2026 INDUCTEES

GARY SMITH - BOWLING

Gary Smith was arguably the most skilled bowler in area history. He threw 26 perfect games, including four in Professional Bowlers Association competition and additional 300s in the Peoria City, Illinois State and nationally televised ABC Masters tournaments. He authored four 800 series, with a high of 847. He also won four PBA regional championships.

Gary grew up in the Chicago suburbs and arrived in Peoria to attend Bradley University in 1971. There, he became a fixture on the lanes in the basement of the Student Center and joined the BU club bowling team

Over the next 50 years, Gary anchored countless league championship teams. He was an original captain in the prestigious local Masters League. His work resume reads like a history of Peoria bowling: Auto Parts Bowl, Pleasure Island, Crossroads Lanes, Landmark Lanes. He also owned Smitty’s Pro Shop.

Gary died on December 8, 2024. He was 71. At the time of his death, the Peoria River City Bowling Association posted on Facebook that Gary’s “impact on the sport was immeasurable.”

BRIGIT CORNISH GRUNOW - SOFTBALL

A graduate of Dunlap High School, Brigit Cornish Grunow reached the softball heights at every level she played, from preps to NCAA Division I.

 Brigit was a three-year starter and an all-stater as a senior at Dunlap, where she led the Eagles to fourth place in the 1992 IHSA Class A tournament. Then, in two seasons at Illinois Central College, Brigit led the Cougars to third- and sixth-place finishes at the NJCAA nationals and twice was named a first-team All-American. In 1994 and 1995, she was the first player selected to the 13-player NJCAA All-Star Team that played in the prestigious Canada Cup International Tournament.

At the University of Iowa, Brigit twice helped the Hawkeyes reach the NCAA Women’s College World Series. Switching from right- to left-handed batting, Brigit earned NCAA All-Regional Tournament honors as a senior, when she scored or drove in seven of Iowa’s 11 runs. She helped the Hawkeyes finish 52-9 and become the first softball team in Big Ten Conference history to run the table in league play, going 22-0.

JUDEX JAMES - BILLIARDS

Over more than half a century wielding a cue stick in competition, Judex James defeated some of the world’s biggest names in billiards. He beat five U.S. Open champions and/or Player of the Year winners – all in tournament play. His notable victims included Corey Duea and Dallas West (twice each in the same tournament), Nick Varner, Jim Marino and Steve Mizerak.

From 1969-80, Judex won nine of 12 Peoria City championship tournaments, including seven in a row. In one storied game, in which his opponent broke but failed to sink a ball, Judex ran 150 balls and out. In the 1980s, Judex began competing on the senior pro tour, where he rose to a national ranking as high as No. 12. His first pro tour win came in 1999 at the age of 57.

In 2016, Judex was one of seven area players to represent West Peoria’s Racks on Rocks  in Las Vegas at the national-championship event staged by the Billiards Congress of America Pool League. The team topped 421 other teams to win the Men’s Mixed Open 8-Ball event.

PETE HOENER - FOOTBALL COACH

A graduate of Richwoods High School and Bradley University, Pete Hoener became one of the National Football League’s most respected coaches of offensive linemen and tight ends.

 After playing for Bradley’s last football team in 1970, Pete began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Missouri in 1975. Pete would spend 24 seasons as a college assistant coach at Illinois State, Indiana State, Illinois, Purdue, Texas Christian, Iowa State and Texas A&M.

He broke into the NFL with the St. Louis Cardinals, coaching tight ends in 1985 and ’86. In 2001, Pete returned to the NFL for good, handling tight ends and offensive line for the Cardinals in Arizona. Over the rest of his 22 seasons in the NFL, he coached for the Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, Carolina Panthers and The Washington Football Team. With Carolina, he helped Greg Olsen become the first tight end in NFL history with three consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons. In 2015, he helped the Panthers reach Super Bowl L.

ZACH McALLISTER - BASEBALL

After an outstanding career at Illinois Valley Central High School, Zach McAllister signed a pro contract and eventually pitched for nine seasons in the Major Leagues.

