The following is part Twenty-Seven of a multi-part article about the timeline of Chillicothe, IL. This article will illustrate the key dates along with the key individuals who helped to shape our city’s great history. 

2002 – Zach Glavash, a junior at IVC High School, won the IHSA Class A state championship in the 800-meter run. In the state final, Glavash finished with a time of 1:54.40. Glavash becomes the schools’ third individual state champion in Track and Field

2003 – Zach Glavash, a senior at IVC High School, won the IHSA Class A state championship in the 800-meter run. In the state final, Glavash finished with a time of 1:52.81, which set a new Class A state record, surpassing the previous record of 1:53.04 set by Rob Carter of Clinton in 1988. Glavash becomes the school’s first two-time individual champion in Track and Field.

2003 – Zach Schroeder of Chillicothe IVC High School capped off an impressive run at the IHSA Class A State Wrestling Championships winning the 275-pound weight class. Schroeder concluded the season with a remarkable 39-1 record, cementing his place as the school’s wrestler with the most wins with a record of 129 wins and only 15 losses. Schroeder was a two-time state finalist and three-time medalist.

2004 – Aaron Schneider, a 1983 graduate of IVC High School in Chillicothe, Illinois, wins an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film with Two Soldiers, a WWII drama based on a story by William Faulkner. Aaron’s journey from IVC led him to study at USC and work as a cinematographer on projects like Murder One and Supernatural, as well as Titanic as a second unit director of photography. 

2005 – Gary W. Fyke won the Chillicothe mayoral race, defeating incumbent Donald Z. White by 748 votes to 630. Fyke, known for his involvement with the Chillicothe Historical Society, gained strong community support with his focus on preserving the town’s heritage, appealing to voters seeking a fresh approach to leadership. Fyke becomes the city’s 33rd Mayor.

2005 – The Brad Wallin Memorial Tournament has its inaugural tournament in memory of Bradley R. Wallin who passed away from cancer in 2004. The tournament began with a single division and included 10 teams. Organized by family and friends as a fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the event was created to honor Brad’s passion for baseball and to support pediatric cancer research.

2005 – Shore Acres Park in Chillicothe, Illinois, celebrated the groundbreaking of its new water park, marking an exciting development for the community. The addition of the water park aimed to enhance recreational opportunities for residents and attract more visitors to the area.

2005 – IVC freshman Jeff Bybee competed in the 112-pound weight class at the IHSA state wrestling tournament. Bybee advanced to the championship match, where he faced Vince Hannon from Lombard (Montini). In a closely contested bout, Bybee secured the state title with a 6-5 decision over Hannon. The victory capped an impressive season for Bybee, who finished with an undefeated record of 41-0.

2005 – The 2004-2005 IVC Girls Basketball team, coached by Paul Mercer, made their first-ever state tournament appearance for the school. After defeating Bloomington Central Catholic 50-40 in the Super-Sectionals, they advanced to the state quarterfinals, where they fell to Sterling Newman Central Catholic, 59-50. Their final record was 22 wins and 8 losses.

2005 – The City Council approves River Sound, LLC, and Manager James S. Paul to develop the new plat of land and subdivision known as River Sound Section One. The plat is located west of Hillcrest Subdivision Section three and south of Cloverdale Road. The fifty-five-lot subdivision will feature new street names such as Harborway Drive, Stillwater Drive, and Sandy Shores Drive.

2006 – Jeff Bybee, in 2006, won the IHSA Class A state wrestling championship for IVC High School in the 119-pound weight class, defeating Tyler Clark of Orion in a 3-1 overtime decision. Bybee became IVC’s first two-time state champion, finishing the season with an impressive record of 39 wins and 5 losses.

2006 – Tim Ladd, in the 2005-2006 IHSA Class A wrestling season, captured the state championship for IVC High School in the 189-pound weight class. He defeated Bernard Stott of Harvard with a 3-2 decision in the finals and finished the season with an impressive record of 37 wins and only 1 loss, marking the last individual state champion at IVC to date.

2006 – The IVC Grey Ghosts Boys Basketball team, coached by Jim Thornton, finished the 2005-2006 season with a strong 27-6 record and earned the runner-up title in the IHSA Class A state tournament. Key players like Ryan Thornton, Tyler Anderson, Chris Shindley, and Zach McAllister led the team to notable victories before narrowly losing 44-47 to Seneca in the championship game, marking a standout season in IVC’s basketball history.

2006 – The 2006 IVC High School Scholastic Bowl team, led by captain Brett Sick and coached by David Lawson, achieved a historic runner-up finish in the IHSA Class A state competition. Key players included seniors Brett Sick and all-state member Mike Hahn. Battling through intense rounds and defeating strong opponents, the team ultimately fell to Latin School of Chicago in the finals. Known as IVC’s “other March Madness” team, they proudly represented their school, marking a high point in IVC’s academic achievements.

2006 – Tyler Pence, a senior at IVC High School, won first place in the pole vault at the 2006 IHSA Class A state track meet, clearing 15 feet 6 inches. This victory was a highlight of his high school athletic career and strengthened IVC’s track and field legacy.

2006 – To Be Continued Next Month