Jens Deju
Daily Egyptian
When I first arrived in Carbondale back in the fall of 1999, it was a time of optimism for SIU sports.
I remember reading articles on fellow freshmen Kent Williams, Tom Koutsos, Kristie Kemner and Molly McDowell and thinking about how they were going to be the leaders of a new generation of Saluki athletes and help take their respective teams to the promised land.
I got the impression that they were going to be the saviors of Saluki sports.
Now, three years later, the four have all had successful individual careers, but only Williams' men's basketball team seems to have been resurrected.
Since Williams joined the team, the Salukis have gone 64-35 including a 28-8 mark last season that ended in an NCAA Tournament run all the way to the Sweet 16.
Williams gained national attention and was featured on Fox Sports Best Damn Sports Show Period, during which host Tom Arnold proceeded to make fun of him for his boyish looks.
Thus far in his career, the Mt. Vernon native has played in 99 games and has scored a total of 1,537 points.
His total has him currently standing in fifth place all-time in the SIU record books, and with one year remaining, he is 552 points away from taking over the top spot.
Koutsos, a native of Oswego, put his name in the football record books last year when he broke Karlton Carpenter's career rushing mark.
Through three seasons he has racked up 3,531 yards on 764 carries. "Touchdown Tommy" also has 32 career touchdowns, tying him with Amos Bullock for second in SIU history, and he is just six scores short of breaking former teammate Cornell Craig's school record.
His play on the field hasn't gone unnoticed as he has already been named a preseason All-American by a pair of college football preview magazines.
However, with all his individual successes, Koutsos hasn't been able to lead the football team back to respectability They have suffered through a 9-24 record since he got to SIU.
Things haven't been easy for the football team as it has gone through two coaches in the past three years and is currently in year No. 2 of its current rebuilding process.
While the team may be back on top in the near future, Koutsos unfortunately won't be a part of it as he readies himself for his final season.
Quincy native Kemner came to SIU along with six other freshmen, but the personable outside hitter became the team star for her hard play and devastating kills.
Three years later, Kemner has 1,087 kills, 849 digs and 92 service aces. She currently sits at ninth in school history for kills, 458 away from the No. 1 on the list and sits just 264 digs away from the top spot.
The ever-happy senior has become a favorite of fans and the media alike for her outgoing personality and hard-nosed play, but she, like Koutsos, has had a hard time on the court.
Since her arrival, the Salukis have gone just 24-62.
Finally is McDowell.
The former Ms. Basketball in the state of Illinois has probably had the hardest time of the big four.
I first heard of McDowell during my senior year of high school, when I read a story about her in the Chicago Tribune.
It was a back page spread and pretty much talked about how great of a high school player she was and how much she would help the fledging Saluki program.
Three years later, the program still needs work as it has gone 21-61 since McDowell's arrival.
The Fillmore native has played in 81 games and has scored 864 points, grabbed 284 rebounds, dished out 252 assists and racked up 144 steals.
Like Koutsos, McDowell also has undergone a coaching change since her arrival at SIU, and unlike the other three, she has also had to battle injuries.
With just a year remaining for Williams, Koutsos, Kemner and McDowell, the time is now for them to step up and leave a lasting impression on not only the players currently at SIU, but on all the athletes to come here in the future.
These four can become the milestone by which future players measure themselves.
While neither the big four nor myself will be around to see the next generation of Salukis fully develop, hopefully last year's freshmen like Stetson Hairston, Danette Jones, Justin George and Amy Harre can put SIU on the map once and for all.
Reporter Jens Deju can be reached at jdeju@dailyegyptian.com
Published on 11/17/05; 12:24:44 PM
