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HIASAA - Highland Community School District 5
Highland Community School District 5
HIASAA - St. Paul Catholic School - Highland, IL
St. Paul Catholic School
HIASAA - Highland Community School District 5
Highland Community School District 5
HIASAA - St. Paul Catholic School - Highland, IL
St. Paul Catholic
School
HIASAA
Highland Illinois Area School Alumni Association
HIASAA
Highland Illinois Area School
Alumni Association
HIASAA
Highland Illinois Area School Alumni Association
HIASAA - Highland Community School District 5
HIASAA - St. Paul Catholic School
Gathering
Gathering
Gathering
Staff, Classmates and Alumni
Staff, Classmates and Alumni
2017 HIASAA Hall of Fame Member
John "Jack" Cygan - Career Public Service
St. Paul Coach/Youth Minister 1976-2011

Jack Cygan has serviced our community in many ways. His work as a coach at St. Paul and his volunteer service as Catholic Youth Minister at St. Paul from 1976-2011 is legendary. Jack graduated from Central Catholic High School in East St. Louis, IL.

Jack started the annual high school Girls Basketball Tournament at St. Paul High School in 1986, which continues to this day at Highland High School. The following year the tournament was moved to HHS and has since expanded to one of the most prestigious sixteen teams event in southern Illinois. The tournament has featured many state championship teams and dozens of all-state players over the last 30-plus years. Jack was also the first girl’s high school soccer coach in the state of Illinois, starting in 1974. Since there were no other high schools to compete against, Jack persuaded an adult women’s league in Belleville to let the high school girls play in their league even though the girls didn’t meet the age requirement. Jack was the high school basketball coach at St. Paul for 15 years and the 5th and 6th grade boy’s basketball coach. Jack was a loving, giving, faithful individual, giving his time freely and always willing to help anyone or champion a good cause for St. Paul School and Parish and the Highland community. Besides athletics, Jack coordinated projects where high school students prepared yearly Easter baskets and Christmas gifts to underprivileged youth in East St. Louis; packed small bags of rice ingredients to be sent to people in Africa; and worked at senior citizen facilities to clean up the facilities and help with repairs. Jack led many high school students to World Youth Day in Rome, Italy; Sydney, Australia; Cologne, Germany; New Zealand; Canada; and Denver, Colorado.

Jack was recognized by Pope John Paul II for Young Ministry Work in 2013; was the Highland Police Board Commissioner for 30 years; awarded Citizen of the Year by the Highland Rotary Club in 2016, posthumously; awarded the Pauline Award at St. Paul for Ministry in Faith Formation in 2013 from St. Paul School; awarded the Father Tamulis Award for Family and Youth Ministry in 1999 by the Springfield diocese for service to St. Paul School; and coached several women’s softball teams for many years in the VFW and KC leagues. Jack started Cygan Catering Service in 1963 (now Cygan-Delaney Catering). Jack Cygan passed away in 2015.
2021 Inductees
Dr. Bonnie Gelly, MD - Arts & Sciences
Mr. Jeremy Corray - Arts & Sciences
Ms. Pat Jacoby - Business
Mrs. Shirley Bellm - Career Public Service
2019 Inductees
Lori Ruebhausen - Arts & Sciences
Commander William M. Tschudy - Career Public Service
Marion Alch - Lifetime Achievement Award
2018 Inductees
Larry Mueller - Arts & Sciences
James Burgett - Career Public Service
Robert Dauderman - Business
Joel Hawkins - Sports
2017 Inductees
Pat Imming - Arts & Sciences
John "Jack" Cygan - Career Public Service
Dennis Luber - Sports
2016 Inductees
Bruce Case - Arts & Sciences
Tom Ulmet - Career Public Service
Erwin Weder - Business
Jake Odorizzi - Sports
2015 Inductees
Dr. Mark Edwin Frisse - Arts & Sciences
Pat Schwarm - Career Public Service
Otto E. Jakel - Business
2014 Inductees
Dr. Richard Streiff - Arts & Sciences
Jerome Zobrist - Career Public Service
Dennis Rinderer - Public Service
2013 Inductees
Dr. Robert W. Buchheim - Arts & Sciences
Robin McGee - Arts & Sciences
Dr. Carl Ernst - Business
Kevin Hemann - Public Service
2012 Inductees
Melissa Glassmaker - Arts & Sciences
Jerry Dauderman - Business
Brig. Gen. Scott Zobrist - Public Service
2011 Inductees
Allan Killion - Arts & Sciences
David R. Ford - Business
Jay Ward - Sports
Jeanne Baumann Meyer - Public Service
2010 Inductees
Carl Basler - Business
Earl Wirz - Sports
Roland Harris - Public Service
Olin Stratton - At Large
2009 Inductees
Dr. Arlo Landolt - Arts & Sciences
Robert Mueller - Arts & Sciences
Robert Scott Tibbetts - Arts & Sciences
Martin Wick - Business
Jay Boulanger - Business
Terry Riffel - Business
Jennie Kaeser - Public Service
Joe Michaelis - Public Service
Lynn Rehberger - Public Service
2008 Inductees
Brenda (Hemann) Harris - Arts & Sciences
Ron Jacober - Arts & Sciences
Jesse Kamm - Arts & Sciences
Louis Latzer - Business
Ralph Korte - Business
Edwin Frisse - Business
Ed Hilbert - Sports
Darell Bellm - Public Service
Jack Klaus - Public Service
Larry "Biddy" Essenpreis - Public Service
© 2006-2024 HIASAA Bylaws | Sitemap | Certified Non-Profit |
© 2006-2024 HIASAA | Bylaws | Sitemap | Certified Non-Profit |
© 2006-2024 HIASAA | Bylaws | Sitemap
Certified Non-Profit

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