One of the greatest football teams in Silver Streaks history along with athletes that excelled in swimming, track and field, baseball and golf make up the Galesburg Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2022.
Four athletes, one team and a longtime radio broadcaster will enter the hall of fame during induction ceremonies Nov. 26 at Galesburg High School.
The Galesburg Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2022 includes:
- The 1980 football team;
- Swimmer Kenton Cooper (Class of 2009);
- Track and football standout Albert Greene (Class of 2002);
- Girls golf star Taylor Nesselroad (Class of 2017);
- Baseball pitcher Steve Schwab (Class of 1980);
- Longtime WGIL play-by-play broadcaster Brad Bennewitz.
The induction ceremony will be held at 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 26 in the Hegg Performing Arts Center. The new hall of famers will also be introduced later that night between games at the Galesburg Thanksgiving Tournament.
The Galesburg Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2022
Kenton Cooper (Class of 2009)
Cooper was voted the Streaks most valuable swimmer in 2007-08 and 2008-09. He was a 9-time sectional champion and a 10-time Western Big Conference champion. He set the 200 freestyle record of 1:44.99.
Cooper is a 2013 graduate of Calvin College where he was a member of the swim team for two years.
Albert Greene (Class of 2002)
Greene earned three letters in track, two in football and one in basketball for the Silver Streaks.
He excelled in the triple jump, advancing to state twice and placing 10th at state in 2022. He was a two-time Western Big 6 Conference champion in track and field.
Greene went on to star in both football and track and field at Monmouth College, where he graduated in 2006. He was a 7-time track and field national qualifier and the school record holder in the triple jump. Greene finished third and was an All-American in the triple jump in 2006.
Taylor Nesselroad (Class of 2017)
Nesselroad was a four-time all-stater in girls golf for the Silver Streaks. She held both the 9-hole (31) and 18-hole (68) record low scores in school history.
She was Western Big 6 All-Conference all four years, placing first as a sophomore, junior and senior. Nesselroad was the 2016 individual sectional champion and a three-time regional individual champion.
She’s a graduate of Valparaiso University.
Steve Schwab (Class of 1980)
Schwab was a standout pitcher for the Silver Streaks and the 1980 Galesburg American Legion state runner-up team.
Schwab has been an assistant baseball coach at GHS since 1999, and the concession manager at the school since 2002.
Brad Bennewitz (Friend of GHS Athletics)
Bennewitz began his radio career in 1991 at Galesburg Broadcasting Company and started handling play-by-play duties for football and boys basketball on WGIL in 1992. He has been named the best play-by-play announcer for small market radio by the Illinois Broadcasters Association.
He has been teaching in the GHS English Department since 2006.
1980 football team
Coached by Kelly Kane, the 1980 Silver Streaks — led by stars like Mark Reed, Gary Pugh and Kurt Bell — were undefeated Western Big 6 Conference champions en route to am 8-1 regular season. The Streaks lost to Belleville East in the first round of the state playoffs.