Niles West hosted an Athletic Hall of Fame ceremony to honor eight previous graduates for their athletic achievements in and out of school. This year, Niles West honored Dave Shelton, Rick Van Roeyen, Lou Atsaves, Simone Kung, Jewell Loyd, Pat Savage, Terri Laux and Jerry Turry. All honorees of the award were either former students or staff members.

The ceremony was hosted on Thursday, Feb. 1, for the first time since 2020. Honorees of the ceremony were able to bring guests to join them. The ceremony consisted of dinner, the induction to the Athletic Hall of Fame and each athlete receiving a plaque to be held in the Athletic Hall of Fame hallway at Niles West.

“I think it went well. It was exciting since we hadn’t had [a ceremony] since 2019. It was nice to have a diverse group of inductees,” Athletic Director Dana Krilich said.

Principal Jeremy Christian interviewed this year’s inductees outside of the South Lobby, where the event was held. The inductees were asked a variety of questions about their time at Niles West, what had changed since being at Niles West, as well as their lives after graduating high school.

“A lot has changed. The people have changed. The principal has changed. The culture has changed. You see a different element. A lot more resources but Niles West has always had really great resources but just a little more elevated,” Loyd said.

During the induction, each inductee gave a speech as accepting their award. During each of their speeches, inductees reflected on their achievements, the people who helped them get where they are now and what their future holds. Each inductee was introduced by someone they had a relationship with at Niles West or a friend. However, Turry and Kung were not able to attend. Kung provided a video thanking Niles West for honoring her.

“Thank you so much for this award. I want to thank everyone who had a hand in this award. Thank you to the Niles West committee. Congratulations to all the other inductees,” Kung said in her video.

After the induction took place, the plaques were revealed in the Hall of Fame hallway where inductees and their guests were able to take pictures in the hall. These plaques will remain there until the next ceremony, which will take place next year.

“I think it is super important [to celebrate people for their athletic achievements]. It shows our past and where we came from and celebrates that. We can also show our current athletes what the future holds,” Krilich said. “Just to see where we have come from. I hope it inspires our current athletes.”