Wheaton, Ill. - Wheaton College will induct seven former student-athletes into the Hall of Honor during this weekend's Homecoming festivities. All seven alums will be introduced and honored at halftime of the home football game vs. Augustana College on Saturday.
In total, the seven inductees represent five sports (football, men's soccer, men's track and field, baseball, women's swimming) and have a combined 18 All-American selections between them.
David de Roche (Class of 1966) played three years of soccer for Wheaton, primarily at midfielder and defender. de Roche was a two-time First Team All-Conference and All-Midwest selection to go with an All-American selection in 1965 in his Wheaton career. He graduated with a B.S. in Political Science.
Former Wheaton head soccer coach Bob Baptista spoke highly of his former star; “Dave de Roche was one of the best midfielders I ever coached. He was strong, fast and smart. He gave 100 percent all the time and seldom made a tactical mistake.”
From his time at Wheaton, de Roche developed the belief that there is no substitute for hard work and preparation. “You may not see results immediately but the habits/routines will instill a good work ethic and subsequently be of tremendous benefit,” de Roche said. “When you undertake a job, do it to the best of your ability, remembering Colossians 3:23: 'Whatsoever ye do, work heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men.'”
David currently lives in Bramalea, Ontario with his wife Eldwyth and they have one child, Kerrynn. De Roche is a personal lines underwriter and is a Fellow of the Insurance Institute of Canada.
Dr. Carl E. DeVries (Class of 1942) made an impact on the gridiron and the track as a two-sport athlete at Wheaton. In track, he was the high-point scorer in his junior and senior seasons as the team posted winning records in part due to his versatility, physical stamina and leadership example. He later became the head track coach from 1943-1946 before he was succeeded by Gil Dodds. He graduated with a B.S. in Archeology & Near Eastern Studies and later completed his M.A. in Biblical & Theological Studies.
As a member of the Wheaton football team, he was a running back who later took over as Wheaton's head coach at age 23. From 1943-45, the team produced a record of 11-5-3 in his three years at the helm.
Dr. DeVries currently resides in Chicago, Ill.
Kermit Ellison (Class of 1994) was a two-sport All-American in his time at Wheaton, earning the distinction at defensive back for the football team in 1993 and on the track and field squad in 1994. He still holds school records as a sprinter in the indoor 55 meters (6.43), the indoor 200 meters (22.51) and outdoor 100 meters (10.73). As a senior, he ran in the national meet in both the 55 and 100 meter sprints, earning All-American distinction in the 100. He earned his B.A. in Psychology and also completed his M.A. in Clinical Psychology.
On the gridiron, Ellison made 77 tackles with two fumble recoveries and two interceptions in his 1993 All-American season. His versatility made him an offensive weapon too, as he rushed for a combined 790 yards from 1991-92.
Current Wheaton head football coach
Mike Swider was always impressed by Kermit's physicality and his blazing speed. “Kermit could flat-out hit you, and he was the fastest defensive back in the conference,” Swider said. “He could run down anyone. He made some game-saving tackles for us.”
Kermit resides in Bartlett, Ill. with his wife Janine. The Ellison's have three children: Sean, Kelli and Matthew.
Devin Leftwich (Class of 1994) was a running back for the Wheaton football program from 1990-92, after playing one season at Northern Illinois University. He left school as the No. 4 leading rusher in Wheaton history, with 452 carries for 2,209 yards (4.9 yards per carry), including a career-high 1,047 yards in 1991. He graduated with a B.S. in Mathematics.
Current Wheaton head coach
Mike Swider said of the former star running back, “He was a big, strong runner; a real powerful guy. He could run inside and outside. It always took more than one guy to bring him down.”
One of the biggest things Leftwich learned from his time at Wheaton was perseverance. “It was much more important than short-term comfort,” he said. “It helps define your character in the long term.” The character of the coaches also made a positive impact on Leftwich, especially the knowledge that he could trust them with talking about anything that was happening in his life.
