1914-15 District/Regional/Sectional Champions Coach
F.G. Warren
Quarter-final
Universlty High 22 Decatur 21
Semi-final
University High 14 Freeport 38 (Freeport eventual State Champs!)
Consolation
Game
University High 8 Shelbyville 33
1965-66 19 - 4 Conference Champions (undefeated) Coach Bill Jackson
Asst. Larry Bell
1966-67 Conference
Champions
Coach Bill Jackson
Asst.
Larry Bell
Boys Tennis
Five medals were won by three individuals listed below. Unfortunately first names of the athletes
are not available.
1914 Hessler Doubles
3rd Place
Hodge
Doubles 3rd Place
Hessler
Singles 4th Place
1915 Meiler Doubles
3rd Place
Hessler
Doubles 3rd Place
Boys Track & Field
One male athlete excelled in the old one-class system and earned a medal at the State Track Meet.
1946-47 Joseph McLafferty 1 Mile Run
2nd Place
Boys Cross Country
Joseph McLafferty pulled off a double in 1946-47 with a medal winning performance in Cross-Country
as well.
1946-47 Joseph McLafferty
6th Place
Boys Football
The Lynxes competed on the grid iron as well. We are searching for some of the team records however we
do know that the team of 1965-66 won the school's first conference championship in this sport!! The coach of
the Lynxes that year was Ed(Doc) Bencini. Some of the better seasons in Lynx' history are listed below
courtesy of Tom Sikorski:
1952 2-5 6th place Coal Belt Conference
1953 2-5 5th place Coal Belt Conference
1954 1-6 6th place Coal Belt Conference
1955 Independent
1956 Independent Coach
Doc Bencini
1957 3-2-1 Independent Coach
Doc Bencini
1958 3-1 Independent Coach
Doc Bencini
1959 Independent Coach
Doc Bencini
1960 5-1 Independent Coach
Doc Bencini
1961 4-2 Independent Coach
Doc Bencini
1962 5th Place Black Diamond Conference Coach
Doc Bencini
1963 5-2 Black Diamond Conference Co-Champs Coach
Doc Bencini
1964 3-3 4th place Black Diamond Conference Coach
Doc Bencini
1965 5-2 Black Diamond Conference Champs Coach
Doc Bencini
1966 4-2 2nd Place Black Diamond Conference Coach
Doc Bencini
Coach
Bill Jackson
1966 was the last year Carbondale U-High fielded a football team.
SPEECH, DRAMA, DEBATE COMPETITION
As one might guess the Carbondale University High School Lynxes excelled in Speech, Drama, and Debate competition. The
best finish for the school in this area was a State Runner-up Finish in Speech Team competition in 1963!! The team
also finished 6th in both 1962 and 1966. Unfortunately the coaches names are not available. The
individual medalists and team finishes in the respective categories are listed below.
Speech Individual Events
1950 Mary Lou Heatherly Verse
4th Place
1951 Marilyn Wakefield Comedy
3rd Place
1952 Richard Rieke
Radio 3rd Place
1953 Robert Talley Extemp
2nd Place
1954 Joyce Hastings Orat
Declam 5th Place
1955 Anne Bracewell Radio
5th Place
1962 Howard Benson
Radio State Champion
1963 Frosti Croslin Orig
Oratory State Champion
1963 Jacob Bach Radio
3rd Place
1963 Julian McHale After
Dinner 3rd Place
1966 Kenneth Whitener
Serious State Champion
Overall Team Finishes - Speech Competition
1961-62 Team Placed 6th Overall
Final Team Standings
1.) North Chicago
14
2.) Clifton Central
10
3.) Park Forest
9
4.) Galesburg 8
5.) Freeport
6
5.) Aurora West
6
6.) Carbondale
U-High 5
Five others tied with 5 points
1962-63 Team Finished as State Runner-Up (2nd Place)!!
Final Team Standings
1.) Lansing T.F.
