Feb. 28, 2008

CARBONDALE, Ill. - The 2008 Saluki Hall of Fame class will have their induction dinner on Friday night and be recognized at halftime of Saturday's men's basketball game versus Illinois State.

The five-person class features NFL All-Pro linebacker Bart Scott of the Baltimore Ravens. The team has hired a film crew to follow Scott on his visit to southern Illinois for broadcast on its Rave-TV program.

Erin (Stremsterfer) Campbell, Softball 1998-2001
Erin Campbell was surprised by how soon after the end of her career she received the call to join SIU's Hall of Fame.

"Since I graduated six years ago, I was excited to be honored already, actually honored at all," she said.

At SIU, Campbell was a three-time First-Team All-MVC selection and was named Valley Pitcher of the Year in 2001. Campbell ranks among SIU's career best in innings pitched (2nd), wins (2nd), complete games (5th), strikeouts (2nd) and ERA (3rd).

Since graduation, Campbell has been a sales representative for Ikon Office Solutions, where she sells copiers to companies across the country.

"I have realized how important that sport was to me in my life," said Campbell. "The competitive nature of playing at the collegiate level has really influenced who I am today as an adult."

Cornell Craig, Football 1996-99
When Cornell Craig received a call from SIU Athletics Director Mario Moccia he was pleasantly surprised.

"It's really humbling when you look at the history of SIU Athletics and the University as a whole to know that I've left a mark at the University," said Craig.

Craig still leads SIU in numerous receiving records, including most receptions (207), most receiving yards (3,508), most touchdown catches (37), record for catches in a game (13) and receiving yards in a game (219). In the 1999 season, Craig caught 77 passes for 1,419 yards and 15 touchdowns, earning him national recognition as the Division I-AA Player of the Year and an All-American.

Since leaving SIU, Craig has earned his Master's of Business Administration at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Ky., where he now serves as the director of minority student programs.

"Not a day goes by that some aspect of my experience at SIU doesn't impact me," said Craig. "I really did come of age at SIU in many ways, physically, emotionally and just as a human being. It allowed me to experience a variety of things and opened a lot of doors for me that otherwise would not have been opened."

Chris Gally, Swimming 1987-91
Chris Gally was pleased to learn of his induction into the Hall of Fame, even if he, too, was somewhat surprised by the news.

"The first thing I did was tell my wife and my family," said Gally. "It's really an honor to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and something I will look forward to in the weeks leading up to the ceremony."

While at SIU, Gally was named an All-American nine times and earned national honors in the 400 Free Relay (1987), the 100 Fly, 200 and 400 Free Relay (1989), the 100 Fly, 400 and 800 Free Relay (1990) and the 100 & 200 Fly (1991). Gally competed in the NCAA meet in both 1990 and 1991 and notched a fifth-place finish in the 100 Fly and a seventh-place finish in the 200 Fly.

He swam on the U.S. National Team and competed in the 1888 and 1992 Olympic Trials. He posted a fourth-place finish in the 100 Fly at the 1991 World University Games in 1991.

Gally is currently a teacher at Immanuel Lutheran School in Murphysboro, Ill. Gally attributes SIU with helping him find his passion for teaching.

"SIU was very prominent in two areas," said Gally. "It really taught me the importance of obtaining a degree and education, and it also really instilled upon me the value of hard work. Through SIU, I found out how much I love teaching and how much I love coaching and helping people."

Bart Scott, Football, 1998-2001
When Pro Bowl linebacker Bart Scott learned of his selection as a member of the 2008 SIU Hall of Fame class he was elated.

"It is by far the thing that I am most proud of and one of the biggest accomplishments in my athletic career," said Scott. "It gives you an opportunity to live forever in the hallways and have your name echo on that campus. It's one way that athletes can become immortal and live forever in an area."

While at SIU, Scott was a First-Team All-Gateway Conference pick in 2001 and he still ranks among the best in SIU's history in several categories such as tackles (6th), sacks (7th), tackles for loss (6th) and fumble recoveries (2nd).

Since being signed as a free agent by the Baltimore Ravens in 2002, Scott has made one trip to the Pro Bowl and has become known as one of the best linebackers in the league.

Scott Waltemate, Baseball 1971-74
More than 30 years after his SIU career ended, Scott Waltemate is still SIU's career leader in wins with 28. During Waltemate's four-year career, the Salukis record was 162-35-1 record, and SIU appeared in the College World Series twice. After leaving SIU, Waltemate was drafted by the Montreal Expos in 1974.

Waltemate is now a chiropractor in Shreveport, La. at the Waltemate Wellness Center, which he owns.

"When I was in college I had some arm and shoulder problems that never responded to physical therapy and the other treatment forms, and it was actually a little bit later that I had some chiropractic work that I really responded to and it actually extended my professional career," said Waltemate.

Waltemate said he learned many more important life lessons while at SIU.

"I think it set the stage for me in my life as far as taking responsibility and working hard and realizing that when you work, even if you have some failure, you need to continue to work hard and get beyond that. That's really the theme and the lesson I took from SIU, and I feel like I applied that to the rest of my life, and it still is applied that way."