Geneseo Foundation Activity Center improved and enhanced through grants

July 13, 2022

When the doors to the Geneseo Foundation Activity Center (GFAC) opened in 2004, the facility immediately benefitted Geneseo High School, its students and staff, its teams, and the local community.

While the facility itself was brand new, however, some of the equipment was outdated, having been brought over from the previous weight room. Over the years, dumbbells, bars and racks were purchased, but there was abundant space to accommodate additional items.

Todd Ehlert (above), who has spent 18 years teaching and coaching in the district, made it among his missions to provide the GFAC with a variety of new equipment.

“In the GFAC’s early days, there just wasn’t enough money allocated for equipment and budgets were stretched thin,” explains Ehlert, who coaches the high school boys’ cross country team, oversees the middle school’s boys’ track teams, and teaches physical education and wellness classes. “When I was moved from the middle school to the high school in 2018, I started writing grants. The first couple I wrote were to get new boxes for box jumping, but several others have followed.”

Indeed, throughout Ehlert’s tenure, he’s raised approximately $250,000 in funds through grants, including $175,000 in the last four years alone.

The process has worked for Ehlert time and time again: He identifies a need, makes his case, puts it in writing, and submits the request to a local foundation.

The Geneseo Foundation donated $400,000 of the $2.1 million needed for the facility’s construction, while over 300 families, businesses and other local organizations helped account for the rest of the funds.

Over the years, the Geneseo Foundation has continued to provide support, and the Geneseo Education Foundation, Geneseo Communications Charitable Foundation, the Francis G. and Betty J. Miller Foundation, the PTA, and booster clubs that support different GHS athletic teams, have also made significant contributions. The funds have allowed the GFAC to be filled with new benches, weights, bars, treadmills, 75-inch touchscreen TVs and racks.

“We are very fortunate to live in a student-centered community,” notes former GHS principal Travis Mackey. “The Geneseo Foundation Activity Center has impacted thousands of people over the years and with the help of people like Todd Ehlert, it will continue to make an impact on young people for years to come. For a school our size to have a facility like this is remarkable.”

“The transformation of the building has given the students and staff at GHS, as well as others throughout the community, access to a wonderful facility where they can prioritize their health and wellness,” adds Ehlert. “For those on athletic teams, students can work on getting bigger, stronger and faster. Others can focus on injury prevention or get back into shape after getting hurt.”

On most days, particularly those during the school year, the GFAC is in constant use. Gym classes begin at 6:45 am and last until 3 pm, then sports teams and other extracurriculars take over the facility until 9 pm. It’s not just GHS students, either, as youth programs and Hammond-Henry Rehab Department’s Summit performance enhancement program also use the building.

“The results are there,” states Ehlert. “The list of incredible athletes who have trained in this building is only getting longer—it’s people like Will Daniels, who competed in the Olympic trials last year, and Drew Himmelman, who has spent time with the NFL teams in Denver and Washington, just to name a few former athletes.  We also have several athletes who graduated this year and will be competing at the Division I level.”

To further improve what is offered in the building, GHS in conjunction with Hammond-Henry Hospital recently hired a full-time strength and conditioning coach. Angelo James started in June and will work with the athletic teams and students in physical education and wellness classes.

“Angelo has an incredible background,” states Ehlert. “He’s worked with the NFL, colleges, the military and the private sector. He’s got a great personality and he’s going to make it special for the kids. Angelo is big into form and technique—posture over everything is what he says.”

As for what’s to come at the GFAC, Ehlert plans on continuing to seek out ways to improve the facility.

“There’s additional space in the weight room that we need to fill, and Angelo will have ideas to offer,” Ehlert explains. “I’ve got ideas for more grants, and we’ll keep upgrading the facility as best as we can. We want to have a nutrition bar for when kids are done with their wellness. That will help ensure that kids develop better habits and eat healthier.”

Click on each image to enlarge and view:

Geneseo’s Mackey ready for the next chapter

May 18, 2022

After 33 years of working as a teacher, coach, athletic director and most recently, principal, Geneseo’s Travis Mackey is stepping down from his role as a full-time educator.

This marks the final week of Mackey’s tenure as Geneseo High School’s principal, a position he’s been in since the 2016-17 school year.

“I’ve tried not to think about it too much, but people bring it up,” Mackey says. “When that happens, it is surreal. Over the last few weeks, I’ve done certain things for the last time.

