Greg Hoffman, class of 1970, participated in football, basketball, and baseball during his career at Burlington High School.
Greg earned 11 major letters in three sports, starting as a freshman on both the Varsity basketball and baseball teams and as a sophomore in football. As a Demon football player, Greg never lost a game he started at quarterback, leading the varsity Demons to 21 consecutive wins, 2 consecutive undefeated seasons, and 2 Southern Lakes Conference Championships, first under Coach Glenn Braunschweig and then under Coach Don Dalton. Greg called the offensive plays and was a key weapon in the Demon's "air attack" of the late 1960's.
On the hardwood, Greg was a 4-year starter for Jerry Hill's Demons. In his junior year, the Demons won a conference championship and were ranked 6th in the state. In Greg's senior year he averaged just over 20 points per game, mostly with his outside shooting touch in an era before the 3-point shot. He once sank 33 free throws in a row during conference games. He was named to many All-Conference and All-Area teams over his basketball career. Greg is considered to be one of Burlington High School's all-time leading career scorers on the basketball court.
He was a 4-year starter as a pitcher and third baseman for the Demon baseball team and was named to All-Area teams for his prowess on the diamond.
Greg excelled in the classroom as well as on the athletic fields. He was senior class president in 1969-70. He also won the prestigious UW-Club Award, the American Legion Award, and the Outstanding Senior Award.
In college at UW-Eau Claire, Greg earned 8 varsity letters, 4 each in baseball and football. In 1972 Greg was the starting quarterback for the Blugolds and was among the national leaders in passing yards and total offense in NAIA Division III.
Greg is a founding board member of the Burlington Spiders youth football program. He has been a volunteer for Burlington High School athletics over the years, keeping scorebooks, scoreboards, and handling the public address duties for Demon home football games. He is in business development and physician recruitment for Memorial Hospital of Burlington and The Burlington Clinic, both part of Wisconsin's Aurora Health Care System.
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Jill Stobber, class of 1989, participated in volleyball, basketball, and softball during her career at Burlington High School.
Jill was a fantastic athlete during the late 1980's for the Burlington Demons. She was known for her competitive attitude, athleticism, and versatility making her one of the top athletes in Racine County during her high school career. She ended up earning 9 varsity letters during her tenure at BHS.
In volleyball Jill was a 3-year starter and earned All-Area, All-County, and All-Southern Lakes Conference recognition during her junior and senior seasons. She was also selected team MVP as a senior.
In basketball Jill finished her career as the 3rd leading career rebounder and 7th leading career scorer for the Lady Demon's. As a senior she was a Southern Lakes Conference All-Star and in her junior and senior seasons she earned All-Area, All-County, and All-Conference Honors for her skill on the hardwood.
As a softball player Jill maintained her status as one of the best athletes in the area making the All-Area, All-County, and All-Conference teams during her junior and senior seasons. The highlight of her softball career was the trip to the WIAA state softball tournament during her junior season.
After high school Jill attended Carthage College and was a 4-year starter and senior captain for the Lady Redmen basketball team. She also was a two-year starter for the softball team and served as assistant softball coach. Jill works for Aurora Rehabilitation and currently serves as the Athletic Trainer for Waterford High School athletics. Her passion for athletics continues, as she has been the Varsity softball coach for Waterford High School from 1999 to present. Jill has already reached 100 career wins, won 3 Conference Championships, 4 Regional Championships, and been recognized as Coach of the Year 3-times.
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Glenn is being honored for his dedicated service of 34 years to the student athletes of Burlington High School as a teacher, coach, and athletic director. During his coaching career Glenn took on the role as the Head Baseball, Basketball, Wrestling, and Football coach for the Demons. He also taught Physical Education and Health while serving 30 years as the school's Athletic Director.
Glenn's love of athletics started in high school. Glenn was a standout athlete for Watertown High School earning 10 varsity letters. He excelled on the football field making All-State as a linebacker in 1951 and earning a football scholarship to the University of Wisconsin. Glenn ended up playing quarterback and defensive back for Northwestern College in Watertown going undefeated in 1952. Glenn's college plans were put on hold while he served in Korea. He returned home and attended Carroll College where he earned 8 letters playing football, basketball, and baseball. He was a captain and All-Conference player for the Pioneers. Glenn was inducted into the Carroll College Athletic Hall of Fame.
After college Glenn was hired at Burlington as a Physical Education teacher and Athletic Director. He was instrumental in overseeing the growth of high school athletics during his tenure as Athletic Director. When Glenn started at BHS in 1958, there were only 5 varsity sports at BHS. When he stepped down in 1988 there were 16 varsity offerings for both boys and girls. His leadership and organization are traits that he will always be remembered for, as well as working to meet the facility demands with the growth of athletic offerings. Glenn served the WIAA working many years on Official Selection Committees. He was also selected as the District 6 Athletic Director of the Year in 1988.
As a coach Glenn was known as an intense tireless competitor. Glenn was the head baseball coach for 17 years earning 120 plus wins and 2 Southern Lakes Conference championships. As football coach he compiled an overall 49-43-6 record over 12 years. He is credited for bringing the program back to recognition as in his last 7 years the Demons put up an impressive 43-17-3 record. Glenn served as basketball coach for the 1958 and 1959 seasons, and then moved on to serve as our school's first wresting coach starting the program in 1960 and serving as the coach for the first two years of the program. As a coach Glenn taught more than just athletic skills to the hundreds of athletes that participated in his programs. He will always be appreciated for his contributions to the Burlington Area School District.
