Distinguished Service: Booster Club

Little did Marlynn Brick realize in August of 2002 when she accepted the role of parent representative of the girls’ tennis team to the Nicolet All Sports Booster Club  that she one day would go on to become the transformative figure for the Booster Club over the next decade. Ironically enough, when Brick took on this initial role, she admittedly was not even fully aware of the purpose of the Booster Club. Eleven years later, however, she would be inducted into the Nicolet Athletics Hall of Fame for her vast efforts & contributions that would help make the Booster Club the  prominent organization that it is today. During her tenure as President, Brick initiated and/or oversaw numerous aspects that would help revolutionize the Booster Club, none perhaps more so than the new visibility of the organization to the greater Nicolet community. Her drive led to an incredible 20% increase in membership as the goal was to keep it affordable for families & encourage their participation in sports. The influence of the Booster Club began to be felt more than ever with the birth of the hugely successful annual golf outing & an increase in donations for big ticket items such as the field irrigation system, the sound system in the main gym, weight training equipment, & a new gymnastics floor. Brick took great pride in leading the charge to streamline & advance many Booster Club causes: rewriting bylaws, increased senior student-athlete scholarships, & greater concession stand fund raisers that would result in profound donations to various athletic teams. During Brick’s tenure, nearly $50,000 was contributed to the athletic department & sports teams. Upon her induction, Brick is proud to represent hundreds of volunteers who worked tirelessly aside her as well as her heartfelt association with families, coaches, & administrators. Brick’s lasting legacy, no doubt, will be that of putting a tremendous emphasis on student-athletes in their successes both on the athletic fields & in the classrooms of Nicolet.

Coach: Track/Baseball/Softball/Basketball/Football

Robert “Bob” Eckes began his teaching and coaching career at Nicolet in 1974 following a stint as a 1st Lt. in the U.S. Army and then the acquisition of his teaching credentials from UWM in broad-field science.
Bob coached at Nicolet  for 27 years as a track assistant coach (1975), assistant  baseball coach (1976-79), assistant softball coach (1980), assistant boys basketball coach  (1980-85), and assistant  football coach (1989-1993). Each one successfully.
Where Coach Eckes truly excelled, however, was as  the head girls softball coach, a position he held from 1981 to 2002. During that tenure his teams won four Braveland and North Shore Conference titles: 1983, 1984, 1989 and 1991 as well as qualified or the state tournament in 1995.
As a  vital component of that softball success, Bob was instrumental, during the dawning of the Title IX era, in instituting a program that he insisted placed girls athletics on equal footing with the boys. Indeed, he was the first male coach at Nicolet to successfully take over a girls program and consistently guide it to the top of the conference.
Coach Eckes retired from Nicolet in 2004.

Athlete: Class of 1998 - Tennis

Lia Jackson was one of the greatest female tennis players Nicolet has ever seen.  Lia won three straight WIAA Division 1 singles titles from 1995-1997, during which time she compiled a 93-2 record.  She was Nicolet’s team MVP in 1995, 1996 and 1997. 
Lia was so accomplished as a tennis player that she earned a Division 1 scholarship to play tennis at Northwestern University at the beginning of her Senior year at Nicolet.  Lia was a great teammate and one of the leaders on Nicolet’s 1996 Girls Tennis State Championship Team.  She also excelled in the classroom at Nicolet.  She was elected to Student Council, earning the Student Council Advisor’s award each of her four years at Nicolet.  Lia was integrally involved in planning numerous student council sanctioned events including dances, concerts, blood drives and other community events.  Lia Jackson embodied all that a student-athlete should aspire to be and she left an indelible legacy at Nicolet High School.

