When we think of September we think of fall, pumpkins, cooling temperatures (sometimes) and the Blanchardville/Pecatonica Homecoming.
Friday evening, Sept. 26 starts off the fun with the Homecoming Pep Rally, starting at 7:00 p.m. at McKellar Park, with the induction of the 2025 Pecatonica Vikings Atheltic Hall of Fame (HOF).
The HOF Class of 2025 will also be introduced Saturday evening at Blanchard Hall on Main Street at the Alumni Banquet Dinner.
Former Pecatonica Area Schools’ Atheltic Director James Strommen and a committee circulated and promoted a wide-area nomination process throughout the year and accepted nominations from across the community and state.
“Nominations were to be considered based on people that have made a considerable contribution to Pecatonica area athletics over the years,” Strommen says.
This is the tenth year for the Hall of Fame, having started in 2015. “Each year we will continue to accept nominations and induct nominees,” Strommen says.
Fifty-four people have now been inducted into the Hall of Fame since its inception.
Those inducted include: 2015 – Joslyn Gant, Kathy Gilbertson, Linda Hanson, Jim Kinder, Mitch Wainwright, Gary McKenzie, Brian ‘Butch’ McKeon, Tami (Norton) Syse and Gene Spellman. 2016 – Chuck Chandler, Milt Hendrickson, Steph (Jorenby) Kleppe-Moore, Todd Paradis, Patrick Ryan and Elise Sigg. 2017 – Jim Carter, Kensel Disrud, Herb Dobson, Jaime Hegland, Andrew Hendrickson, Barb Kapke- Ruegsegger and Bob McNeill. 2018 – Christie Balch, Farron Gruenenfelder, Gene Palzkill, Larry Syftestad, Steve Willborn, and Tracy Powell. 2019 – Don Disrud, Angie Gruenefelder, Tom Kammerude, Larry Larson, Ardell Lunda, and Joe Spellman. 2020 – Lee Fahrney, Jon Gruenenfelder, Sue Jeglem, Melvin Kleppe, Dan Schober, and Frank Unterholzner. 2021 – Craig Anderson, Dick Gifford, Pat Hardyman, Jim McCaulley, and Herb Von Arx. 2022 – Corine Montanye, Ernie Furrer, Jim Kitsemble, Jerome Hendrickson and Sam Schuler. 2023 – Scott Ingwell, Diane Hanson, Duane Schober and Mandi Peterson. 2024 – Cher (Chandler) Schliem, Dan Hendrickson, Gary Leonard, Joe Burkeland and Ray Sherman.
This year the inductees include Alfred Zimmerman, Bill Hardyman, Chuck Meyer, Jerry Whitford and Jim Strommen. Alfred Zimmerman Athlete – Class of 1962 During his career, the Blanchardville Eagles won 3 State Line League Football Championships, 3 baseball championships, and 1 basketball championship.
Alfred Zimmerman – Athlete – Class of 1962
Zimmerman played baseball, basketball and football all four years and did one year of track. During his junior and senior years of football, he was the all conference quarterback for the championship teams and led Blanchardville to an undefeated season his senior year in 1961. In Al’s senior year of basketball, Brodhead beat Blanchardville twice, the only team to defeat them but in the WIAA tournament series, Blanchardville defeated Brodhead. Al was the leading scorer with 22 points. After high school he was a multi- time Home Talent League All Star, 2nd baseman for Blanchardville Home Talent. Al was a long time well known Fast Pitch softball star throughout Southern WI, winning many fast pitch tournament championships with the Swiss Lanes Team from New Glarus.
Bill Hardyman – Athlete – Class of 1960
Bill was a four year letter winner in football. They were champs in 1958, his senior year and were all conference. He was the MVP and Captain. He played all four years in basketball, baseball, volleyball, and track as well. He was the Captain and MVP his senior year in baseball. After high school, he graduated from University of Wisconsin Whitewater. He was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army in 1970. He became the regional sales manager for ING, ranking in top three in the country nine times. He retired as President of Discover Financial Services – Estate and Financial Planning – at age of 54 and reside in Estero, Fla., on a golf course in the winter and on a golf course in Red Wing, Minn., in the summer.
Chuck Meyer – Coach and Significant Contributor
Chuck graduated from Iowa-Grant High School in 1973. He attended UW-Madison & UW- Platteville. While at Platteville earned 4 letters in wrestling and participated in football & earned a B.S degree in Elementary Education, K-8. He taught 4th grade at Laona High School from 1978-80 and was assistant coach in football, wrestling, and softball. From 1980-2018, he taught various levels in the elementary and middle school at Pecatonica. From 1980-1995, he was the assistant football coach focusing mainly on the offensive and defensive line. Chuck helped with the transition into a CO-OP program. He became Pecatonica’s Wrestling coach from 1980 – 2000. He had a record of 165-69-2, 10 Conference Championships, 3 Regional Championships, 2 Sectional Championships, and 29 Individual State Qualifiers He helped with transitioning into a CO-OP program with Barneveld and later with Argyle From 1984 – 2017 he was the Pecatonica Softball Coach, where he helped start the program. He held a record of 327-340 overall, 224-180 conference, 8 Conference Championships, 6 Regional Championships, and Sectional & State Championship – 1993 Chuck coached in the 1999 and 2011 Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches and Association All-Star Games. He drove the bus to most of the events (athletic and others) that he was involved with and a few more. For many years, headed the Letter Winners Club (1980-2018) at school and was in charge of concessions during athletic events, an endless job! Always willing to help at school! Chuck was one of the original “3 C’s”: Chuck Meyer, Jim Strommen, and Brian Smith.
