Five Tomcats to be inducted into East Aurora Sports Hall of Fame February 8Five Tomcats to be inducted into East Aurora Sports Hall of Fame February 8

Five former athletes of East Aurora will be inducted into the East Aurora High School Sports Hall of Fame in honor of their contributions to the Tomcat athletic tradition.

A reception to honor the inductees will take place in the East Aurora High School student cafeteria at 4 to 6 pm on Friday, February 8. The reception is open to the public.

The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Friday at approximately 6:30 p.m., between the sophomore and varsity boys basketball games at East High vs. Larkin.

Inductees for this year are:

• Bob Christensen (class of 1986)
• Aaron McGhee (class of 1997)
• Shari Mau (class of 1994)
• Larry Ramsey (class of 1985)
• Leo Schlee (class of 1971)

About the inductees:

Bob Christensen: Bob attended O’Donnell Elementary and Simmons Junior High School before coming to East Aurora High School in the fall of 1983. While at East High, Bob was a true all-around athlete. He earned two varsity letters in football, one varsity letter in basketball and three varsity letters in baseball at East High. As an adult he has been a repeated champion in Aurora and Fox Valley golf championships. He was a starter on the Tomcat varsity baseball team for three years, playing shortstop and pitcher, and was one of the team’s leading hitters each season. Bob was chosen the team’s Most Valuable Player all three of those seasons. He was selected twice to the Upstate 8 All-Conference Baseball Team (1985, 1986) and was recognized as All-Area in his final high school season, 1986.

After high school, Bob attended the University of Illinois-Champaign where he continued his athletic career with the Illini baseball team. He played shortstop, earning four varsity letters. The Fighting Illini won consecutive Big Ten Baseball Championships in 1989 and 1990. In 1989 the Illini baseball team beat Michigan for the Big Ten Championship, and they beat Ohio State in 1990. Bob was selected to the All-Big Ten Baseball Tournament Team both seasons. His outstanding tournament play in 1990, batting .769 (10 for 13), led to Bob’s recognition as the Most Outstanding Player of the Big 10 Baseball Tournament. Additionally, he was honored in his senior season as the Coppertone National Player of the Week on May 15, 1990.

Following high school and college, Bob’s competitive spirit focused on golf. He won the City of Aurora Golf Championship (seven times), Blackberry Oaks Golf Course Championship (five times) and Fox Bend Golf Course Championship (nine times). Bob was a four-time United States Golf Association Mid-Amateur qualifier. In 2001 Bob was a United States Golf Association Amateur qualifier. Employing his golf expertise, Bob volunteers with the Aurora East Educational Foundation, helping raise money for the Foundation through its “Beat the Pro Challenge” at their annual golf outing held in July.

Bob and his wife, Kelley and their two children, Mia and Braden, reside in West Chicago. Bob has been a Financial Advisor with Country Financial for the past ten years. Bob coaches his son’s baseball team.

Aaron McGhee: Aaron is a four-year varsity basketball letter winner at East Aurora High School. He was chosen as a three-time All Upstate 8 Conference selection, as well as earning three-time Beacon-News All-Area Team selection. Additionally, Aaron is a two-time Beacon-News Player of the Year recipient and two-time All-State selection and was MVP of the East Aurora Holiday Tournament for both 1995 and 1996.

As an EAHS senior, Aaron was selected player of the year in the Upstate 8 Conference. He also earned Honorable Mention All-America honors from McDonald’s, USA Today and The Sporting News, averaging 23.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.9 blocked shots and 2.3 steals per game. Aaron led East to a 22-6 record as a senior and earned Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors in the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association All-Star game. He was named a Windy City All-Star and also named to the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun Times All-Area teams. Aaron was rated as one of the Top 50 players in the nation coming out of high school by The Sporting News. Aaron finished his East Aurora High School basketball career with a total of 1,842 points.

Following high school, Aaron started his college career at the University of Cincinnati. After his freshman year in college, he left Cincinnati to become a First-Team National Junior College Athletic Association All-American in 1999-2000 at Vincennes (Indiana) University where he averaged 26.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.6 blocked shots per contest. In 2000, he was named MVP of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national tournament, averaging 34.5 points per game as Vincennes University’s basketball team finished 32-5 and placed fifth in the national tournament. Aaron distinguished himself at Vincennes University with a single-season individual scoring record of 874 total points.

