MACOMB, Ill.- Western Illinois University will induct five new members into its Athletics Hall of Fame Friday, September 5, in a ceremony held at the Lamoine Room, located in the University Union.
The Class of 2008 inductees include Dan Braun (basketball, 1967-70), contributor LeRoy Brown, Jackie Crescio (softball, 1977-79), Brad Owens (baseball, 1990-92) and Gayle (Gessner) Samuels (swimming, 1982-85).
The evening begins at 6 p.m. with a cocktail reception with dinner set for 7 p.m. Meals are priced at $20 dollars per person and attendees will have three options: Beef Tenderloin Bolognese, Chicken with Mustard Mascarpone Marsala Sauce, and Vegetable Wellington with Red Pepper Coulis. To make reservations for the dinner and banquet ceremony, contact Marilyn Pruitt at (309) 298-1874.
Dan Braun (Basketball, 1967-70). Braun is one of only two Leatherneck basketball players to record at least 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career, tallying 1,219 points and 1,136 rebounds from 1967-70. He remains the school's single-game scoring champion, scoring 44 points against Central Missouri State on Feb. 7, 1970. In the same game, he also set records of 17 field goals and 24 rebounds. His 509 rebounds in the 1967-68 season still stands as the school record for rebounds in a season. Braun averaged 22.2 points per game during the 1969-70 season, which is good for the second highest single-season scoring average in Leatherneck basketball history. He also owns the second highest career rebounding average of 15.6 rebounds per game.
In his senior season, the St. Anthony's High School product led the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in scoring and rebounding, averaging 23.2 points and 16.8 rebounds per game in conference play. Former head coach Guy Ricci described Braun as the athlete with the most desire in the history of Western Illinois basketball.
After graduating from Western, Braun played one season of semi-pro basketball with the Decatur Bullets. Currently, Braun is employed as correctional officer at the Hill Correctional Center in Galesburg, Illinois. Dan and his wife, Mary, reside in Monmouth, Illinois, and have four children: Tina, Danny Lee, Jason and Amber.
LeRoy Brown, Contributor. Brown has been a significant supporter of Western Illinois athletics throughout his lifetime. His generosity is often unnoticed, but his interest and philanthropic support of the Western Illinois Athletic Department is certainly appreciated. In a rare public display of generosity, Brown was the lead donor in the 2005 renovation of the men's basketball locker room. The state of the art locker room and team room is named in his honor. Brown has been and remains an influential and active voice in the Macomb and McDonough County Community. He served on the board at the YMCA of McDonough County and Union Bank during the late 1960's. He served as the Commander of the American Legion in Macomb. Brown also supported the Illinois State Patrol and was appropriately named an Honorary State Trooper by District 14 after hosting and sponsoring multiple events for local state troopers.
In 1962, Brown started his own moving and transportation business. Then in 1964, he originated a trash collection business, which eventually grew into LeRoy Brown and Sons Refuse and Removal, Macomb's first major waste disposal company. In 1990, he sold the company and retired, but is still involved in many business ventures throughout the Macomb community.
Brown and his wife, Patricia, reside in Macomb and have two grown sons, Mark and Bruce and five grandchildren, Wade, Nico, Noelle, Grant and Claire.
Jackie Crescio (Softball, 1977-79). Crescio, who was described by former head coach Kathy Veroni as the “best centerfielder ever to wear purple and gold,” was a member of the Westerwinds softball team from 1977-79. She helped lead the team to the 1979 Women's College World Series with eight home runs on the year. The Westerwinds ended the season as the sixth best team in the nation.
In 1978, she recorded a .400 batting average, which is the sixth highest single-season batting average in the program's history. She finished her career as a three-year starter, recording a .323 career batting average and 12 home runs in the process. Crescio was also a member of the Western Illinois volleyball team in 1977.
Crescio is currently the owner and operator of Spirit River Soap Company in Genesee, Wisconsin, which specializes in handmade soap. In the fall of 2008, Crescio will be attending Wisconsin School of Professional Dog Grooming.
Brad Owens (Baseball, 1990-1992). Owens remains one of the best all-around hitters in Leatherneck baseball history, hitting for both average and power in his career, which earned him the honor of being named 1990 Mid-Continent Conference Player of the Year. His career .382 batting average still stands as the highest mark in school history. Owens is second in the school record books for career triples with 14, career home runs with 24, and career total bases with 311. He is also tied for fourth in career doubles with 38, and doubles in a season with 18 in 1991. Owens finished his Leatherneck career tied for fifth in runs batted in with 109.
In the 1990 season, Owens was named to Collegiate Baseball's First Team All-American Freshman Team, a team that consists of the top-13 NCAA Division I freshmen. The Leatherneck second baseman was the leading hitter among the group, batting .429 on the season, which ranked 13th among all Division I players in the nation. Owens hit four home runs in a single game against league foe Northern Iowa, and hit a ninth-inning home run against rival Eastern Illinois, which gave the Leathernecks a 1-0 win.
Owens was a 16th round draft pick by the St. Louis Cardinals and won the 1992 United Trophy, being named MVP for the Hamilton Redbirds, a Cardinals affiliate in the New York/Penn League. After professional baseball, Owens spent five years in the Springfield School District working in security and as the head softball coach and assistant girls basketball coach. Owens has spent the last seven years working as a marketing support specialist for AT&T, while coaching youth football and baseball. Brad and his wife, Lori, reside in New Berlin, Illinois, and have four children: Joe, 11, Anna, 8, Mark, 7, and four-year old Julia.
Gayle (Gessner) Samuels (Swimming, 1982-85). Gessner was a dominant force in the pool in the mid-1980's, being named to the Gateway Conference's All-Decade Team. She is arguably one of the best swimmers in the history of Western Illinois. Dawning the purple and gold from 1982-85 as a butterfly specialist, she held the 200-meter butterfly record at Western for 18 years. Her time of 2:07.37 during the 1984 season is still the second fastest time in school history.
She also holds the third fastest time in the 400-meter individual medley with a time of 4:38.03 and has the sixth best time in the 100-meter butterfly with a time of 58.67. She was a member of the 200-meter medley relay team that holds the third fastest time in the school record book, with a time of 1:49.32 in 1985.
The Phoenix, Arizona native is currently a high school English teacher with the Peoria, Arizona Unified School District. She is also a life insurance agent and is active in her community church. Gayle and her husband, DeWayne Samuels, have two children, Chase, 11 and Alexis, 10.
