(MT. CARMEL) With multiple individual and team state championships and scores of collegiate and even professional athletes through the years there’s no questioning the rich tradition of Mt. Carmel Golden Aces Athletics. But, despite all that success, there’s always been something missing, until now. With the support of District #348 school officials the Mt. Carmel Booster Club is excited to announce the launch of the Mt. Carmel High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
Back in 2020 the Booster Club assembled a five-member committee to develop the Hall of Fame and specifically the process by which members would be nominated and ultimately selected for enshrinement. The committee developed a set of criteria by which nominees shall be considered for enshrinement. Inductees will be selected from one of four categories… Athlete, Coach, Team, or Friend of Aces Athletics.
Finally, after the COVID-19 pandemic delayed its launch… the inaugural class of 10, as selected by the Hall of Fame Committee, will be unveiled LIVE on the WSJD Radio Morning Show on August 30th (teams), September 6th (coaches), and September 13th (athletes). The inductees will also be recognized at halftime of the September 30th Golden Aces Football game vs. Newton. Plans for a social event following the game, hosted by the Mt. Carmel Booster Club, will be announced soon.
As for future nominees, nominations can be made by members of the community, the public and Hall of Fame Committee members. Nomination forms, which will be available soon, must be returned by May 1st of each year. The selection committee will review the nominations in June of each year and finalize the Hall of Fame selections by July 1 of the induction year. There will be only five inductions each year going forward. Nominees will be considered for up to 7 years after being nominated.
For consideration, athletes must have been a graduate of Mt. Carmel High School for ten years prior to being nominated. They must have been an All-State Athlete, State Champion, member of an All-Conference Team, a collegiate or professional athlete or member of a team representing the USA, achieved outstanding recognition of success outside MCHS or IHSA such as college, conference, or national records and championships, or made a significant contribution in their field or contributed to the Mt. Carmel community.
Coaches that will be considered are those nominees who have been out of coaching at MCHS for 10 years, coached in the Mt. Carmel school system for at least 7 years, or been a head coach at MCHS for at least 5 years. Any assistant coach who has been named to their state organization Hall of Fame will automatically be eligible for nomination if they meet the time-limit criteria above. Coaches must also meet three of the following four criteria for consideration… had a career winning percentage as varsity head coach… been honored by peers or media at the district, state, or national level… coached a conference and/or state series level championship team or athlete… and made significant contributions in the chosen field or endeavor or made major contributions to the Mt. Carmel community or MCHS.
Teams must wait 10 years following graduation for consideration. Automatic consideration will be given to state championship teams during their first year of eligibility. The team otherwise must have an overall winning record for that season. Teams must meet at least two of the following three criteria for
consideration… won a conference championship, won a regional championship, or been a state tournament final qualifier.
Friends of Athletics may be anyone who meets two of the following criteria… they have made extraordinary contributions to the Mt. Carmel School District… had a major influence on the athletic efforts of Mt. Carmel students… demonstrated these qualities in a manner that has inspired the students and Mt. Carmel community… and had a major influence/service to state, country, or the international community.
The Mt. Carmel High School Booster Club and Hall of Fame Committee are excited to recognize the exceptional athletes, teams, coaches, and friends of Aces Athletics who have helped to shape the rich tradition of the Golden Aces.