In 2000, Aaron signed a scholarship to play at the University of Oklahoma and played two years for the Sooners. During his senior year at Oklahoma, Aaron averaged 16 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game. Aaron was one of the top contributors, helping the University of Oklahoma basketball team reach the Final Four his senior season. During his senior year, Aaron ranked sixth in the Big 12 in scoring and fifth in rebounding. Aaron finished his career at Oklahoma with 1,001 total points. In 2002 Aaron was named to the Big 12 All-Conference 1st Team, as well as the Big 12 All-Tournament Team.

After leaving the University of Oklahoma, Aaron initiated a career in professional basketball lasting for fifteen seasons and ending in 2017. During his professional basketball career Aaron traveled all over the world playing for 19 teams in 10 countries including time in Italy, Korea, China, Israel, Russia, Granada and Puerto Rico, to name a few.

In May 2018, Aaron was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Aaron currently lives in Frisco, Texas with his wife Ekaterina and two children, Angelina and Ariel.

Shari (Mau) Maier: Shari attended O’Donnell Elementary and Simmons Junior High School before coming to East Aurora High School in the fall of 1990. While at East High, Shari participated in badminton, swimming, band and cheerleading. Shari was an outstanding all-around athlete who was voted 1994 Female Athlete of the Year; and she was the EAHS recipient of the John Philip Sousa Scholarship for band. However, it was on the badminton court where Shari really excelled. She lettered on the varsity team all four years at Aurora East and was a four-year state qualifier.

As a senior, Shari was selected captain and her Tomcat team won multiple badminton tournaments. Individually, Shari won the Upstate 8 Conference Championship in Singles and finished 2nd Place in Doubles competition. She went on to win the IHSA Sectional Championship in Singles which again qualified her for the IHSA State Tournament. At the Illinois High School Association State Tournament, Shari finished in the Top 16 overall. She finished her badminton season with a 38-4 record and was selected as the team’s Most Valuable Player.

After East Aurora High School, Shari attended Waubonsee Community College and graduated in 1998 with an Associate’s Degree in Nursing. She also continued to play badminton and competed in 1994 and 1995 in the Junior National Olympic Championships, finishing in 1995 in the Top Eight for doubles play. In 1996, Shari ultimately held the number one ranking in the Midwest as a singles player. Suffering a knee injury, Shari gave focus to her career in nursing.

In 2014, Shari returned to the classroom attending the University of St. Francis while engaged in full-time employment. In 2017 she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, graduating with Summa Cum Laude honors. While attending St. Francis, Shari received the “Sister M. Priscilla Sapp Award” in recognition of a 4.0 GPA and highest GPA among her graduating BSN class.

Shari really does have a love for the sport of badminton. It has led her to continue to help the East Aurora High School Badminton program as a volunteer coach over the last twenty-years. In the spirit of giving back to her school, Shari and her husband established the “Shari and Eric Maier Scholarship” which is given annually to a graduating senior on the EAHS badminton team.

Shari has been a Registered Nurse for the past twenty years. She has worked in the cardiac ICU and Urgent Care, but a majority of her career has been as an emergency room nurse and as a scrub and circulating nurse in orthopedic surgery. Shari has specialty certifications in trauma, orthopedics, and advanced life support.

Shari and her husband Eric are the proud parents of two children, Anna (14) and Andrew (12). They have recently relocated from the Chicago suburbs to Chandler, Arizona.

Larry Ramsey: Larry was a member of the cross country, wrestling and track teams at East Aurora High School. He earned two varsity letters in cross country, one varsity letter in wrestling, and three varsity letters in track.

Larry, with his contagious enthusiasm and ability, led the Tomcat cross country runners to many victories. Per cross country scoring rules, the first five runners on a team score points for the team. Larry scored a point for the Tomcats in every race he ran in both his junior and senior season. In 27 of 31 total races during his career, Larry placed in the Top 10 among all the race finishers. Team championships won during Larry’s high school career were as follows: Aurora City Meet (83’, 84’), Kane County Meet (83’, 84’), Upstate 8 Championship (1983), IHSA Regional Championship (83’, 84’), and ran in the 1983 State Meet in Peoria with the East Aurora team that finished 8th in the State Meet. Larry was co-captain of the 1984 cross country team.

