CHICAGO – UIC Athletics announced today that six former Flames, and one entire team, will be formally inducted into the department's Hall of Fame on January 28, 2017. The group includes representatives from five different sports, one former coach and long-time administrator, and the first men's basketball team to earn an NCAA Tournament berth.
 
The 2017 Hall of Fame Banquet and Reception will be held on January 28, 2017, at the UIC Forum. Cocktail hour begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. The induction ceremony will commence at 7:30 p.m. The cost to attend is $75 per person or $500 for a table of eight. Formal invitations will be sent out next month. Please contact UIC Assistant Director for Advancement Amanda Mener with questions at 312-355-0715 or via e-mail at amener2@uic.edu.
 
Both the UIC men's and women's basketball teams will be playing at home on Hall of Fame weekend. Head coach Steve McClain's men's team will host Northern Kentucky on Friday, January 27 to kick off the weekend before head coach Regina Miller's women's squad welcomes Valparaiso for a 1 p.m. matinee on the day of the induction. The men's team closes the weekend on Sunday, January 29 against Wright State.
 
Meet the UIC Hall of Fame's class of 2017:
 
Tricia Charbonneau, Softball (1995-98)
A 1995 All-Region First Team selection, Tricia Charbonneau, batted above .300 in each of her four seasons at UIC, with a career-high batting average of .345 in 1995. A leadoff hitter and third baseman, she earned All-Conference honors in every season, including three First Team recognitions. Charbonneau solidified her place in the UIC record book. Her career statistics in games played, at-bats, runs scored, hits, RBI, doubles, stolen bases, walks, and total bases all rank her in the top 10 in Flames history. She also ranks in the top 10 with several single-season records including: games played, at-bats, hits, doubles, and stolen bases. Charbonneau is also featured in the NCAA record book for her 889 career at-bats, and her 264 at-bats for a single season in 1997.
 
Charbonneau joins former teammates Stefanie Christoferson and Samantha Iuli, and head coach Mike McGovern in the UIC Athletics Hall of Fame.
 
Tom Cisar, Men's Golf (1968-71)
Tom Cisar, winner of the Illinois Amateur title in his post-UIC career on the links, was an experienced leader of teams that won the Illinois Lakeland, Chicago Collegiate League, and numerous other tournaments. In his junior season, Cisar went undefeated, winning all 20 of his matches, including medalist honors at the North Central Invitational. After battling mononucleosis the next year, co-captain Cisar posted eight victories in 11 outings with a scoring average below 79. He played on two teams that compiled a 66-match winning streak, stretching from May 1966 through April 1970, a stretch that only ended with a tie against DePaul.
 
Cisar will be joining coach Dick Rader and teammate Bob Augustine in the UIC Athletics Hall of Fame.
 
Jay DeMerit, Men's Soccer (1998-2001)
Starting in 69 consecutive matches for the Flames, Jay DeMerit, was a three-time NSCAA All-Midwest Region defender and an All-Midwest First Team selection two consecutive times. From 1999-2001, DeMerit made the All-Conference First Team for each of those years. In 1999 and 2000, he made the All-Midwestern Collegiate Conference squad, and in 2001, when the League's name changed, he made the All-Horizon League squad too. Across his UIC career, Demerit racked up 11 career goals, 14 career assists, 36 career points, and was an integral part of 25 shutouts. Professionally, DeMerit led Watford FC to a promotion to the English Premier League in 2006, and in 2007 he earned a spot on the U.S. Men's National Team. He became the first UIC player to appear in a World Cup in 2010 when he helped the Red, White and Blue win its group for the first time since 1930.
 
DeMerit is the fifth former UIC soccer player, and sixth member of the program, to earn induction into the Hall of Fame. He joins former teammate Eric Lukin and his head coach Sasha Begovic as inductees.
 
Erin Garrett, Women's Swimming (1996-99)
Breaking records throughout her time at UIC, Erin Garrett started off her freshman season with a splash by winning individual event titles and contributing on four first-place relay teams. She continued her ascent during her sophomore year, when she was the top swimmer for the Flames in both the 100-meter backstroke and 200-meter individual medley. In 1998, Garrett won first place at the Midwestern Collegiate Conference Championships for the 100-meter and 200-meter butterfly, breaking both the UIC and MCC records in the 100 butterfly. She concluded her career in record-breaking fashion, as well, by winning those same titles again in her senior year, breaking her own UIC and MCC records for the 100 butterfly in the process. Garrett is the first UIC women's swimmer to earn induction into the Athletics Hall of Fame.
 
Justin Johnson, Baseball (2004-06)
Justin Johnson was a highly regarded backstop during his time at UIC. Johnson ended his UIC baseball career with a .377 batting average and was selected for the All-Horizon League First Team in both 2004 and 2006, and the ABCA/Rawlings All-Mideast Regional First Team in 2006. As a senior he batted .395 with 11 home runs, 57 RBI and 18 doubles. He led the Horizon League in RBI in 2004, and in slugging percentage in 2006. His accomplishments in 2006 came after missed the entire 2005 campaign following Tommy John surgery. Upon graduation Johnson held the fourth and sixth and ninth spots in single- season RBI with 61 and 57, respectively. He also ranked seventh in doubles (18) and runs scored (52) in a single season, and sixth in single-season home runs, by posting 11. In 2004 Johnson ranked second at UIC in the (possibly painful) category of getting hit by pitches with 16. In two seasons on the diamond, he batted a robust .377 with 19 home runs, 118 RBI and 94 runs scored. He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 2006 and played in the minor leagues until 2008.
 
Denny Wills, Basketball Coach & Administrator (Since 1987)
An iconic part of the UIC family for 30 years, Denny Wills currently serves as the Director of Port Academic Center and Alumni Relations. Other responsibilities have included serving as a Special Assistant to Athletics, overseeing all internal operations and communicating with the NCAA regarding the Third Cycle Certification. From 1998-2008, he was an Associate Athletic Director, overseeing sport operations while also in charge of academics and NCAA Compliance. Prior to that role, Wills served as an Assistant Athletic Director and was responsible for counseling and advising 250 UIC student-athletes. While a professor, he also taught 300-level Kinesiology classes. As a basketball coach, Wills was an assistant under former head coach and Hall of Famer Bob Hallberg. His duties included managing the budget, travel arrangements, NCAA compliance, academics, recruiting, on-floor coaching, and other administrative responsibilities. 
 
1997-98 Men's Basketball Team
The 1997-98 UIC men's team was the first in school history to earn a bid in the NCAA Tournament. It had the most conference wins and the highest conference win percentage in the school's Division I history, a 12-2 record in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference (MCC) and an overall record of 22-6. The team, helmed by head coach Jimmy Collins, set a record for most wins at home, going 13-1 at the UIC Pavilion. Deadly from downtown, they were ranked sixth in the nation with a 3-point percentage of nearly 42 percent. That season the Flames led the MCC in 3-point percentage, 3-pointers made, and assists. The squad was led by Mark Miller, named Conference Player of the Year with a 19.7 PPG. He is already a UIC Hall of Famer, inducted in 2003. Other notable players included Bryant Lowe and Konstantine Stavropoulos who were also honored by being chosen for the First Team All-MCC and the All Newcomer Team, respectively.

Editorial assistance provided by Marinko Kuljanin and John Healy.