Coach: Basketball/Baseball/Football

Over the course of its existence, Nicolet High School has had hundreds of coaches in the Athletic Department. However, when one recalls coaches that exemplified superior excellence in its formative years, the name Phil Manders is one that jumps to the top of the list. Arriving to Nicolet in 1955, the year that the school opened, Manders established himself as the Director of Athletics (4 years) and, at various times, a three-sport head coach: basketball, baseball, and football. He would also be a distinguished member of the Physical Education Department for over two decades until his retirement in 1976. Prior to his coaching career, Manders was a starting quarterback & kicker at Drake University in the late 1930s. From there, he played professionally with the Milwaukee Chiefs of the old American Football League in 1941. Known as a fiery motivator, Manders carved out a successful coaching career at Nicolet after being hired away as a much-heralded coach at Wisconsin Rapids where his basketball teams had won 7 conference championships, made 4 state tournament appearances, and won the 1951 state championship. Stressing strong fundamentals, Manders commanded unwavering respect of his players. Without question, the birth of the Athletic Department at Nicolet will forever be in debt to the tremendous contributions of Phil Manders.

Athlete: Class of 2002 - Soccer/Swim/Baseball

Eric Mickschl was one of the most talked about and talented Multi Sport athletes to come out of Nicolet High School.  During his four year tenure he racked up 11 Varsity letters in three sports:  Soccer, Swimming and Baseball.   He also played all four years on the Water Polo team.   He was a 1st Team All-Conference and 1st Team All-State athlete in all three sports and the team MVP in Soccer, Baseball and Water Polo.   By the end of his senior year he was selected by the Journal Sentinel as the 2002 Athlete of the Year, was honored with the Dick Huxtable  award and the Glen Kukla Scholarship.
He had many accolades, but his most notable accomplishments were done on the Soccer field as a goalie.  Eric is Nicolet’s only NSCAA All-American Soccer player and also is the only Nicolet athlete selected to play in the McDonald’s All-American Game.  He was named the WIAA Player of the Year, the North Shore Conference Player of the Year and voted by Gatorade as the State Player of the Year.   Eric’s  versatility and talents extended beyond the sporting realm, earning academic excellence as a member of the National Honor Society.
During his high school career, Eric help lead his Soccer team to a North Shore Conference title.  Further, he helped his Baseball Team win a Conference Championship and qualify for the WIAA State Tournament.   In swimming, he was part of the Men’s 200 Medley Relay, resulting in Conference and Sectional Championship titles, and also setting a pool record in that event.   His athletic accomplishments were the subject of numerous newspaper articles in various publications. It was once quoted, “He’s got the physical presence and moves like a Big Cat”. 
In Eric’s senior year he was offered a Division I Soccer scholarship to UWM.  There, his stellar performances continued, with his Soccer team winning the Horizon League Championship all four years of his college career.  He played in four NCAA National Tournament games and was selected to the Horizon All-Tournament Team.   In 2004 he was ranked 13th in the nation in goals against and tied for eighth in career victories at UWM.  He was not only a presence on the field, but off the field as well, where he was named a Scholar Athlete during all four years.  Eric’s blend of athletic talent, dedication, and academic skills make him a standout.

Athlete: Class of 1984 - Volleyball/Basketball/Softball

Kelly Zerman Press was one of the finest multi sport athletes to attend Nicolet High School.  She excelled in Volleyball, Basketball and Softball, and was the first Nicolet athlete to be named an All State Softball player.
Kelly was a talented and enthusiastic leader on each team, a role model for her teammates and one of the best student athletes in history.  She displayed integrity, sportsmanship and courage as she forged into new territories for females athletes in the 1980’s.
Kelly was a part of Braveland Conference championship teams in volleyball and the setter on the first team that qualified for the state tournament in 1981.  She was the captain her junior and senior seasons. 
In basketball, she was a captain and MVP her senior season, but her greatest accomplishments came on the softball diamond.  She was part of sectional championships, two Braveland conference titles, team captain and MVP, all conference for 3 seasons, and all state her senior year.
Kelly was awarded 9 varsity letters in her time at Nicolet and won a Kukla scholarship her senior year.  Above all, Kelly was a winner away from sports.  She was a person that was always positive, respectful and driven to be the best.  Nicolet was better because of her.