12
2.) Carbondale
U-High 11
2.) Waukegan
11
2.) Pekin 11
5.) Dolton Thornridge
9
5.) Proviso West
9
7.) Peoria Richwoods
8
7.) Rock Island
8
9.) Peoria Woodruff
7
10.) Normal U-High
6
10.) Morton West
6
1965-66 Team Finished 6th Overall
Final Team Standings
1.) Pekin
10
2.) Bradley Bourb.
9
3.) Highland
Park 8
4.) Ottawa
6
4.) Peoria Woodruff 6
6.) Carbondale U-High
5
7 other teams tied with 5 points
Speech Sweepstakes Competition
1962-62 School Placed 7th Overall
Final Standings
1.)
Pekin
2.) Lansing T.F.
3.) Proviso West
4.) Waukegan
5.) Proviso East
5.) Peoria Richwoods
7.) Carbonsdale
University High School
8.) Evanston
9.) Wood River - East
Alton
10.) Dolton Thornridge
Drama
Carbondale U-High also won three Sectional titles in Drama competition and qualified for the State Meet in
the following years.
1950-51 Sectional Champions State Qualifier
1959-60 Sectional Champions State Qualifier
1964-65 Sectional Champions State Qualifier
Debate
The Debate Team at Carbondale University High School added to the many titles won by the academic department of the school.
The CUHS Debate Team won four Sectional titles. The years of the titles are listed below.
1952-53 Sectional Champions
1953-54 Sectional Champions
1958-59 Sectional Champions
1961-62 Sectional Champions
MEMORIES
From Laura Wilson:
"I attended Carbondale University School. The last graduating
class was 1968. The school also excelled in music! Check out our web site at : www.uschool-alumi.org There are more pictures of the school and more information on the
site. In June we are having our every 5 year ALL SCHOOL REUNION
(all class all years-----including the orphan classes--those that went to grade school there and could not go to high school
because of the phasing out of the school). It was a wonderful place to attend school, even though you Mother or
Father may be a teacher there (some also taught at the University.). Many
of the students were "Faculty Brats". I believe we were the only school (grade & high schools) that charged
tuition to attend. I lived in Murphysboro but attended U.School from 2nd grade thru High School and then "crossed the
street" to attend college at SIUC. The school actually had a nursery, a kindergarten, & 1st grade, but my
name didn't come up on "the list" until I was in 2nd grade. Enrollment was limited to 25 in the grades and 50 in 7th
and in 8th grades (2 sections of 25). It was opened up in High School. My class was one of the largest with
about 78 in the graduating class. My experiences there were often very different than my friends from Murphysboro. At
prom, the three schools in Carbondale came together at midnight for a movie and then another dance & breakfast at one
of the high schools. Of the 3 high schools, only Carbondale Community High School is still in existence. (Carbondale Attucks and University School are closed)."
From Veronica Gold:
"The SIU Library at
Carbondale has boxes of records regarding the school, including yearbooks.
The library description refers to the school as University School or University High School. All of our
high school teachers were mentors/supervising teachers for undergraduate students in SIU's
College of Education. We were taught often by those students doing their practicums or student
teaching. The school was started in 1917 and I graduated in a class of appx. 25 students in 1966. One of the benefits
of attending the school was early matriculation to the main campus at SIU. Many students like myself were permitted
to take college classes, much like today's AP classes in high schools. Our school was located on the SIU campus.
Since
I live in Ohio, it's not likely that I will visit the SIU library to see the records collection, but in case others care to
check out the archive, the web site is
http://archives.lib.siu.edu/index.php?p=collections/controlcard&id=97.
Thank you again for your efforts. I was pleasantly surprised to hear from you and really appreciate
the information you provided."
ALWAYS WANTING MORE
If you have any more information you can add to the Carbondale High School Lynxes' lore please drop us a line.
Photos and personal stories are welcome. There
had to be some other great athletic teams in CUHS' storied
past. You can e-mail items to us at
ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net. You can also write to us at:
Illinois HS Glory Days
6439 N. Neva St.
Chicago, Il. 60631
