March 7, 2007

Hall of Fame Inductees Gallery

The UIC Athletic Department will celebrate 25 years of competition at the Division I level on Saturday, April 14, as it hosts the Athletics Reunion and Hall of Fame Banquet at the Flames Athletic Center. Six pioneers of UIC's success at the Division I level will be inducted into the Hall of Fame while 13 teams will be honored, including each programs first NCAA Division I postseason team. For information on how you can attend this event, contact LaTrisa Jackson at 312-996-5874 or via e-mail at ljacks@uic.edu.

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

Mike McGovern - Coach
McGovern took the UIC softball program to unprecedented heights during his tenure as head coach, racking up 583 wins and a .722 winning percentage in 12 seasons. McGovern built the Flames into a nationally competitive program, collecting eight league titles, making six NCAA Regional appearances and taking the 1994 squad to the College World Series. UIC was the NCAA's eighth-winningest softball program of the 1990s, and enjoyed a national ranking as high as No. 10 during the 1999 campaign that saw the Flames tie the national record for wins in a season with 67. McGovern joined the UIC faculty in 1965. He served as a coach for both the football and men's volleyball programs during his tenure while also serving as an assistant professor in the Kinesiology program.

John Lowenberg - Athletic Administration
Lowenberg helped build the foundation of success UIC Athletics now enjoys at the Division I level. Upon his arrival in 1978, the aggressive fund-raiser used his talents to build the department's development office from the ground up. His fund-raising efforts were essential in UIC's transition to the Division I level and continued during his 13 years with Athletics. Lowenberg left his post as Associate Athletic Director for Internal Affairs in 1991 to continue his fund-raising efforts for the entire university, where he still serves today as the Deputy Associate Chancellor for Development.

Ivan Daniels - Men's Basketball (1981-85)
Daniels enjoyed a standout career at UIC and still ranks in the top 10 in the career record book for scoring (7th - 1,538), rebounding (8th - 656), field goals made (5th - 628), field goal percentage (1st - .565) and free throws made (7th - 282). He was a key cog for the 1983-84 squad that captured the Association of Mid-Continent Universities Conference title and set a then-school record with 22 victories. Daniels averaged a team-best 17.7 points per game in his senior season and was later selected in the fifth round of the NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers.

Samantha Iuli - Softball (1997-2000)
Iuli is the most decorated pitcher in UIC softball history. The two-time NFCA/Louisville Slugger All-American (1998, 1999) and three-time Midwestern Collegiate Conference Pitcher of the Year (1998, 1999, 2000) is the Flames' all-time leader in wins (111), saves (11), strikeouts (1,111), complete games (121), shutouts (60), appearances (171), and innings pitched (979.2). Iuli tossed six no-hitters during her career, including a perfect game in the second round of the 2000 NCAA Regional Championships versus Central Michigan. Iuli was also a dominant hitter, as she is UIC's career leader in RBI with 214 while ranking third in home runs with 33. The California native earned MCC Player of the Year recognition in both 1998 and 1999. Iuli helped the Flames to four straight conference titles and three NCAA Regional appearances during her career.

Eric Lukin - Men's Soccer (1997-2000)
A two-time NCSAA All-American (1999, 2000), Lukin is UIC soccer's career leader in points (133), goals (50) and assists (33). He was the 1999 and 2000 Midwestern Collegiate Conference Player of the Year and a four-time all-conference honoree. Lukin guided the Flames to NCAA Tournament appearances in 1999 and 2000 - the only two postseason berths in school history - and two MCC crowns during his tenure. The 2000 squad advanced to the 'Sweet 16' in the NCAA Tournament, posting a school record 18 wins and ranking 21st in the final national poll.

Jacki Farr - Women's Tennis (1997-2001)
Farr proved to be a leader on and off the court for the UIC women's tennis program. On the court, she was a four-time all-conference performer and was named the 2000 Midwestern Collegiate Conference Player of the Year. Farr guided the Flames to four straight conference titles and three NCAA Tournament appearances, including the program's first-ever trip in 1999. She is the Flames' all-time leader in doubles victories with 84 and ranks fourth all-time in singles wins with 78. Off the court, Farr was President of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and in 2001 became the first UIC student-athlete to earn the Horizon League's top award, the prestigious Cecil M. Coleman Medal of Honor.

SPECIAL HONORS GIVEN TO 13 UIC TEAMS
The UIC Athletic Department will honor each of the school's teams that first represented their respective sport in NCAA postseason competition, as well as six other squads that had a profound impact on the Flames' first 25 years in Division I, at the Athletics Reunion and Hall of Fame Banquet with special recognition. The 1980 men's gymnastics team started competing at the Division I level two years prior to the rest of the sports, making them the school's first NCAA Tournament team.

FIRST NCAA DIVISION I TEAMS
1980 Men's Gymnastics
1982 Women's Gymnastics
1994 Softball
1998 Men's Basketball
1999 Men's Soccer
1999 Women's Tennis
2003 Baseball

SPECIAL MENTION TEAMS
1983-84 Men's Basketball - AMCU Champions
1989 Volleyball - North Star Conference Tournament Champions
1990 Baseball - Mid-Continent Conference Tournament Champions
1999 Softball -Tied NCAA single-season record for wins with 67.
2000 Men's Soccer - Advanced to the NCAA Tournament 'Sweet 16'.
2004 Men's Basketball - School record 24 victories; NCAA Tournament.