RLC welcomes Ellingsworth and 1999-2000 Lady Warriors golf team into Hall of Fame
INA, Ill. (May 20, 2025) — With decades of athletic excellence behind them, Softball Coach Dave Ellingsworth and the 1999-2000 women’s golf team have been inducted into the Rend Lake College Sports Hall of Fame. These individuals were honored as the 24th Class of inductees at the annual induction ceremony for their lasting impact on Warrior athletics.
The RLC Sports Hall of Fame was established to recognize individuals and/or teams that, through leadership, character, and accomplishments, have made exceptional contributions to RLC's honor and prestige.
Ellingsworth and 1999-2000's women's golf team unveiling their Sports Hall of Fame plaques.
SOFTBALL COACH DAVE ELLINGSWORTH
Dave Ellingsworth with his Sports Hall of Fame plaque.
Ellingsworth joins the exclusive club in his first year of eligibility thanks to his Hall of Fame coaching credentials, outstanding teams, and standout players.
Ellingsworth retired after the 2020 campaign was halted early by COVID-19. His 945-752 (.557) record in 26-plus campaigns ranks 15th all-time in terms of victories among his National Junior College Athletic Association peers (No. 2 in Illinois), only four of whom did it in fewer seasons. His 1995-96 national qualifiers finished 46-21 after advancing to the NJCAA Fast-Pitch Championships, followed by a record 61-21 campaign.
The ’95-96 Hall of Fame squad went 12-4 in the Fall Great Rivers Athletic Conference season before posting a record-31 wins that spring (15-8 / 31-13 / 46-21 overall) en route to the memorable NJCAA appearance in Hutchinson, KS. The team headed by First Team NJCAA All-America Jaymie Cowell, Second-Team All-America Centerfielder Nicole Murray, and a wealth of other talent was 24-10 before sweeping past Kaskaskia, Wabash Valley and John A. Logan for Sectional Tournament honors and going 3-1 in the Region XXIV Tourney at perennial power Illinois Central, dropping a 2-1 nail-biter to the hosts in extra innings before claiming a decisive, 9-2, verdict over the host school to advance.
Their Hall of Fame credentials were cemented with a 3-2 opening triumph over South Suburban before a 4-2 loss to Lakeland (OH) and an extra-inning, 6-5 setback to 60-10 powerhouse Indian Hills (IA). The unmatched NJCAA qualifiers were voted into the RLC Hall in Fall 2009.
Ellingsworth and his "fan club" consisting of family, previous players and friends.
1999-2000 REGION XXIV CHAMPION WOMEN'S GOLF TEAM
Coach Cindy Bodmer's all-freshman contingent claimed a Region XXIV title in the program’s inaugural season and advanced to the NJCAA Championship, where the RLC reps placed sixth overall. It would prove to be the first of 14 National Finals appearances for the Lady Warriors over an 18-season stretch.
First row (L-R): Bobbie Jo Bivens, Candice Vogt, Stephanie Eller, Julie Presley
Back row (L-R): Liz Kasey, Megan Mosel, Nonie Ehlke, Coach Cindy Bodmer
Elizabeth "Liz" Kasey (Panama City Beach, FL) earned Second-Team All-America honors with a 9th-place finish in Shawnee, OK., while teammate Bobbie Jo Bivens (Petersburg / Porta High School) tied for 36th individually at 92-94-88-91–365. Both would later be inducted into the RLC Hall of Fame—Kasey in 2008, and Bivens in 2014. Bivens was a standout, winning or placing runner-up in nearly every tournament that season, and remains the only player to win Region XXIV medalist honors two years in a row.
Ironically, Kasey and Bivens reunited in 2014 when the 2004-05 Lady Warriors team, in which Kasey served as the Assistant Coach, was inducted into the Hall of Fame for its fourth-place NJCAA finish.
The Hall of Fame newbies earned their way to the Nationals with a steady 352-351–703 showing to capture Region XXIV honors in the fall over runner-up John A. Logan at 346-365–711 at The Rail Golf Course in Springfield. Bivens claimed the first of her two Region medalist honors by overcoming a rough start with her 91-79–170 tally and a two-shot advantage.
Kasey, Nonie Ehlke (Highland) and Candice “Roo” Vogt (Salem) checked in fourth through sixth, respectively, at 85-89–174, 89-90–179, and 87-93–180.
The team qualified for Nationals with a strong showing at Regionals and performed well despite tough competition from powerhouse programs like Midland and McLennan. Throughout the 1999–2000 season, RLC competed against both two-year and four-year colleges, consistently placing high in tournaments.
In their sophomore year, the team again won Region XXIV, improved their scores, and finished seventh nationally.
When all was said and done, three members of the close-knit group remained intact. Kasey, Bivens and Mosel continued their golf careers together at Arkansas Tech University.
1999-2000 women's golf team accepting their Hall of Fame plaques.
RLC is proud to induct Ellingsworth and the 1999-2000 women's golf team into the RLC Sports Hall of Fame. To read more about the 24th Class of inductees, click here.