Root for the Home Team

THE BEST SEATS IN TOWN

Sports are a huge and growing part of the area’s economy, and the Peoria Civic Center, with its 12,000 arena seats, is right in the thick of it all. Many of the area’s biggest sporting events take place right here: Bradley University basketball, Peoria Rivermen hockey and the IHSA boys’ state basketball tournament. And with the Civic Center’s recent upgrade, the view has only gotten better. For more information, turn to page 12.

AMERICA’S PASTTIME

The history of professional baseball in Peoria dates back to the 1878 Peoria Reds. Today, the Chiefs rule the town, playing their home games at O’Brien Field, a magnificent “jewel box of a ballpark,” which celebrated its fifth anniversary in 2007. As the Class A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, the Chiefs have seen many stars pass through town, including Albert Pujols, Greg Maddux and Mark Grace.

Last year, Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg made his managerial debut, helping the club set a franchise attendance record. After a slow start, the Chiefs tied for the Western Division’s second-half title. Sandberg is slated to return for the 2008 season.

And let’s not forget our other hometown favorites: East Peoria native Joe Girardi, who dons pinstripes this year as manager of the New York Yankees, and pro slugger Jim Thome, who launched home run No. 500 last September.

A HOTBED FOR HOOPS

With Peoria’s rich history in high school basketball, it makes sense that it would host the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Boys’ State Basketball Tournament, one of the nation’s premier high school sporting events, drawing more than 80,000 spectators annually. In 2006, Peoria’s own Richwoods High was the Cinderella team, battling its way to the championship game before finishing second to Chicago Simeon. Accompanying the tournament is the March Madness Experience, a family-oriented basketball playground featuring interactive games, historical exhibits and educational activities for hoops fans of all ages.

The second annual Trusted Choice Tournament of Champions was held in the area last Thanksgiving weekend, showcasing some of the nation’s top talent. More than 20 teams and 16 All-American players from across the nation vied for two separate tournament championships.

BRADLEY BRAVES

A perennial draw at the Civic Center, Bradley University men’s basketball is an NCAA Division I program with an outstanding legacy. Bradley can boast of numerous Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) championships, NCAA tournament appearances and a host of players graduated to the NBA, most famously Hersey Hawkins. In 2006, the Braves went all the way to the Sweet 16 before being eliminated. Under the helm of Coach Jim Les, the team won 22 games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in half a century, showing off a program on the rise.

Bradley men’s and women’s teams also contend for league championships and national attention in baseball, softball, soccer, tennis, golf, volleyball and more. Last year, Bradley’s soccer team won their first-ever MVC tournament championship on the way to a quarterfinal finish in the national championship, and Coach Jim DeRose was named the national Coach of the Year by Soccer America.

ON THE ICE

An affiliate of the National Hockey League’s St. Louis Blues, the Peoria Rivermen take to the ice each winter, providing fans with edge-of-the-seat excitement. Now in the American Hockey League, the Rivermen were the East Coast Hockey League’s 2000 Kelly Cup champions, and the squad holds the world record for most consecutive wins by a professional hockey team.

And there’s more for die-hard puck fans! The area is also home to the Peoria Mustangs, a Junior B hockey team in the Central States Hockey League.

ROAD RACES

Auto racing fans don’t have to leave town to see action at the track. The Peoria Speedway is a quarter-mile, semi-banked dirt track hosting a variety of races and classes. Motorsports fans who prefer two-wheeled competition flock to the Grand National TT Motorcycle Races, one of the nation’s tops. Held at America’s first dirt track and hosted by the Peoria Motorcycle Club, the TT races are furious contests that draw more than 35,000 spectators.

Earthmoving giant Caterpillar sponsors car and truck racing teams on three continents. Local CAT Racing fans follow the No. 22 car, driven by Dave Blaney in NASCAR’s Nextel Cup Series. The company recently became an official sponsor of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and will sponsor Rod Fuller’s car with David Powers Motorsports in 2008.

The Proctor Cycling Classic, an Illinois Cycling Association Cup series event, celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2007. The three-day event includes many racing categories for men, women and children of all ages and skill levels. All events are free and open to spectators.

Susan G. Komen For the Cure sponsors Peoria’s annual Race For the Cure, a 5K run/walk held at Peoria’s Metro Centre over Mother’s Day weekend. The race attracts people of all ages and athletic abilities in an emotional and exhilarating event.

Since 1982, the St. Jude Memphis to Peoria Run has come to be one of the foremost charity running events in the nation. This unique, 465-mile event, along with its many auxiliary runs in communities throughout Illinois, has raised more than $13.6 million for St. Jude kids.

And don’t forget the annual Steamboat Classic, which will mark its 35th anniversary in 2008. This first-class race, the cornerstone event of the Classic Sports Festival, takes place in June and features women’s and men’s 4-mile and 15-K races.

AROUND THE HORN

East Peoria’s EastSide Centre has gained national recognition as a venue for sports. The National Softball Association hosts its Super World Series there on Labor Day weekend, with annual attendance exceeding 23,000. EastSide has also played host to the IHSA Class A and AA state softball championships, Illinois Elementary School Association Class A and AA state baseball championships and track meets, the Mountain Dew Spike Festival Junior Olympic volleyball competition, soccer’s River City Shootout, the MVC college softball tournament, numerous baseball and softball traveling team tournaments and many others.

Illinois Central College will host the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Division II Women’s Basketball National Championship for the next three years beginning in 2008. While the NJAA tournament is a familiar venue to the ICC women’s basketball team—with their six titles—this will be ICC’s first opportunity to host the tournament, serving as a testament both to its outstanding facilities and the College’s successful program. PP