Mark Kern - President (1991-Current)
2008 Inductee
The fifth full-time President (and longest serving by more than six years) was the first college employee ever recognized for 35 years of service in 2004. When he was appointed to the position in 1991, the sports-minded resident of nearby Snowflake inherited an athletic contingent which for economic reasons had been pared to Men’s Basketball and Baseball, Women’s Basketball and Softball, plus a fledgling Men’s Golf squad.
Among his numerous accomplishments and forward-thinking strategies, Kern was able to envision the many advantages of an expanded sports program to the benefit of both the college community and students alike.
Today, the major roundball sports and two-time NJCAA National Championship runner-up Men’s Golf team share the stage with Women’s Golf, Women’s Tennis, Volleyball, Wrestling, Men and Women’s Cross-Country and both Men and Women’s Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field, plus competitive Dance and Cheerleading squads
With the college setting enrollment records almost routinely in recent years, RLC has gained national notoriety with four NJCAA Championships (all by Men’s Cross-Country, including three in Division II from Fall 2001-03 and a Division I title in 2006), six national runner-up finishes (four in Men’s Indoor Track/Field and the two in golf) and 27 other Top Ten NJCAA showings in nine different sports since 1995. The Laker Girl Dance Team won a National title in competition in Florida in Year Two.
Brent McLain, who now lists Assistant to the President for Athletics among his many titles, is a five-time NJCAA “National Coach of the Year.”
The establishment of a Learning Enhancement Center which provides a study-hall atmosphere and tutoring while emphasizing the former in student-athletes has made a major impact as well. In both 2004-05 and 2005-06, Rend Lake College boasted six Academic Teams of the Year with composite grade-point averages of 3.0 (on a 4.0-point scale) or higher. The Lady Warrior Tennis Team claimed the highest GPA among 12 deserving teams in that sport for 2004-05 with its RLC-best 3.51 rating. Coach Diane Metzger’s netters “slipped” to No. 2 the following year out of 19 Women’s Tennis teams singled out despite upping its overall GPA to 3.70, again the school’s finest. Women’s Golf, Women’s Basketball, Softball and Volleyball likewise attained Academic Team-of-the-Year status both years, with Men’s Basketball breaking the gender-monopoly in 2004-05 and Men’s Cross-Country replacing their cage counterparts in 2005-06. A total of 23 Rend Lake College student-athletes have been named Academic All-Americans in the last three years, including that banner year of 2004-05 with five Distinguished Academic All-Americans (3.8-4.0 GPAs) and 10 other Academic All-Americans (3.6-3.8).
2009 Induction Ceremonies
February 28, 2009
Rend Lake College Banquet Center
Nominating Process
The Selection Committee has the responsibility of evaluating all nominees to determine those individuals/teams to be inducted annually into the Rend Lake College Sports Hall of Fame.
Nominees may be from several categories – Former Athletes; Former Coaches; Former Teams; Alumni Coaches, and Sports Professionals (officials, writers, photographers and other professionals). Nominations are solicited each year from former players, coaches and students, college personnel and the general public...(more)