Class of 1959 - Football, Basketball, Tennis

Gary Adelman was a true athletic pioneer, starting high school in the fall of 1955 when Nicolet first opened its doors and quickly becoming an integral part of the school’s first sports teams that competed in the Braveland Conference. As a freshman, Gary started out on the freshman/sophomore football, basketball and tennis teams. From his sophomore year forward, he earned nine letters playing at the varsity level in each of these three sports.

In football, Gary was a standout halfback for the Knights, winning all-Braveland Conference honors as both a junior and senior. Although he earned a great deal of individual recognition, Gary was always quick to give credit to his lineman, including fellow Nicolet Hall of Famer Don Edwards (class of 1958) for whatever success he may have enjoyed. On the basketball team, Gary played guard and, in an era when basketball games were not as high scoring as they are today, he dropped in a remarkable 38 points against Brookfield High School (later changed to Brookfield Central). His basketball prowess was rewarded with all-Braveland Conference honors as both a junior and senior. 

Those accomplishments alone would be most impressive, but Gary enjoyed his greatest success as a member of Hall of Fame coach Cary Bachman’s first tennis teams. As a junior, he finished as the State Singles runner-up, and in his senior year Gary became the first Nicolet athlete to win the State Singles Tennis Championship. Several decades of Nicolet tennis excellence followed the state championship Gary won during a time when the school was just starting to establish its athletic programs and identity.  

After high school, Gary went on to Harvard College. His family has been an active part of the Milwaukee business community for decades, and Gary and his wife Linda still reside in the area.

Class of 1979 - Swimming

As a four-year varsity letter winner in swimming, Bill Gengler was one of the most dominant swimmers of his or any era in Nicolet school history. Bill was the team’s MVP for 1978 and 1979, won first place in Braveland Conference individual and relay events nine times, and was a key contributor to the Knights two conference swimming championships. His amazing career began with an impressive 4th place finish as a sophomore competing in the 100-yard backstroke at the Wisconsin State swim meet. As a junior in 1978, Bill took the silver medal at State in the 100 backstroke, and was a National All-American in that event, having recorded the 12th fastest time in the nation. That same year, he also competed in the National Junior Olympics, finishing in 2nd place in the 100 backstroke. As a senior, Bill was the Wisconsin State Meet Champion in the 100 backstroke and the 400 freestyle relay, setting a Wisconsin State record for the relay event. He also won National All-American honors in the 100 backstroke for the second consecutive year. 

Along the way to success in conference and State competitions, Bill set school records that are still relevant 40 years later. He graduated with the fastest time in Knights history in the 100 butterfly, 500 freestyle, 100 backstroke, and 400 free relay, and recorded top five times in the 200 freestyle, 100 freestyle and 200 individual medley. His school record in the 100 backstroke stood for over 20 years, and all four of his school record times remain in the top five all time as of 2018. This is a fantastic accomplishment, given how the evolution of swimming techniques, equipment and training strategies over the years have led to steadily decreasing times at all levels of the sport. Bill topped off his spectacular career by being named the WIAA Swimming Male Athlete of the Year in 1979.

After graduation, Bill attended Indiana University, where he met his wife Sandra, and swam varsity three years for a legendary program that at the time was a perennial Big Ten Conference champion. He is joined in the Nicolet Hall of Fame by his sister Sarah Gengler Dahl, class of 1981, who also swam for the Knights.  

Class of 2007 - Cross Country, Basketball, Track

Before graduating from University of North Carolina and the Medical College of Wisconsin, Kathleen Hannan was a star Cross Country, Basketball and Track athlete at Nicolet High School.  A three-sport all-conference athlete and all-state academic qualifier, Kathleen graduated from Nicolet as one of the most accomplished athletes in school history. 

In Cross Country, Kathleen earned 3 varsity letters and was twice selected Honorable Mention All-Conference.  On the varsity basketball team, she earned 2 varsity letters, was named 2nd Team All-Conference along with Honorable Mention All-Area and Team MVP her senior year and played on a Conference Championship team her junior year.  Kathleen was an accomplished rebounder who led the conference in rebounding in 2006-07 and still can be found in the record books for the Lady Knights.

While a very accomplished athlete in basketball and cross country, Kathleen’s greatest successes came on the track. Kathleen was a 4-time varsity letter winner, 3-time individual State Qualifier, holds the school record for second place in the 4x200m, 4x400m, 4x800m, and High Jump, is third all-time in the Triple Jump, and is a member of the fastest 4x800m team in Nicolet history. Among all of these individual accomplishments, Kathleen also helped lead the 4x400m crew to a 2005 state championship and was a key member of four consecutive Conference Champion Girls Track teams at Nicolet from 2004-2007.

