On Saturday June 7 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Lisle, the College of Dupage honored six past coaches and athletics for their accomplishments on and off the field as they are inducted into the COD Athletic Hall of Fame.
Gar Simers played baseball for only one season at COD in 1979, but in that one season he hit .506, 11 home runs and had 42 RBIs.
George Hawthorne did both Football and Wrestling from 1985 to 1987. He was All-American for football in 1986 and qualified for NJCAA wrestling championship in his two years in the program.
Joe Roman was the defensive coordinator for the football team from 1975 to 1996, with one of his biggest highlights being his 36 game winning record from 1993 to 1995. He unfortunately couldn’t make it to the ceremony due to injuries he received a few days prior. Matt Foster was chosen to speak on his behalf as he is close to him.
Deb DiMatteo was the softball coach from 1994 to 2015, winning four national championships in 1998, 2000, 2001 and 2004. She ended her tenure with an impressive 329-114 record.
Kris Morton Holtquist played softball from 1997 to 1998. She was a part of the 1998 national champion team along with being an All-American in 1998.
The last recipient of the night was Bethany Ester Atchison who did track and field from 2009 to 2010, who won the national championship in high jump going over 5’3” in 2010, along with earning three All-American awards.
