Alex Villa
Alex's accomplishments at ACC have become legendary. He is currently the school record holder in the 1600 (4:28), the 3200 (9:42), and the 3-mile (14:56). Villa was a 5-time All-State Athlete in Cross Country and Track. In 1994 he did an amazing All-State double in which he ran the 3200 relay and the 3200 with only 25 minutes of recovery between events! At the Dwight Track Invitational in 94 Villa opened with a 2:00 800 split and came back in 10 minutes to run a 9:51 3200 outkicking 2 other Class A All-Staters who ran fresh! Villa was also a North region All-Stater in CC in 1994, and he was 1 of only 3 Class A athletes to be honored for that award. Alex had a strong passion for the sport and a tremendous work ethic that took him to a higher level! He was often seen with Coach Kerber training in rain,snow,and sleet! He went on to be a national qualifier in college and was inducted into the ACC Hall of Fame in 2004.
Moshe Rogers
Moshe was "Poetry in motion," according to Coach Kerber. He was a stellar track athlete and the current school record holder in several events. As a junior Rogers posted outstanding times of 49.0 for the 400 and 1:57 as a part of ACC's vaunted 3200 relay teams. Moshe was a major college track recruit being pursued by the likes of North Carolina, UCLA, Stanford, and Arkansas to name a few. According to Coaches Regnier and Kerber "Rogers was arguably the greatest natural athlete we ever coached!" In addition, he was an amazing basketball player and his number 40 jersey is retired and on display in the school trophy case. His tragic death during his senior year affected the ACC community greatly. Moshe is still remembered as an ACC legend to this day. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.
Mario Bastida
Mario was a part of the 1-2 punch of John Leal and himself that helped lead the ACC Chargers of 1978 to a 2nd place finish at the Cross Country State Meet. A 9th place finish in 15:08 earned him an All-State Title for his accomplishments. Bastida had great respect for Leal and would always let John cross the finish line before him in every race. Bastida was always very well respected amongst his competitors! Mario was also an integral part of the ACC Track team in 1979 and was an All-Stater in the 300run in Track. Bastida later went on to compete at North Central College. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003.
John Leal
John was the Captain, leader, and number-one runner for the 1978 Charger Cross Country team that finished 2nd in the state to Winnebago. A personal-best of 15:08 at the state meet lifted him to an 8th place finish and All-State status. He was also a key to the 1979 4x8 team whose school record has yet to be broken. According to Coach Kerber who competed in that era with Leal" Whenever you heard about ACC you heard about John Leal!" He was a breakthrough athlete for the Charger programs. Leal was a driving force along with Coach Ken Jakalski in putting Aurora Central on the map. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.
Debbie Ford
Debbie Ford was a 1981 grad of ACC. She was a 2-time state champion in the 400 in 1979 and 1980! She was a All-State in 5 events on the track! Debbie qualified for the State Track Meet as a freshman and helped the 800 medley team finish 2nd in the state in 1978. Debbie Ford played a large part in putting Lady Charger's Track on the map. Ford was also a product and original member of the Aurora Sundowners Track Club. She also ran Cross-Country, posting a personal best of 15:28 for 2.25 miles. She went on to have a successful career at Illinois State University. Debbie was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996.
Anissa Mercado
Anissa was a 1998 graduate and an outstanding 3-sport athlete at ACC. She was All-SCC in Basketball,Cross Country,and Track. Mercado was a 2 Time All-Stater on Lady Charger 3200 relay teams that were some of the most feared and respected relays in the state! She ran H.S.bests of 2:22 for the 800 and 5:35 for the 1600. According to Coaches Regnier and Kerber" Annissa was just an outstanding athlete and an extremely tough competitor! She is the current school record holder in the 3200 relay with a 9:42. She was also voted Athlete of the Year along with Nick Bonifas in 1999. Annissa went on to have a successful CC and Track career at North Central College and was a no.1 runner in CC. She was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005.
Leah Rygh
Leah "Rocket" Rygh (Class of 2000) is the youngest student-athlete to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Considered by many to be the benchmark of ACC Girls Track and Cross Country; Rygh held 6 school records at the time of her graduation and was a 5-time State Qualifier in both sports (twice in cross country and three times in track). She held track records in the 800, 1600, and 3200. She also was a member of the school record 3200 and 1600 relay teams. She also has the 2.25 mile record for Cross Country. Currently, Rygh still holds 4 of these school records. Leah was the number one runner for the Lady Chargers’ Cross Country team her Junior and Senior years and was the first female in ACC history to make it downstate in cross country. She did it twice, earning a fiftieth place finish in 1997 and an eighth place finish in 1999. She qualified for the state track meet in two events per year albeit her freshman season (800, 4x2, 4x4, 4x8). She earned All-State honors in three of these events. She finished 3rd in the State in the 800-meter run in 2000, was a member of the 7th in State 4x800 relay team in 1998, and the 4th in State 4x800 relay team in 1999. Leah also competed in basketball and was a member of the All-Conference Team. She was voted ACC's Athlete of the Year in 2000. Rygh went on to have a successful career at De Paul University earning NCAA Division I All-American Status in the 1500-meter run. Rygh is currently a junior high math teacher in Berkley School District 87 and resides in Chicago. She is married to fellow ACC Alumni Doug Bohr. Rygh was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007.
Mary Kay Strotz
Mary Kay Strotz was a 1978 grad of ACC. Mary Kay, along with teammate Nancy Moran, was a pioneer of the Lady Charger Track program in the late 70s. Her and Moran were leaders in the early days of Lady Charger Track. Nancy was known to be a solid 800 runner who ran a 2:24. Mary Kay also anchored the 800 medley relay team to 2nd in the state in 1978. She was considered a great all around athlete in 3 sports at ACC. She was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996.
Nancy Moran
Nancy Moran, Class of 1978, along with teammate Mary Kay Strotz, was considered a pioneer and a leader in the Lady Charger Track program. Nancy honed her skills as a sprinter in the Sundowners Track Club under legendary coach Wilbert Walters before coming to ACC. She was a valuable relay member of the 800 medley relay team that placed 2nd in state in 1978. Nancy was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998.
Brett DeKing
Brett DeKing was a 1977 graduate of Aurora Central Catholic. He was an outstanding 3 sport athlete at ACC earning all-state status in Football and Track. The burly Alex Karras (former NFL Great) look-alike stood out as a man amongst boys at ACC. DeKing was also an all-state football lineman for the Chargers. His outstanding performance in the 1977 state Track Finals in the Shot Put has immortalized him as one of the greatest throwers in ACC Track history! He is a member of the Hall of Fame Class of 2004.
Margie Padilla
Margie Padilla was a great thrower for the ACC Track and Field program. Padilla still holds school records in both the shot put (39’9’’) and the discus (127’10’’). She was a three time state qualifier and a three time team MVP. She placed 6th in the shot put at the 1989 IHSA State Track Meet with a hurl of 39'4". Not only did Margie have success in the spring, she also participated in volleyball and basketball. She was All-Conference Special Mention as a senior in volleyball She was also an All-Conference Special Mention in basketball as a sophomore and junior, and Honorable Mention as a senior captain, while leading the Lady Chargers in scoring and rebounding for the 1988-89 season. Padilla attended Waubonsee Junior College, where she played 2 seasons as a member of the basketball team. She currently works for Dreyer Medical as an Account Representative, and resides in Plainfield with her husband Jon, and two children Rebecca (13) and Jacob (9). Margie was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008.