Devin resides in Warrenville, Ill. and is currently a Senior Pastor at Vessels of His Love Church in Wheaton. He is married to fellow Wheaton alum, Lisa Gwathmey. They have three children; John (age 8), Naomi (age 5) and Zachary (age 1).
David Phillips (Class of 1994) was a record-setting first baseman for Wheaton, as his career school records for home runs, RBI and runs scored still stand. A three-time First Team All-CCIW selection, Phillips was named the CCIW “Player of the Year” in 1993. In his four-year career, he hit 23 homers with 124 RBI, 36 stolen bases, 74 walks and 34 strikeouts in 142 games played. He graduated with a B.S. in Political Science and also earned an M.A. in Evangelism.
“While playing baseball at Wheaton, I learned the most important thing God wants from me is to be obedient to Him,” Phillips said. “I did this by playing to the best of my ability, practicing 100 percent, loving my teammates, honoring my coach and trusting God with the results.”
Dave works as the National Director for Athletes in Action in Slovakia, where he has resided for the last 10 years. He and his wife Maria have two daughters; Liliana (age 4) and Kristina (age 1).
“I am convinced without a doubt that if it wasn't for Wheaton College and my baseball years playing and coaching there, I would never have decided to live and work overseas as a missionary,” Phillips said. “My time at Wheaton truly prepared me to be a World Christian committed to the Gospel for 'Christ and His Kingdom'.”
Trina (Conner) Schaetz (Class of 1994) was an All-American all four years for the Wheaton women's swim team from 1991-94. She won 11 of the maximum 12 individual events in the CCIW meet over her four-year career. In total, Conner was a 12-time All-American in individual events and was runner up at the NCAA's in the 100-yard breaststroke three times. She also earned All-American honors in multiple relay events each season and in 1993-94 she was recognized as a GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-American. She earned a B.A. in Literature upon graduation.
Head swim coach
Jon Lederhouse said of his former star, “Trina was a great competitor and team player as well as a conscientious Christian striving to integrate her faith in Christ with her athletic endeavors.”
One of Trina's favorite athletic memories was her senior year conference swim meet. Many of the top girls had already qualified for NCAA's, so the onus fell on the rest of the team to carry the load at conference. “It was just a profound example of being united in Christ and united as a team,” Conner said. “We ended up winning the conference title. The big guns didn't just win it, everyone had a part and came through.”
Trina and her husband Dan live in the metro Milwaukee area with their two daughters Emma (age 9) and Grace (age 6). Trina is a photographer and an administrative assistant to a local swim team. Dan and Trina are still competitive swimmers and in recent years, she won the Masters National Age Group Title in the 50-yard freestyle and 50-yard breaststroke.
Phil Wolf (Class of 1992) played midfield for Wheaton's soccer program and was a three-time All-American from 1989-1991. He ranks third in school history in career assists (37), fifth in career points (135) and sixth in career goals (49). Wheaton posted a record of 77-10-6 over his four years and he went on to play five years of professional soccer. Wolf was also an assistant coach at Wheaton and was a part of the 1997 NCAA Division III Championship team that set an NCAA record with a 66-match unbeaten streak. He graduated with a B.A. in Communication and later completed his M.A. in Evangelism-Spiritual Formation.
Wolf said his favorite memory as a player at Wheaton was playing soccer everyday with his best friends, and his favorite as a coach was winning the 1997 National Championship. Some of the life lessons he learned at Wheaton were that we should seek to honor God in all that we do and always put others first.
Wolf was recently hired on as an assistant men's soccer coach at Southern Methodist after eight seasons as head coach at Azusa Pacific University. He led Azusa Pacific to three-straight national title games and won the 2007 NAIA National Championship, which also earned him the Brine-NAIA “Coach of the Year” Award.
Phil and his wife Melanie they have two boys; Barrett (age 8) and Ivan (age 2); and two girls; Maggie (age 7) and Maryn (age 4).