Jerry Whitford – Athlete – Hollandale Class of 1954
Jerry lettered in baseball for four years, football for three years and basketball in one year. After graduation he attended Ripon College, where he played 4 years, and lettered 3 years all in baseball, playing center and left field. He served in the U.S. Army at Ft. Leonard-Wood. There were 100 men tried out for the Army baseball team. Twenty-five were selected. Jerry made the cut and played center field. Twenty-three others were under a Major League contract. He was on the Home Talent Baseball team for 23 years and led the Home Talent League in hitting in 1957 with .567 batting average. He started the Dodgeville Little League in 1972, helping for 17 years. He was the announcer for Dodgeville High School Basketball for 40 years. He worked the Dodgeville High School Football chain crew for 31 years. He sponsored the softball teams for15 years and started and was an officer at Dodgeville Lions Club from 1972-2023.
Jim Strommen – Athlete – Coach- Significant Contributor Class of 1972
Jim was the Pecatonica Athletic Director for 31 years, starting in 1988 and retired in 2019. He was also the Head Football Coach for 24 years, 8 years as Pecatonica and 16 years at Pec/Argyle Co-op, with a record of 196-56, 16 conference championships, and a state runner- up in 2004. He was inducted into the Wisconsin Football Hall of Fame in 2004. In 1989 he was the Assistant Coach in the Wisconsin Football Coaches All- Star game. Jim has been the head coach for the Pecatonica Baseball team for 45 years. He has a current record of 674-270, 19 Conference championships, finished 1st or 2nd in conference 35 times and was the State Runner Up in 2023. He was inducted into the Wisconsin Baseball Hall of Fame in 2004. In 1990 and 2022, he coached in the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches All-Star games. He was the assistant boys basketball coach from 1980-1989. During his high school athletic career he participated in 2 years of track, 3 years of football, starting quarterback senior year, 4 years of basketball, starter senior year, and 4 years of baseball, 4 year starter 3 years at 2nd base and 1 year at shortstop. He was part of the Blanchardville Conference Championships in Spring 1969 and Summer of 1970 and the Pecatonica Conference Championship in Spring of 1972. This was the first conference championship in any sport at Pecatonica. He received the Coogan-Norton award in 1972. He attended Madison Area Technical College (MATC). In 1972-1973, 1973-1974, he played on the basketball and baseball teams. He was inducted into the MATC Hall of Fame in 1988. He participated in Fast Pitch, starting in his sophomore year in high school (age 14 or 15) for S & S Livestock. He started for four years from 1970-1973 in the 8 team Blanchardville League. He played with Hank’s Place, Argyle in Wiota WI 8 team league in 1974-1975, and Swiss Lanes in New Glarus from 1976-1986. Team disbanded for one year in 1987. They regrouped again in 1988 until 1991. He played 3rd base but primarliy shortstop. His Swiss Lanes record from 1976-1985 was 132 wins, 68 losses. Tournament record: 284 wins, 111 loses. Total wins: 416, Total losses: 179. Winning Percentage: 70% 1976-1985: Tournaments entered: 97 Tournaments placed: 59; No of 1st place: 24; 2nd place: 16; 3rd place: 10; 4th place: 9; TOTAL: 59 Winning Percentage: 61%; Personal batting average from 1976-1985 was .319. In 1983, he led the team in at bats, hits, walks, on-base percentage, batting average and runs scored. He is part of the North American FastPitch Association (NAFA), won the Tourney Division Award Team Position, Masters 2012-16 60+ All World Team 2015 Shoebox 3rd base, Masters 2018-19 65+ Champs 2018 Shoebox 3rd base, Masters 2021-22 65+ Participant Village Creek 3rd base, Masters 2024 70+ All World Team 2024 Village Creek 3rd base & Champs. He was inducted into the Southwest Wisconsin Fast Pitch Hall of Fame 2025. He played baseball for Blanchardville Home Talent for 16 years from 1973-82 and 1987-92, playing 2nd base for 3 years and shortstop for 13 years. He was a member of the 5 Final Four teams in 1977, 1979, 1981, 1989, and 1990 in the Home Talent Championship series for Blanchardville. He is a long time member of the Pecatonica Booster Club and Letterwinners Club. Started the Pecatonica Hall Of Fame in 2015. One of the original “3 C’s” Chuck Meyer, Jim Strommen, and Brian Smith.