Chaparrals Athletic Hall of Fame
June 1, 2019 ceremony | To view the ceremony, click here

Front (l-r): Dr. Harold McAninch and Nikkilette Wright. Back (l-r): Don Klaas, Paul Spicer, Ali Klaas Ittersagen and Tom Pukstys.

Dr. Harold D. McAninch — President (1979-94, 2008-09)
Dr. Harold D. McAninch was responsible for the construction of the Physical Education and Recreation Center and was vital in the hiring and support of COD's many Hall of Fame coaches. He was an extremely strong supporter of the intercollegiate athletic programs and advocated the mission of COD athletics. He has been a constant promoter of the athletics' brand and their successes throughout DuPage County, the state of Illinois and the nation. He served one year as the chairman of the board of the American Association of Community Colleges. COD's athletic program and storied history of success is due in large part to his passion, commitment, vision and support.
 
Allison (Klaas) Ittersagen — tennis and basketball (1998-00)
Allison Ittersagen (Wheaton) was a two-time All-American guard and led the Chaparrals to the NJCAA 2000 national championship in which she was named the tournament Most Valuable Player. A two-time N4C MVP, she received a full-ride scholarship to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she helped the Panthers to their first NCAA tournament appearance in school history (2001). She also starred during her two seasons of tennis at COD (1998-99), placing second in doubles and singles in 1998. Her doubles team won the national title in 1999, and she finished second in singles while guiding the Chaps to a runner-up finish that season. She is the daughter of former men's basketball head coach Don Klaas and wife Peggy.
 
Don Klaas — men's basketball coach (1978-2013)
Don Klaas coached the Chaparrals for 35 seasons, owning a near 70-percent winning percentage with a record of 743-382. He led the Chaps to 12 N4C conference titles, eight sectional titles and seven Region IV titles. Seven of his teams reached the national tournament and he capped his career with his 2002 national championship squad. He was the 2001-02 National Coach of the Year and is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association Hall of Fame, the Illinois Coaches Hall of Fame and the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Hall of Fame. He finished his career ranked No. 1 in NJCAA history in Division III and Illinois Junior College victories. The COD basketball floor is named Klaas Court in his honor.
 
Tom Pukstys — track and field (1987-88)
Tom Pukstys (Palos Hills) competed in the javelin for the Chaparrals and later became the United States' top thrower for nearly a decade. A member of the 1992 and 1996 U.S. Olympic teams, Pukstys was a six-time U.S. champion, ranked No. 1 in his sport seven times by U.S. Track and Field News, and held the U.S. record from 1993-2004. While at COD, he was the 1987 NJCAA national champion and national junior college record holder, and later became a two-time All-American at the University of Florida. He established the U.S. collegiate record in 1990 and remains the national junior college season record holder (248 feet, 5 inches, 1988). He was inducted into the National Junior College Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1997.
 
Paul Spicer — football (1994-95)
Paul Spicer (Indianapolis) played defensive end 11 seasons in the National Football League for the Detroit Lions (1999), Jacksonville Jaguars (2000-08) and the Super Bowl XLIV champion New Orleans Saints (2009). He also spent time with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (1998-99) and the Frankfurt Galaxy of NFL Europe (2001- 02). While at COD, he was an All-American his sophomore season and helped lead the Chaparrals to 24 consecutive victories. He then played at Saginaw Valley State (Mich.) where he earned NCAA Division II All-American honors in 1997 after he led the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with 16.5 sacks. He spent four seasons as an assistant defensive line coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2015-18) and recently became the defensive line coach at the University of South Florida.
 
Nikkilette Wright — basketball and track and field (2000-02)
Nikkilette Wright (Oak Park) led the Chaparrals to consecutive NJCAA national championships in track and field, playing a remarkable role in her two seasons. She won individual national championships in the 400-meter hurdles and triple jump, and ran legs on national championship 4 x 400 and 4 x 800 relays in 2001, and in 2002, repeated in the 400 hurdles and in the 4 x 800 relay. Wright also helped her 2002 4 x 100 relay win a national title. All told, she won three individual national championships, was a member of four relay title teams and was a nine-time All-American. She also served as team captain on the Chaparrals' 2002 NJCAA national championship basketball squad and was a two-time team defensive player of the year. Currently, she is a stunt woman in Los Angeles and a two-time competitor on America Ninja Warrior.