During the spring EAHS track season Larry competed in the middle-distance races and relays.   As a sophomore, Larry competed at the 1983 IHSA state track and field championship meet in the 4 x 200 m Relay. In Larry’s senior year, 1985, in the annual dual meet with West Aurora, the 4 X 400 m Relay team (Drew, Ramsey, Toma, Hudson) won the event and established a school record of 3:20.3.  Also in his senior year, Larry was a member of the 1st place East Aurora 4 X 400 m Relay team at the Kane County Meet, won the 800 m Run at the Upstate Eight Conference Meet, won the 800 m Run at the IHSA Sectional Championship meet. By winning the Sectional, Larry qualified to advance to the State Track and Field Meet in Charleston where Larry finished 10th in the 800 m Run.

Larry is retired from the 3M Company where he worked for 20 years. He is married to his wife Laura, also a Tomcat, and they have a son Brandon.  He coached his son’s basketball team and has been a member of the Board of Directors of his Homeowner’s Association. He and his wife live in Allen, Texas.

Leo Schlee: Leo began his East Aurora School District 131 education at Bardwell Elementary School and Waldo Junior High School prior to graduating from East Aurora High School in 1971.

Upon entering East Aurora High School for the 1968-1969 winter wrestling season, Leo successfully wrestled at the 127-pound weight class on the sophomore level team earning an undefeated record of 16 – 0 and was crowned the Upstate 8 Conference Tournament Champion.

During his 1969-1970 Junior year season, Leo moved up a weight class taking his talents to the varsity level at 132 pounds. Leo was very successful wrestling at 132 pounds tallying a record of 17 wins, 4 losses and tie. Leo placed 3^rd in the Upstate 8 Conference Tournament and 3^rd place overall at the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) District Tournament. By placing 3^rd place at the District Tournament, Leo qualified to compete in the IHSA Sectional Tournament. The EAHS wrestling team was also very successful as they placed 2^nd at various tournaments and were crowned champions at the IHSA District Tournament.

As a senior, Leo’s wrestling skills continued to excel. He was named team captain and won many tournaments, as well as taking first place titles in both the IHSA District and Sectional Tournaments before placing 3^rd at the IHSA State Individual Wrestling Tournament in the 138-pound weight class. Leo broke three team school records and tied one. Leo broke the EAHS season pin record with a total of 23 pins in addition to breaking the total team points record with 152 match points scored. He also recorded a total of 43 pins during his three years of wrestling at East High. Leo tied the dual meet record with 12 pins. He finished the regular season undefeated (22-0) and concluded his senior year with an impressive record of 34 wins and only two losses.

Leo also helped guide the team to a perfect dual meet record of 15 wins and 0 losses. The Tomcats were crowned team champions at the East Leyden and East Aurora Quadrangular Meets along with champions at the Lake Forest and Sandwich Tournaments. Leo’s team was also the IHSA District and Sectional champions. The team’s strong performance at the IHSA state wrestling tournament earned them a 4^th place trophy. Leo finished his brilliant wrestling career at East High with a complied record of 72 wins, 6 losses, and 1 tie.

After graduating from East Aurora High School, Leo received a full scholarship to wrestle at Northwestern University. In 1971 during his freshman year at Northwestern University, Leo was severely injured, rupturing every disc on his lower back. Although he was injured, Leo competed in the Midland Open Wrestling Tournament and the Mayor Daley Open Wrestling Tournament. He was crowned the 185-pound weight class champion at the Mayor Daley Open Tournament. The Mayor Daley Open Tournament was the last time Leo laced up his wrestling shoes. The injury to his lower back was so aggravating that Leo was disabled and could not continue wrestling.

Leo started working at Caterpillar after leaving Northwestern University. He became the vice president of the Earthmovers Credit Union in the loans and collection departments. Leo returned to school and received his license in 1996 from the University of Illinois-Chicago in Physical Therapy. Leo worked at Central DuPage Hospital as a Physical Therapist for 15 years until his retirement in 2009.

Leo lives in Geneva and has two sisters (Rose and Elisabeth) and two brothers (Emil and Jacob). His sisters and brothers are also East High alumnus.