugh won the shot put competition and finished in second place in the discus throw. Sterling was dominant in the relays, winning the 800-medley, 3200, 400, and 1600 relays.

On the DuWayne Dietz Track at Roscoe Eades Field, the Golden Warriors won the sectional meet for the first time since 1995 and qualified 13 girls in nine events for the IHSA State Track Meet in Charleston, IL. Individually, Gaumer qualified in the pole vault, the 300 hurdles, and the triple jump, Carbaugh in the shot put, Katie Pickford in the pole vault, and Amber Druien qualified in the 800 meter run.
Four relays also qualified for state: the 800-medley (Kaci Anderson, Dana Dietz, Bridget Cassady, and Beelendorf), the 3200-meter relay (Amee Binder, Jill Norman, Rachel VonHolten, and Druien), the 800-meter relay (Beelendorf, Rachel Minertz, VonHolten, and Cassady), and the 1600-meter relay (VonHolten, Sam Scheidegger, Beelendorf, and Druien).

At the state meet, Gaumer and Pickford went two-three in the pole vault competition (11-3 and 9-9 respectively), with Gaumer setting the SHS record. Gaumer also took home a seventh-place medal in the triple jump. Carbaugh also broke an SHS all-time record with a throw of 41-7 in the shot put, good for a second-place medal. The Warriors came home with a seventh-place trophy in Class AA for their efforts.

Team members: Rachel VonHolten '01, Linda Rhode '01, Jill Norman '01, Rachel Minertz '01, Rachel Marruffo '01, Liz Gehrke '01, Tori Gaumer '01, Christina Estrada '01, Bridget Cassady '02, Taylor Carbaugh '02, Amee Binder '02, Cynthia Siddens '03, Katie Pickford '03, Abby McMillin '03, Nichole McDaniel '03, Amber Druien '03, Dana Dietz '03, Kaci Anderson '03, JoAnne Wheeler '04, Samantha Scheidegger '04, Myra Moman '04, Stephanie Howze '04, and Shanon Beelendorf '04

Coaches: Paul Hess '64, Phil Smith '67, Phil Hofreiter, John Gehrke, Scott Pickford, and Allan Pugeda

Keith Pratt '67
Keith Pratt is a 1967 graduate of Sterling High School. He earned varsity letters in both track and cross country during his four years at SHS.

In cross country, Pratt earned three varsity awards and was captain of the team his senior year. He was also president of the “S” Club and participated in intramural basketball each of his four years at Sterling.

In track, Pratt received four varsity awards. Pratt was one of only two individuals in all of 1963-1964 SHS sports who, as a freshman, received a varsity letter. He was co-captain of the track team in both his junior and senior seasons. Pratt’s specialty was the long jump, but he also took his turn on many winning sprint relays.

As a senior, Pratt competed at the Geneseo Relays and came home a gold medal winner in four events: the 220-yard dash, the long jump, and as a member of two relays, the 4 X 220 and the 4 X 440.

In a dual meet against the Dixon Dukes, Pratt’s leap of 23-4 broke the SHS long jump record. The previous SHS record of 22-9 was established by Chuck Peugh ’56. This record leap moved Pratt into the top five long jumpers in the state. Pratt’s long jump record still survives today – 44 years later.

Pratt qualified for the IHSA State Meet and was ranked 2nd going into the meet. Pratt made it past the preliminaries, where an eventual pulled hamstring on his second jump in the finals prevented Pratt from vying for a state medal.

After contemplating the six college scholarships he was offered, Pratt went on to compete on the track team at Illinois State University where he graduated in 1971.

Today, Pratt is a retired. He spent 35 years as a general contractor. For 20 of those years, Pratt also restored vintage Corvettes. He and his wife, Karen, live in Corpus Christi, Texas. They have one granddaughter, Aubrey Rose.

Miguel Vazquez '84
Miguel Vazquez graduated in 1984. Vazquez earned 4 varsity letters in wrestling during his four years at SHS and was elected captain in his junior and senior seasons.

Vazquez’s prowess as a wrestler led him to a four-year 123-23 record, which still ranks 4th all-time in Sterling wrestling history. He qualified for the IHSA State Wrestling Meet in 1983 and 1984.

Vazquez was selected as a member of the NCIC All-Conference 1st team all four years. He finished in 3rd place as a freshman, 2nd place as a sophomore, and finished as the NCIC champion as a junior and a senior. He was a four-time Sterling Invitational champion and was named the Warriors’ Most Valuable Wrestler in both his junior and senior seasons.

For the past 22 years, Vazquez has taught math at Rock Falls High School where he is the assistant wrestling coach. He is also a registered IHSA softball, baseball, and football official. He has umpired at the 2007 AFA Nationals, at the 2008 and 2009 USSSA World Series competitions. Vazquez spends many summer days umpiring at college softball exposure tournaments.

