General 7/15/2025 7:40:00 AM

Hall of Fame Class of 2025 Inducted on Saturday

(From left to right): David Kietzmann, Kurtis Wahl, Geoff Desmond & Carol Neff

DANVILLE, IL - Four new members were added to the Danville Area Community College Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday in the Mary Miller Gymnasium during the 2025 banquet. A tremendous honor, the four individuals have given an immense amount of time and effort during their time at the college.

The first inductee was Mr. Dave Kietzmann; a retiree of the college who began his DACC career in 1971 and officially retired 50 years later in 2021. He started out as an instructor at the school, and then continued to work his way up to Vice-President later in his time at DACC. In his role of Vice-President of Instruction, he was responsible for overseeing the athletic department, while also being persistent with having the full-time coaches on campus. Mr. Kietzmann is still seen often on campus, whether it be supporting the basketball team at a game, or attending an event in the Bremer Theater. He currently resides in Danville, Illinois.

The second inductee was Miss Carol Neff, who started her DACC journey in 1979, and is still currently working on campus in the payroll office. With the NJCAA national basketball tournament making its 32nd annual appearance in 2025, you can still find her volunteering on the sidelines, helping organize box scores for four-year coaches recruiting at the tournament. At the 2024 tournament, Miss Neff was awarded "Volunteer of the Year" for all of her hard work. She was also treasurer of the DACC Athletic Booster Club throughout the 1990's, and very much so one of the Jaguar's biggest fans to date. She currently resides in Danville, Illinois.

The third inductee was Mr. Kurt Wahl. As a North Vermillion High School graduate, he started his collegiate golf career at DACC in 1981. Under the leadership of hall of fame coach Joe Springer, he had a great start during his freshman season, averaging a 77. During his sophomore season, he was averaging a 74, bringing home the trophy in three tournaments, including the Region 24 State Tournament. He also made a run at the NJCAA National Tournament that same year and made the cut. His golf career didn't end there though. Mr. Wahl went on to play on at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. Additionally, he was also named the Central Illinois Player of the Year in 1994 as head professional of the Urbana Country Club and Professional of the Year in 1995. He now resides in Arizona.

Finally, the fourth inductee of the banquet was Mr. Geoff Desmond. The 2003 NJCAA Third Team All-American started his collegiate baseball career at DACC in the fall of 2001 after graduating from Danville High School. He finished his DACC career with a batting average of .389 (5th), 132 hits (7th), 88 runs scored, 24 doubles, 5 triples, 23 homeruns (2nd), and 122 RBI's (2nd). In both 2002 and 2003, he earned his way to First Team All-Conference honors, First Team All-Region 24 honors, and First Team All-District. The standout was also voted captain by his teammates in 2003, and the team's MVP in both '02 and '03. He continued his collegiate career at Arkansas State University and was named to the Collegiate Baseball Second Team All-American squad in 2005. In 2018, he was inducted into the University's Athletic Hall of Fame, and competed in the St. Louis Cardinals minor league system for two years. Mr. Desmond currently resides in Broadlands, Illinois.

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