“I’ve worked in education for 33 years,” Mackey adds, “But really, I’ve been in education since kindergarten. That’s over five decades, a long time. As this year comes to an end, I’m just trying to enjoy all the little moments.”

There will be a lifetime of those to remember for Mackey, who grew up in Geneseo before attending Truman State University (formerly known as Northeast Missouri State) in Kirksville, Missouri and graduating in 1989.

Mackey’s first job was teaching everything from computer science to algebra and science to art—he also coached three sports—for Fulton’s River Bend District in the fall of 1989. His next stop was Rock Island High School, where he also taught and coached, including a role on former Geneseo football coach Vic Boblett’s staff.

In the fall of 2001, Mackey returned to Geneseo as the high school’s athletic director.

“I thought that I would be a teacher all my life, as well as a coach,” recalls Mackey. “That felt like the path for me because I loved the connection with students. Eventually, I started to wonder if I needed a different role and a new challenge. I had applied to a curriculum position at Rock Island, and I didn’t get it, but it got me thinking about becoming more of a leader. When I got a call asking if I’d be interested in Geneseo’s AD position, it felt a little bit like fate.”

Three years later, in 2004, after Larry Johnson Jr. took over for Denny Diericx as head coach of the Green Machine, he targeted Mackey to join his staff as the defensive coordinator.

“Travis wasn’t coaching at the time, and I felt it was important for him to be around the kids because he had so much to offer,” explains Johnsen. “It was so valuable for everyone because Travis brings so many positive things to the table. As a first-year head coach in Geneseo, I was fortunate to have him around.

“Travis and I both grew up as assistant coaches and we shared a lot of core beliefs and philosophies,” Johnsen continues. “It became a natural fit and I didn’t have to worry about the defensive side of the ball.”

Regardless of whether he was an administrator, teacher or coach, Mackey has relied on what he describes as a “three-dimensional” approach.

“I’ve tried to do the best I can with the content itself, be a motivator who helps students get to a place they maybe can’t get to on their own, and then show students that I care about them,” Mackey explains. “If you genuinely care, that helps build trust, which is so important. I tried to incorporate those three things whether I was a math teacher or principal.”

Mackey’s authenticity and genuine likeability made him a friend to countless colleagues and students over the years. Johnsen points out that Mackey also has a knack for knowing how to listen—and when to share his advice or perspective.

“Travis was almost like a father figure for those of us at the high school,” notes Johnsen. “He wouldn’t tell you to do something, but he’d offer advice if you asked for it. He has a very calming presence, whether in a meeting with a player, a parent or a staff member. Travis became a sounding board for me and the other coaches because of his personality and his professionalism.”

While in many respects, that’s simply who Mackey is as a person, it’s also a product of his own experience as a Geneseo student.

“It was great because of the teachers and administrators,” says Mackey. “There are so many people in this district who are willing to help. The challenge for us as educators is to give students a positive, impactful experience so that when they leave, they are prepared for the real world. We all experience adversity and disappointments in our lives, but school is that safe place where students can gain the experience and knowledge to let them know they’re going to be OK.”

While Mackey is moving on to the next chapter, what he has accomplished will continue to benefit the district for years to come, according to Johnsen.

“His fingerprints are all over the district in many ways people don’t even know about,” says Johnsen. “Travis has been a behind-the-scenes advocate for improvements in terms of developing plans, making them possible and seeing them through. The Geneseo Foundation Activity Center is a prime example.

“Travis created an environment where he let people be who they are and develop as professionals,” adds Johnsen. “It’s not easy being an administrator, but whatever challenges he faced, Travis always seemed to handle them well and not let anything affect how he dealt with his staff or students. He is a wonderful role model, and an even better person.”

As for what’s next, Mackey plans to remain active in education but looks forward to spending more time with his wife of 28 years, Kris, and their four children: Zach, 26, of Bozeman, Montana; Tyler, 25, of Geneseo; Maddie, who is finishing her senior year at Northern Illinois University; and Allie, who is finishing her freshman year at the University of Northern Iowa.

Mackey says of all the highlights of his professional career, none were better than having Zach, Tyler, Maddie and Allie in the building where he worked.

“I was fortunate to be an administrator with my own kids in the school system,” says Mackey. “To be working here but also being a dad, to see them and their friends coming up and connecting with them, that was the best.”

Murray a model of sustained success and longevity

January 5, 2022

Jon Murray, head coach of the high school wrestling team, has left Geneseo before.

Twice in fact, once after his freshman year of high school and another after serving as an assistant coach for Larry Kanke from 1992 to 1999.

