Dave Lillemon is a big believer in celebrating history.

Friday, November 26, 1999

Dave Lillemon is a big believer in celebrating history. That’s why a year ago, he helped found the Riverland Community College Athletic Hall of Fame.

Ten charter members were inducted into the hall of fame in 1998 and six more will join them on Saturday.

"History is such a big part of an institution," said Lillemon, the school’s men’s basketball coach and athletic director. "It’s so important that we recognize the outstanding players of the past."

The six newest members (listed with accomplishments below) will be honored with a ceremony to be held in between the annual women’s and men’s alumni basketball games.

The women’s game is at 5 p.m. and the men’s at 7 p.m. The hall of fame ceremony should take place at around 6:30 p.m.

Lillemon said 13 former men’s players are returning to play in the game, including Jon Van Beek and Ben Bushaw. Van Beek was an All-American during his Riverland career (1993-95) and Bushaw (1994-95) an All-Stater. It’s likely that one day both will join the 16 members of the school’s hall of fame.

"I’ve been here 13 years," said Lillemon, "and it’s so much fun for me to dig into the archives and learn about the school’s history that dates back to the 1940s."

Wendy (Dickinson) Eickhoff (1985-87)

An Austin High graduate, Eickhoff competed for her father and fellow hall of famer, David, who coached tennis at Austin Community College (ACC). Eickhoff played No. 1 singles during her two season with the Blue Devils. As a freshman, she led her team to a 9-0 record and second in the state, first place in the Region XIII tournament and 20th in the National Tennis Championships in Midland, Texas. In her first season, she finished runner-up in state and second in the region. As a sophomore, Eickhoff won the state singles championship and, again, took second in the region. She led her team to another 9-0 record and a Region XIII title. The team finished 19th at the National Tennis Championships in Altanta. Eickhoff earned a finance degree at the University of Minnesota and worked as an investment counselor before staying home with her children. She is married to Joe, and the couple has two children, Logan and Nicholas.

Sue Johnson (1983-85)

Johnson was an outstanding three-sport athlete. A high school graduate from Lyle, she was coached by Vel Moen in volleyball and basketball and by Rolf Synoground in softball while at ACC. As a freshman, Johnson was an All-Minnesota Community College Conference player in softball. As a sophomore, she was All-Conference, All-State and second-team All-Region in volleyball, All-Conference, All-State and All-Region in basketball, and All-Conference and second-team All-State in softball. Johnson earned a teaching degree from the University of Minnesota, Mankato and worked as a manager for Sportmart in Minneapolis. She has two children, Duncan and Sophie.

Jane Synoground (1982-84)

Synoground was coached by Jim Mittun and her father and fellow hall of famer, Rolf, while at ACC. An Austin High grad, Synoground helped lead her softball team to the National Championships and a sixth-place finish in the country as a freshman. She led her team in hitting with a .390 batting average and was 8-2 as a pitcher. She was named All-Conference and All-State as the Blue Devils were conference and region champions. As a sophomore, Synoground compiled a 17-6 record as a pitcher while the team finished third in the state. Her earned run average was an outstanding 0.73. She was named All-Conference, All-State and All Region. She went on to play at Concordia College in St, Paul, where she finished career with a 25-2 record as a pitcher. She earned degrees in child psychology and elementary education from the University of Minnesota and is currently a full-time homemaker with plans to return to teaching. She and her husband have two children, Joseph and Jackson.

Jim Riles (1972-74)

Riles was coached by Jim Mittun in basketball and Earl Perkins in baseball. An Austin High graduate, Riles led the Blue Devils to the conference and state basketball championships as a freshman. He averaged 13.8 points per game and was named All-Conference and honorable mention All-State. As a sophomore, Riles scored 553 points and averaged 26.6 points per game in the conference, 25.1 for the entire year. He was 13th in the nation in scoring. He received All-Conference, All-State, All-Region honors and was an honorable mention All-American. Riles is Riverland’s second all-time leading scorer with 886 points. He was also a standout in baseball while at ACC, where as a freshman he led the team to a Region XIII championship and a trip to the District Tournament in Kankakee, Ill. He hit .333 that year and was named to the All-Region tournament team. Riles is a Winona State University graduate and is currently teaching sixth grade and coaching tennis and basketball. He and his wife have two children, Trevor and Allyssa.

Rick Knutson (1970-72)

Knutson was a three-sport standout at ACC, starring in baseball. As a freshman, he was coached by Earl Perkins and batted .409 to lead the state in hitting. The Blue Devils won the conference title with a 10-2 record and had an overall record of 14-8. Knutson was named All-Conference and All-State as a centerfielder. He led his team to an 18-3 mark and a state title in his sophomore year. He batted .338 and was named All-Conference, All-State, All-Region and All-District. In basketball, Knutson played for Jim Mittun and was an outstanding scorer, currently seventh on the school’s all-time leading scoring list with 753 points. He averaged 20.0 points per game as a freshman and sophomore. In football, Knutson was ACC’s kicker. He and his wife, Jane, both work in the Austin Public Schools and have two children, Eric and Tessa.

Jon Stephenson (1968-69)

Stephenson was a standout golfer and was coached by Jim Mittun. An Austin High grad, he was an Austin City Open champ in 1971. As a freshman, he led Austin State Junior College to the National Junior College Golf Tournament in Roswell, N.M. His team finished 43-1 that season and second in the region. Stephenson placed second in the region that year. In four rounds at the national tournament, he finished 52nd out of 191 qualifiers by posting a score of 304 (78, 80, 71, 75). He went on to compete for two years at the University of Minnesota. In the spring of 1972, he teamed with John Harris and three others to win the Big Ten title. Stephenson was instrumental in that championship, shooting a four-round 297. He and his wife, Pam, have two children, Jon William and Kate.

1998 Charter Inductees

– Lori Bergstrom, Softball (1979-81)

– Hall Cuff, Men’s basketball coach (1951-66)

– David Dickinson, Men’s and women’s tennis coach (1977-93)

– Nancy Haddorff, Basketball (1976-78)

– Wayne LeRud, Basketball (1965-67)

– Jim Mittun, Men’s basketball coach (1966-85)

– Vel Moen, Women’s basketball coach (1973-88)

– Jay Schroeder, Football (1988-90)

– Cynthia Dimmel Schiffer, Basketball (1977-79)

– Patti Foss-Sutherland, Volleyball and basketball (1978-80)