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Eric LeDuc, class of 1989, participated in basketball during his career at Burlington High School.
Eric is arguably one of the best basketball players to ever wear the orange and black for BHS. He finished high school with 1,064 career total points. As a senior Eric put up impressive numbers averaging 27 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 blocks per game. He holds the single game scoring record at 44 points, and single season scoring record at 554 points. During his junior year Eric was named 1st team All-Conference and All-County. As a senior Eric was again named to the 1st team All-Conference and All-County teams. He earned Southern Lakes Conference player of the year honors and All-State recognition. Eric's solid play helped the Demons win Conference titles in 1988 and 1989.
Eric became the 1st player from the Burlington Boys program to play Division 1 college basketball. He played one year of Varsity basketball at West Point, before moving on to the University of Wisconsin Green Bay to play for coach Dick Bennett. Eric was a two-year starter for the Phoenix. As a senior captain he helped lead UWGB to an overall record of 27-7 along with a conference championship and a berth in the 1994 NCAA Tournament. The highlight of the season was an upset first round win over California, and falling just short to Syracuse in the second round.
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Mike Kramer, class of 1995, participated in football and wrestling during his career at Burlington High School.
Mike was a four-year letter winner for the BHS wrestling team from 1991-1995. In his junior year, Mike accomplished an athletic feat that only one other wrestler in BHS wrestling history had done; become an undefeated WIAA State Champion wrestler at 140 pounds. Mike's record was an impressive 30-0. Along the way to his 1994 state title, Mike won WIAA Regional and Sectional titles. What is most impressive about his 1994 season is that Mike missed becoming a Conference Champion that year because he was unable to compete due to knee surgery, but he was able to return to the mat for the WIAA tournament and go on to win a State Championship.
As a senior, Mike continued his amazing wrestling career. He moved up to the 145-pound weight class finishing the season with a 33-3 record and a second place finish at the state tournament. At the state tournament he won his first match against the returning 145-pound state champ from Wisconsin Rapids by the score of 5-3. Mike went on to win two more matches, before losing in the championship match to Pete Miller an undefeated returning champion from Rhinelander. Mike ended his wrestling career with 101 wins of which 54 were by pins. He won two SLC Championships, two WIAA Regional Championships, one Sectional Championship, State Runner-up in 1995, and Undefeated State Champion in 1994.
Mike also experienced success on the football field. For three years he played defensive back and special teams for the Demons. His "never give-up attitude" earned him 1st team All-Conference and All-Area honors as a defensive back.
Mike's thirst for hard work and new experiences took him into the technical/construction field, earning him commendation in his class and certification in welding/cutting. He was headed into the field of high wire electrical work with the possibility of cross-country driving at the time of his death. Mike's smile matched his generosity and care for others. In his memory a scholarship, hosted by his parents, was established on Mike's behalf for eligible members of the BHS wrestling team.
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Libby Ripp-Forte, class of 1983, participated in track, tennis, and basketball during her career at Burlington High School.
Libby who earned nine-letters will always be remembered as one of the fastest athletes on the track and courts of Burlington High School. She played tennis in the fall and ran track in the spring. She was one of the most dominant track athletes in Racine County during the early eighties. She ended her track career with 3 school records on the board, the 100-meter dash, long jump, and 4X100 meter relay. Her time of 12.1 in the 100-meter dash still stands as of 2007.
Basketball was probably Libby's favorite sport and the 4-year letter winner enjoyed much success in the gym. She was the leading scorer and rebounder for the Lady Demons during the 1982 and 1983 seasons. In 1983 she was captain and earned team MVP honors. Her aggressive play and scoring ability earned her both All-Conference and All-Region honors in her junior and senior years. Libby's 778 career points and 320 single season points put her at 4th on the all-time basketball records. Her 277 rebounds in a single-season still stand at number one all-time for the Demons.
After high school Libby attended Arizona State University on a full athletic scholarship for basketball. In 1988 she received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Exercise Science, and is employed by the city of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department as recreation supervisor.
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Buck Bucholtz, class of 1966, participated in football, basketball, and baseball during his career at Burlington High School.
Buck was a 3-sport athlete for the Demons. Coaches in the mid-sixties consider him one of the most versatile "Big Men" to ever play for Burlington High School. His size and athletic ability allowed him to dominate games on the fields and courts of the Southern Lakes Conference. As a senior Buck was named the Outstanding Athlete for the class of 1966.
In football Buck played on the line. As a senior he helped lead a defense that allowed only 3 touchdowns during his senior season. His play earned him All-Conference, and All-Area honors for the Demons.
On the basketball court Buck was named team MVP during his junior and senior seasons. He helped lead the Demons to a Southern Lakes Conference title in 1966 and earned All-Conference, All-Area, and All-State recognition for his play in the paint.
On the baseball team he was a pitcher and 1st baseman. Buck is the only player from BHS to ever sign a professional baseball contract, and many consider him to be one of the best pitchers to ever throw for the Demons.
After graduation Buck signed with the Washington Senators minor league system, but was then drafted into service for the Vietnam War. Being drafted put his dreams of professional baseball on hold, but while in the service Buck continued with his passion for competition and athletics by playing on the Navy football, basketball, and baseball teams. Buck is currently retired and resides in California City, California after spending 34 years of federal service with the United States Department of Defense.
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