When Murray returned in 2001 to teach and take over as the program’s head coach, however, he had a feeling he might be here to stay.

“The more I see other communities, the more I see how good we have it in Geneseo,” explains Murray. “The community is so supportive, from the parents to our administration. That’s meant so much, because obviously you can’t do it by yourself.

“There’s an old saying that I think about, ‘They will not care how much you know until they know how much you care.’ I try to remember that and live by it,” Murray says of his approach.

“Ever since I came back,” Murray adds, “I’ve had the peace of mind that I’m in the right place. I’m so appreciative of that and grateful for the situation I’m in.”

It’s Geneseo’s wrestlers who have benefited the most thanks to Murray’s prolonged presence. Last May, he recorded his 300^th coaching win and recently, he was awarded with a Maple Leaf Medallion, the district’s highest honor.

“As the head coach, you tend to get credit when you win and good things are happening, but so many people contribute and help you look good,” states Murray, who also serves as the girls’ golf coach. “Between the parents, the boosters and others throughout the community, we not only have the support, but we have nice facilities and all the equipment we need. Not every district can say that.”

After his family moved from Geneseo his freshman year, Murray lived in Danville his sophomore year and finished high school in Bloomington. He wrestled collegiately at Illinois State University and Illinois College, and following graduation, was determined to find work as a teacher and coach.

He’s accomplished both in Geneseo, having taught physical education, health and driver education while coaching soccer, cross country, and track and field over the years in addition to wrestling and golf.

While he had big shoes to fill in replacing Kanke, a member of the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association’s Hall of Fame, he’s done just that, and it starts with a simple day-to-day approach.

“I’ve always tried to keep the relationships first, whether that’s with parents, the team or our administration,” explains Murray. “Positive and trusting relationships are so important—then you can work on teaching in the classroom or taking care of business in the gym. There’s an old saying that I think about: ‘They will not care how much you know until they know how much you care.’ I try to remember that and live by it.”

Surprisingly, the significance of his 300^th win was at first lost on Murray, who is more inclined to think about the next meet than get caught up in any given moment. Appropriately, it was the community he loves that ensured he received his well-deserved recognition.

“What made it so meaningful to me is how everyone reacted to it,” recalls Murray. “The parents and fans had signs and made a big deal out of it, and that touched me. To me, 300 was just a number. I like to keep going and look ahead, and I didn’t really think too much about 300 until everyone else did. Then it hit me, and to see that it was important to others made it important to me.”

“If we can gel together, stay healthy, be full strength at the right time, and get a good draw, and this is a team that could potentially bring home another state trophy,” Murray says of this year’s group.

This year’s wrestling team is off to another impressive start with an 8-2 record and the 6th spot in the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association’s class 2A rankings. Murray’s group won the Rockford East Tournament, a field of 20 teams, and finished fifth amongst 24 teams—most of them from class 3A—at Hinsdale Central.

Three individuals are currently ranked by the IWCOA in their respective weight classes—Zachary Montez (no. 2), Anthony Montez (no. 2) and Tim Stohl (no. 6)—while Carson Raya, Jack Snyder, Josh Hock, Harrison Neumann and Levi Neumann all received honorable mention.

“If we can gel together, stay healthy, be full strength at the right time, and get a good draw, this is a team that could potentially bring home another state trophy,” states Murray.

As more team and individual accolades are earned, Murray has learned over the years to stop and enjoy the moment.

“When our team finished second at state in 2013,” recalls Murray, “it was great, but I immediately started thinking about what we could do to get better for next year. Once we got home, though, the school hosted a big assembly for us, and the emotions kicked in.

“It made me realize it was a big deal for our wrestlers, their families and our supporters,” Murray continues. “It’s also a reminder of how grateful I am for the Geneseo community and why this is such a special place to live.”

Harlacher an “institution” for Maple Leaf sports

“He had a great knack for taking concepts and making them very simple,” said Kiss of Harlacher. “He was very efficient in how he taught those, and that led to execution. I was always amazed at his simplicity and uniqueness. He made it easy for players to play and from my perspective, that was beautiful.”

Geneseo boys’ basketball head coach Mike Kiss was sitting in solitude.

He and his team were on the bus heading to United Township’s Panther Den, where a sectional championship was on the line. The opponent for the third time that season was the Rock Island Rocks, with the teams splitting their first two contests.

A lifelong fan of the New York Yankees, Harlacher was at the Field of Dreams game with his son Ryan and his daughter Devon’s sons, Hayden and Connor.