Kathleen earned 9 varsity letters overall and is a bright spot in Nicolet Athletics history having also won the prestigious Glenn Kukla and Brittany Gigl Memorial Scholarships her final year in high school.  Few high school athletes can say they have accomplished as much.  Kathleen continued to distance run after high school and has qualified for the Boston Marathon twice.  

Class of 1981- Gymnastics

Seldom if ever has a Nicolet athlete been more decorated in one sport than Andy Memmel. Andy’s success helped establish boy’s gymnastics at a time when the most notable gymnasts worldwide were predominately female. During his sophomore season, Andy won both the Braveland Conference and Wisconsin State championship in the parallel bars. As a junior, Andy competed and succeeded in a host of gymnastics events, winning the conference championship in both floor exercise and the high bar, and placing second in the all-around competition. At sectionals, Andy took first place in the parallel bars, high bar, and the all-around exercise, finished 2nd in the rings and 5th in floor exercise. He then placed 5th in the all-around and 4th in the ring event at State. 

During his senior year of 1981, Andy was named team captain and took the conference championship in six individual events (floor, rings, vault, parallel bars, high bar and all-around) while finishing second in the pommel horse. The team also won the conference championship. Andy capped off his amazing gymnastics career with individual State Championships in the floor, rings, high bar, and all-around, took 2nd place in the parallel bars and 3rd place in the vault. The Nicolet gymnastics team also won its first State Championship.

As a reward for his efforts, Andy was recognized as the gymnastics team’s MVP in 1981, won the Citizenship Award, and the Glen A. Kukla Athletic Memorial Scholarship Award. He also competed in the National High School All Around Invite, winning the championship in the vault and parallel bars and finishing 3rd in the rings and high bars. This hard work paid off when Andy received an athletic scholarship to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he enjoyed additional athletic success.

After college, Andy and his wife Jeanelle opened M&M Gymnastics.  In 2005, Andy had the pleasure of coaching his daughter Chellsie to the World All-Around Title in Melbourne, Australia, and with his guidance she earned a spot on the 2008 USA Gymnastics Silver Medal team in the Beijing Olympics. 

Class of 1964 - Football, Basketball, Tennis, Baseball

Mickey Szilagyi, one of the greatest all-around athletes of his era, transferred to Nicolet prior to his sophomore year. During his three years of competition, Mickey earned 10 varsity letters while participating in four sports. Mickey earned two letters in football, and was a starter at quarterback and cornerback as a senior. He also earned two varsity letters as a member of the basketball team. But it was in baseball and tennis where Mickey made his mark at Nicolet. 

As a three year letterman for the baseball team, Mickey set school records with a career batting average of .500 and an ERA of 0.50. During his junior season in 1963, the Knights finished in 2nd place in the Braveland Conference, while Mickey pitched two no-hitters, led the conference in batting average, was named the team’s MVP, and made 2nd team all-conference. As a senior, Mickey earned 1st team all-conference. By the time his baseball career ended, Mickey held four team hitting records and nine pitching records, including the most strikeouts in a single game (20 in twelve innings). 

Mickey’s tennis accomplishments are even more impressive. During each of his three varsity seasons, the Knights had a remarkable 76-4 conference mark and won three Braveland Conference championships. During his sophomore season, the team finished 6th at State, and Mickey won the Wisconsin Singles Championship. Mickey served as team captain during his junior and senior seasons. The Knights took 3rd place at State in 1963, with Mickey and Peter Bronson winning the State Doubles championship. The Knights then won the State Champion in 1964. After that season, Mickey was recognized for his athletic prowess by winning the University of Wisconsin “Milwaukee W-Club” Award. He was ranked as high as 4th in the US Western Tennis Association in singles and 1st in doubles, and also held the ranking of 22nd nationwide in singles. Mickey was later inducted into the Nicolet Tennis Hall of Fame. 

Mickey went on to Michigan State University on a full tennis scholarship and won both a Big Ten singles and doubles championship and a Big Ten tennis team championship title in 1967. In 2013, Mickey was named to the Michigan State University Spartan All-Century (1913-2013) Tennis Team.
As of 2018 Mickey lives in East Lansing, MI with his wife Anne. They have two children and five grandchildren. Mickey still plays tennis regularly and they both enjoy an active life traveling.