Zach helped lead IVC to the 2006 IHSA Class A championship, posting a 1.04 ERA and 116 strikeouts as a pitcher, while also batting .486. Named Gatorade Illinois Baseball Player of the Year, Zach was picked by the New York Yankees in the third round of the 2006 amateur draft.

In 2009, he was named the organization’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year after a 7-5 record and 2.23 ERA for Trenton in the Eastern League. Traded to the Cleveland Indians in 2010, Zach made his big-league debut on July 7, 2011. Primarily a starter when he was called up, Zach in 2013 started 24 games and posted a 9-9 record with a 3.75 ERA.

Zach spent most of his career with Cleveland but pitched briefly for the Yankees and Detroit Tigers. He appeared in 287 games, 219 as a reliever, finishing with a 29-35 won-lost record, 1 save, a 4.15 ERA and 547 strikeouts in 597 innings. He pitched in the 2016 World Series against the Chicago Cubs.

2006 ILLINOIS VALLEY CENTRAL BASEBALL TEAM

Anchored by future Major League Baseball pitcher Zach McAllister and coached by GPSHOF Hall of Famer Jerry Rashid, Illinois Valley Central High School stormed to the 2006 IHSA Class A baseball state championship with a 40-2 record.

The Grey Ghosts, ranked No. 40 in the nation by Baseball America, set school records for batting average (.364), slugging percentage (.548) and RBI (323). Four players hit .421 or better. The pitching staff set school records for ERA (1.19) and strikeouts (316).

IVC won the regional and sectional championship games by a combined score of 24-0. At State, they defeated Richmond-Burton, 14-4, in the quarterfinals, Addison Driscoll, 6-4, in the semis, and Trenton-Wesclin, 8-3, for the championship.

2004 PEORIA NOTRE DAME BOYS SOCCER TEAM

In 2004, the Peoria Notre Dame boys soccer team became the first from the Peoria area to win an IHSA state championship, beating Sycamore, 3-2, in the fourth overtime of the Class A title match. Appearing in the Elite Eight for the seventh year in a row, the Irish broke through with a 24-2-2 record under coach Peter Nash, defeating defending state champ Arlington Heights St. Viator twice, including in the semifinals.

Led by Journal Star Player of the Year Kellington Boddie, the Irish opened the state tournament with a 2-0 quarterfinals victory over Waterloo, then a 3-0 victory over St. Viator. Goalkeeper Adam Robertson had nine saves in the championship game, which was won on Patrick Masso’s goal with 40.8 seconds left in the fourth overtime.

2002, 2003 EUREKA GIRLS TRACK & FIELD TEAMS

The Eureka girls track and field team won the program’s first state championship in 2002, then followed up in 2003 with a second-place finish, both in IHSA Class A. The teams were inducted together as an Era of Excellence.

Under coach Don Samford, the Hornets won their first trophy at the state meet in 2002, taking the team title with 48.5 points. The 2002 team was anchored by junior Abby Heinold, who was named Journal Star Female Track & Field Athlete of the Year.

In 2003, the Hornets increased their team points total to 52, but finished second to Freeport’s record 86.5 points. Senior Megan Reese won her second state championship in the high jump, and Heinold ended her career with 14 state medals.

Grant money for area youth sports

The Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame is reinstating a grant program to provide financial assistance to youth sports organizations in the Tri-County area. The program was launched in 2016 and suspended when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020.

Youth sports programs from Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford counties are eligible to apply for the grants, which will be funded by benefactor contributions and revenues generated by the GPSHOF annual banquet.

Programs interested in receiving a grant should submit a request by the deadline of March 1, 2025. Applications will be reviewed by the GPSHOF Board of Directors, and three winners will be announced at the awards banquet on March 29.

Written request letters must include:

• Youth program’s name and mission

• How the funding can assist the mission

• Primary point of contact (name, email and phone number)

Send request letters to:      

Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame

            Attn:  Youth Sports Grant

            P. O. Box 9338

            Peoria, IL  61612