Kiss suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Gary Harlacher, one of his assistant coaches.

“He said, ‘OK, coach, we’ve got the ball and we’re going for one shot. What do we do?’” said Kiss.

Sure enough, a few hours later, with only 22 seconds remaining, Rock Island claimed its first lead of the game, 60-59. On the next possession, Geneseo guard Jason Ohlsen brought the ball down the floor, drove to his right and banked in a driving lay-up for a 61-59 lead with nine seconds left. The Maple Leafs made one final defensive stop and a massive celebration was underway.

“We spent about 15 minutes discussing it on the ride in and it’s amazing that very situation came up,” recalled Kiss. “Harlo was always thinking ahead.”

Harlacher, 71, passed away on Oct. 5.

The Streator native and Illinois State graduate coached and taught in several places, including Westmer High School, Rock Falls High School, Tri-Valley High School, Rock Island High School and Riverdale High School, but it was Geneseo where he spent much of his professional career.

Harlacher taught shop and physical education at the high school, and in addition to boys’ basketball, coached girls’ basketball, football, boys’ and girls’ golf, and girls’ track.

“He was such an integral part of Geneseo athletics for close to four decades,” stated Kiss, who also taught at the high school and knew Harlacher since the early 1980s. “If you look at his career and the number of sports he coached, he was an institution for the Maple Leafs.”

Kiss and Harlacher remained close over the years and regularly gathered for coffee with another pair of former Geneseo coaches, Denny Diericx and Dan Rogers. They’d talk about life—then and now—but the conversations always touched on one another’s family.

Harlacher and his daughter, Devon Schaaf, attended numerous events together, including University of Iowa football games.

For Harlacher, that included two children, Ryan Harlacher of Los Angeles, Devon (Dan) Schaaf of Geneseo, and three grandchildren, Hayden, Reese and Connor Schaaf. Whereas in recent years he devoted much of his time to them, their lives and their events, it’s the impact he had on countless students and athletes since his arrival in Geneseo that will make him so missed throughout the community.

“You look back at everything and there was a common thread of simplicity, efficiency, effectiveness and uniqueness with Coach Harlacher,” said Kiss. “Those things ran together with all that he did. He loved to coach, but I think he enjoyed teaching just as much. He just liked people, and he was good with them. He was available to all segments of our student population and that’s why he had such a great impact.”

Brad Johnson, the leading scorer and rebounder of the 1993-94 team and a member of the 1996-97 Iowa State Cyclones team that reached the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet Sixteen, offered high praise for Harlacher.

“Gary was one of the best,” said Johnson of Harlacher, who served as the team’s offensive coordinator. “He was one of those guys who kept in touch. He was always interested in hearing about what I was doing long after I graduated. He was someone I could depend on.”

After defeating Rock Island for the sectional championship in 1994, Geneseo faced Rockford Boylan with a visit to the state tournament on the line. The Maple Leafs came up short, however, and a historical season came to an end.

“He was always there for us and never got too high or too low,” said Johnson of Harlacher. “No matter how loud it got it the gym, you could always hear him hollering. He was always an encouraging, motivating voice for our team.”

Moments after the final buzzer, Johnson dropped to his knees in a moment of overwhelming disappointment and disbelief. Harlacher immediately gravitated towards the star forward as a show of support.

“Coach Harlacher knew how we felt in that moment,” Johnson recalled. “He was hurting, too. He understood what I was going through and he was the first guy to come over. I appreciated that and it was indicative of who he was as a coach and a person.”

In 2008, Harlacher assisted Brad Storm as the boys’ team again reached the IHSA Sweet Sixteen. He was then selected by his peers and inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2013 along with Kiss.

“He was very deserving of that honor,” stated Kiss. “Coach Harlacher had a deep sense of pride. It was very important for him to be a teacher and very important for him to be a coach. He put all his resources into making sure the people that he dealt with got his best effort. That’s what allowed him to bring out the best in those who were around him.”

“Gary was one of our biggest fans,” said Johnson. “He was always there for us. I always enjoyed chatting with him when we crossed paths over the years. It was like no time had passed. I will miss him, and I know countless others will too.”

TV50 a labor of love for Geneseo’s Kennett

Above: Keith Kennett was an honorary captain when Geneseo hosted United Township on September 10, 2021.

Among the many disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was to the sports world when athletes of all ages were forced to the sideline in the spring of 2020.

Leagues around the world gradually returned in the coming months, but it wasn’t until a year later that the IHSA allowed high school athletics in Illinois to resume.

