Three Silver Streaks athletes, a veteran coach, a standout track team, and a booster club leader represent the Galesburg Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2025.
The new Hall of Fame members announced this week by Galesburg Athletic Director Nick Young are:
- Ardith Johnson (2001), Individual
- Ethan Meeker (2016), Individual
- Beau Shay (2000), Individual
- Rodney Bunch (1958), Veterans Committee
- Ron Spring, Friends of Athletics
- 1999 Boys Track and Field Team
The Class of 2025 will be enshrined at an induction ceremony at 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29, in the GHS Hegg Performing Arts Center, in conjunction with the Girls & Boys Basketball Thanksgiving Tournaments.
“I’m excited about the 2025 Hall of Fame Class,” said Nick Young, District 205 Director of Athletics. “Thank you to the committee for their outstanding work in reviewing nominees and selecting our class. I look forward to the event in November and the chance to honor the inductees.”
Ardith Johnson (Singh)
Johnson was a standout in girls track for the Silver Streaks, qualifying for state each of her four years at GHS. Her junior year, she placed fourth in the 300 low hurdles and fifth in the 100 high hurdles. As a senior, she took third in the high hurdles and fourth in the low hurdles.
She set GHS records in the 100-meter high hurdles, 300-meter low hurdles, and 400-meter relay team. Johnson continued her track career at Iowa State University, earning Academic All-Big 12 honors.
She is chief designer and co-founder of Bandit Running.
Ethan Meeker
Meeker was an all-state basketball player for the Silver Streaks, finishing his career as Galesburg’s third all-time leading scorer with 1,768 points. He was a four-year starter for the Streaks and a three-time All-Western Big 6 Conference selection, playing college basketball at Kirkwood Community College and Knox College.
Meeker is a medical student completing clinical training through the Rural Student Physicians Program.
Beau Shay
Shay earned six varsity letters for the Silver Streaks—three in basketball, two in football, and one in track.
As a sophomore, he was a key reserve for Galesburg’s 1997-98 boys basketball team that finished second in the Class AA State Basketball Tournament. Shay earned all-state honors in both basketball and football, and was All-Western Big 6 Conference twice for basketball and once for football.
He went on to play college basketball at Clemson University. Shay is an podiatric surgeon with Mercy One Genesis hospitals in the Quad Cities.
Rodney Bunch
Bunch was a longtime teacher and assistant coach at several District 205 schools, including Lombard, Churchill, and Galesburg High School. While at GHS, Bunch coached freshman basketball, while also serving as assistant coach for the sophomore and varsity boys basketball teams.
A GHS grad, Bunch played football and ran track for the Silver Streaks. Bunch resides in Galesburg.
Ron Spring
Spring served as both vice president and president of the Galesburg Athletic Booster Club in the early to mid-1990s and as athletic ticket manager from 1999–2010.
1999 Boys Track Team
The 1999 Silver Streaks boys track team was sectional champion. Individual state medalists for Galesburg were: Alfonso Pugh (6th in long jump, 8th in 200); Calvin Opgenorth (8th in 110 hurdles); and Pierre Woods (3rd in 400, 8th in high jump).
That year at state, Galesburg finished fourth in the 4×100 relay and eighth in both the 4×200 and 4×400 relays, with contributions from Justin Brown, Doug Lindstrom, Calvin Opgenorth, Alfonso Pugh, Lorenzo Pugh, Julius Sargent, Jordan Watson, and Pierre Woods.