Miguel attended the University of Iowa and earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics/secondary education. He received his master’s degree in education and leadership in 2004. Today, Vazquez lives in Rock Falls with his daughter, Jacinta (22), and teaches math at Rock Falls Township High School. In his free time, he enjoys bike riding.


Ken Ronzone '88
Ken Ronzone is a 1988 graduate of Sterling High School. Ronzone earned varsity letters in both track and field and football during his four years at SHS.

In football, Ronzone received honors in both 1987 and 1988 as a member of the First Team, All-NCIC as a safety.

In track, Ronzone earned four varsity letters and was co-captain of the team in both his junior and senior seasons. Ronzone, as a sophomore and sectional champion, qualified for the state meet. He also won the award for Most Outstanding Underclassman for his work on the track.

As a junior, Ronzone earned six first-place finishes in the high jump throughout the 1987 season. To highlight the Warriors’ victory over the Dixon Dukes, Ronzone leaped to an SHS record of 6-7.25. Ronzone broke the previous record of 6-4.5, set by Barry Hasselman in 1983. Ronzone was again the sectional champion and went on to jump his way to the IHSA State Track Meet, where he earned a sixth-place medal in the Class AA high jump competition with a jump of 6-6. Ronzone was the first Warrior high jumper to win a medal at the IHSA State Meet since Bob Clark in 1956. With his sixth-place medal, Ronzone claimed the distinction of being the top junior high jumper in the state.

During his senior season, Ronzone earned five first-place finishes in the high jump, and he went on to a record-breaking season. Ronzone began the season jumping 6-2, 6-4, and even 6-6. At an early-season meet at Westwood Sports Center, Ronzone broke his own record and established a new SHS record of 6-8.5. Later in the season, he tied the Twin Cities meet record with a jump of 6-6. Unfortunately, a nagging ankle injury kept Ronzone from competing during the final portion of his senior season and defending his two sectional titles. As a tribute to his four years of hard work and high jump dominance, his teammates and coaches voted Ronzone as the Most Valuable Track Athlete for 1988. Ronzone was also the 1988 Roscoe Eades Award winner.

Over 23 years later, Ronzone’s high jump record still stands on the SHS record board.

Ronzone attended Western Illinois University on a track scholarship. He placed third at the 1990 Missouri Valley Conference Meet. A federal internship ended his collegiate track career. After graduating magna cum laude from WIU in 1992 with a double major in law enforcement and sociology, Ronzone headed west. Today, Ronzone is employed by the Albuquerque Police Department for 15 ½ years as a police officer, dedicating the past 11 years to the K9 Unit and Swat Team. He lives in Albuquerque with his wife, Giselle, also a 15 ½-year veteran of the APD, son, Trey, and daughter, Mackenzie.

Chris Shearburn '89
Chris Shearburn graduated in 1989. While in high school, he earned a varsity letter in cross country as a junior and four varsity letters as a member of the Sterling Warrior tennis team, collecting MVP honors in his both his junior and senior seasons.

Shearburn was Sterling’s number one singles player, beginning with his very first match as a freshman, and he never relinquished that position. With over 100 career singles and doubles varsity wins under his belt, Shearburn spent much of his time on the winner’s podium. He was champion of the Rockford Boylan Invitational in 1989 and champion of the Sterling Invitational in 1987, 1988, and 1989.

Post-season tennis excellence was a habit for Shearburn. As a freshman, Shearburn was a conference runner-up. For the remainder of his high school tennis career, he secured the NCIC championship. Shearburn is a two-time sectional champion, and was twice a runner-up. He was also a four-time IHSA State Tennis Meet qualifier, finishing in the top 32 as a freshman, junior and senior, and was a member of the IHSA All-State Honorable Mention Team in 1988 along with his doubles partner, James Underwood.

Not only did Shearburn excel on the court, but he also excelled in the classroom, earning All-NCIC All-Academic accolades. He was an Illinois State Scholar and graduated in the top five of his class.

After high school, Shearburn accepted a scholarship to attend Kankakee Community College. He continued his academic and tennis careers at the University of Alabama-Huntsville and earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. His three years at UAH were spent in the number one singles and doubles position. Shearburn was team captain and MVP as a senior. He attained a #25 singles ranking in the NCAA D-II South Region and a #8 doubles ranking.

Today, after working for Boeing on the International Space Station for four years, Shearburn is part owner of Southern Solar Systems. He and his wife, Sybil, live in Huntsville, AL. They adopted Sophie Paulina on 8/8/11. Shearburn teaches tennis at the Huntsville Athletic Club and still competes, finishing 4th in the nation in the 2009 USTA National Adult Tournament, Las Vegas, NV.