It was at that point that Keith Kennett, founder of Geneseo’s TV50, knew what he had to do.

“The pandemic has been difficult on everyone, but my heart really went out to our students who missed out on athletics, including those in the performing arts,” recalls Kennett. “Sports eventually resumed, but it was limited attendance. The students had gone through so much, and it became a personal quest to do everything I could to get as many events broadcast as I could.”

Between mid-February and the end of June, Kennett’s TV50 aired an incredible 102 live broadcasts of school and community events. For his efforts, he has been awarded a Maple Leaf Medallion by Geneseo Community Unit School District #228 superintendent Dr. Adam Brumbaugh.

TV50 is a channel on local television under Mediacom that can also be viewed online at WB6network.com and via Roku’s WB6network TV50 app.

“It’s an important service Keith provides,” says Geneseo Athletic Director Joe Nichols. “His drive over this last year to broadcast as many games as he could in addition to all his other commitments has been remarkable. It seemed like he found a way to be in three places at the same time. He’s a behind-the-scenes guy, but he deserves this recognition, and I don’t know that we can thank him enough.”

It’s been quite the journey for Kennett, a Brookfield native who moved to Geneseo in 1992 with his wife, Kim, and their daughters, Jamie (Kennett) Kotovsky and Stephanie (Kennett) Prochaska.

“None of this happens without an incredibly supportive wife and family,” he’s quick to note.

In 1995, Kennett began broadcasting Green Machine football games on the local cable access channel, and as part of a Jaycees project. The next year, he founded TV50 as a community cable channel.

Kennett had no grand visions of what it might become—he simply enjoyed the work and saw it as his way of giving back to what he feels is a special community.

“Geneseo is this unique blend of people who were born and raised here, and those who relocated here,” says Kennett. “We quickly appreciated the many special things that happen in our community. We wanted to focus on all of the positives, and never take what makes Geneseo a special place for granted.”

While Kennett has no formal training in broadcasting, he took an interest in it while attending Riverside-Brookfield High School and gradually familiarized himself with different equipment.

The transformation of TV50 over the years has been substantial. It remains a channel on local television under Mediacom, but it can also be viewed digitally—online at WB6network.com and via Roku’s WB6network TV50 app. As a result, people can tune in to the broadcasts from anywhere in the world—and they do.

Streaming currently represents approximately 70% of TV50’s viewers, including people throughout the United States and Europe. For any given event, hundreds, if not thousands, of people are watching, says Kennett, with the highest viewed events being playoff football games.

Kennett has a deep appreciation for all who have helped by announcing games, specifically mentioning Willis Andel and the late John Rowley, along with James Roodhouse, the district’s Director of Technology. TV50 offers no salaries or benefits—it’s all on a volunteer basis, aside from Kennett picking up an occasional meal tab.

“I really enjoy the work and it’s been rewarding,” says Kennett. “I’m very blessed to work with tremendous people. Everyone’s involvement is critical to the success of TV50.

“It’s genuinely a labor of love,” adds Kennett. “We live in a world where everything seems to be a profit center—even on the high school level, a lot of games are subscription or fee-based—so for us to volunteer and not make TV50 fee-based is part of our secret sauce that has enabled it to operate for so many years.”

Rather, Kennett’s main concern is allowing those who can’t make it to a game to be able to follow along live or when it’s rebroadcast, whether that is a parent with a busy schedule or more than one child involved in school activities, relatives who live out of town, or alumni who want to stay connected and tune in.

“For a high school like ours to have these capabilities is pretty unusual,” says Kennett. “It’s helped keep our community bonded together with the school district. Even if you’re not at a game, if you’re watching it, your spirit is there.”

Kennett donated TV50 to the school district in 2019 and continues his volunteer involvement. He isn’t sure of what TV50 will ultimately become and someday, Kennett will hand off his duties to someone else. Until then, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll see him at an upcoming football, volleyball or basketball game.

“The commitment that Keith demonstrates is a good model for our student-athletes,” states Nichols. “It’s why he’s successful. He puts his nose down and grinds. Maybe the greatest indication of how well he’s done is that the standard he achieved has now become an expectation. Not only does he provide an unprecedented amount of access, but you know when you’re about to watch a game, it’s going to be a professional-looking broadcast.”

Below: Keith Kennett is awarded the Maple Leaf Medallion by Geneseo Community Unit School District #228 superintendent Dr. Adam Brumbaugh.