Streaks Alumni Profile- Camellia Schwartzman 2021

 

 

Today’s Streaks Alumni Profile features Camellia Schwartzman from Galesburg HS’s Class of 2021. 

Streaks Senior Profiles & Sports Schedules (8-31-26)

 

Galesburg High School’s Fall Sports are off and competing. Here are Fall Sports Schedules, This Week’s Home Events, and Streaks Senior Profiles

This Week in Galesburg History (Aug 31, 2026)

 

“This Week in Galesburg History,” it was a time that you better show your City Sticker and your GHS student ID, football teams separated by 50 years were both getting ready to start their seasons. 

This is a look back at the history of Galesburg (and the world). What was going on 100 years ago, 75 years ago, 50 years ago, 25 years ago, and 10 years ago this week? 

“This Week in Galesburg History” appears on Mondays on the WGIL website and the Massey Basketball Blog.

1979 Illinois Boys Basketball Class A State Tourney

State Champions- New Lenox Providence

Sideline Stories- “If Any Girls Come Out, We’ll Cancel the Sport

I coached and taught at Galesburg High School from 1974 thru 2024. “Sideline Stories” are looking back at events and people during that time period. 

The inclusion of girls’ sports in Illinois high schools did not happen over decades of planning. The addition of girls’ sports was not something individual school administrators chose but rather it was something that was thrust on them. No doubt, many schools and many administrators were caught off guard. Girls’ sports’ additions were not something that had been studied and planned out for years or even months. 

Galesburg HS’s first competition in girls sports was in the 1972-3 school year.

I was hired as a teacher and coach at GHS in the fall of 1974. By that time, Galesburg had fielded girls’ sports but had played a very limited schedule in each. 

My first duties as a coach were to coach the boys’ cross country team in the fall. There was no girls’ cross country team at GHS. 

As part of my orientation, I was told that there was a rumor that there were two girls who wanted to come out for boys’ cross country. I was given the following guidance, “If any girls show up for boys’ cross country, don’t say anything, just go through your practice. When the practice is over, let us know.  We will drop cross country as a sport.”

My thought was, “Wow, you have to be kidding. That is really harsh and really drastic action.” That would eliminate cross country not just for those two girls but for the dozen boys out for cross country. 

Being 22 years old, happy to have a job, and wanting to keep the job, I asked no questions. While I wanted to at least ask why, I just accepted it. I was given no explanation at the time. My reaction was that it was an anti-girls’ sports attitude. 

The Galesburg HS 1974 Cross Country Team

It turned out that no girls showed up for cross country and the season continued. 

Years later, the rationale behind the “we will drop cross country” was explained to me. 

In 1974-5, Galesburg was offering girls the chance to play field hockey, bowling, tennis, golf, volleyball, track, softball, basketball, and swimming. While boys participated in football, cross country, wrestling, tennis, golf, track, baseball, basketball, and swimming. 

An early concern throughout Illinois was that when Title IX was passed that girls might want to go out for boys’ sports. Girls rightfully might see things as not equal and decide to go out for a boys sports in protest? Would girls want to try out for boys’ basketball because the boys played 25 games and the girls only played 6 games? Would highly motivated girls want to play girls’ tennis in the fall and boys’ tennis in the spring? There was a fear that girls might disrupt boys’ sports. This was a fear in 1972 as girls sports started up. 

By 1974-5, the fear was flipped to a concern about boys wanting to do girls’ sports. With no boys’ equivalent sport, were boys wanting to play field hockey, volleyball, or bowling? 

Years later the direction of “we will drop cross country” was explained to me. The concern was about opening the door for girls or boys to go out for the opposite gender’s sport. “If we had let girls run boys’ cross country, would we be opening the door for a boy to go out for field hockey or volleyball?” 

Some may not buy the explaination of the directive and view it as an administrative attempt to stifle female athletes. I did at the time it was given. 

Today as I look back on my directive about girls going out for cross county, I believe it was the administration looking at the big picture and not wanting to have girls sports impacted by boys trying to play. 

IHSA Resolution in 1971- Banning Males & Females from Competing Against Each Other

GHS’s History of Dropping Sports

According to my research, throughout GHS’s history, the school has dropped four interscholastic sports at different times. 

Boys Golf- Boys Golf won the 1962-3 State Championship. With much of the roster returning, the District #205 dropped golf for the 1963-4 school year. The team was brought back for the 1964-5 school year. 

Girls Field Hockey- Girls Field Hockey placed 3rd in State in 1975-6 and made the Elite 8 in 1976-7 years. Because of a lack of downstate teams to play, Galesburg dropped the sport starting in the 1977-8 school year. 

Boys Tennis, Girls Tennis- In the 1930’s and 1940’s, Galesburg was a member of the Northwest Conference. The NW Conference instituted championships in girls and boys tennis. Both boys and girls tennis were dropped after the 1943-4 seasons. Boys Tennis was brought back in 1970-1 and girls tennis was brought back in 1974-5. 

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Nick Young- “There’s Something Here for Everyone”

Nick Young is starting his third year as the Athletic Director at Galesburg High School. Nick oversees both high school and junior high athletics, as well as activities that participate in competitions, such as band, scholastic bowl, and speech.  

Coaches’ Corner- Side OB with 3 Options for Threes

The most popular end of game Side OB for a three is Brad Steven’s skip to weakside. This is a nice side OB with 3 potential threes. 

Streaks Alumni Profile- Jane (Miller) Sands 1970

Today’s Streaks Alumni Profile features Jane (Miller) Sands from the Galesburg HS’s Class of 1970.

1978 Illinois Boys Basketball Class AA State Tourney

State Champions- Lockport Central

Massey Quiz #60- Famous Quotes

Today I have famous quotes for you. Your job is to say who said each quote. 

1978 Illinois Boys Basketball Class A State Tourney

State Champions- Nashville

Streaks Volleyball- Creating a Culture of L.O.V.E.

Galesburg volleyball is starting out with a busy week. At home vs Burlington (Monday), At Morton (Tuesday), and then at Quincy’s Early Bird Tourney (Saturday). The Quincy Tourney traditionally is one of the better downstate volleyball tourneys.

Coach Nicole Kisler is starting her third season as the varsity head coach at Galesburg HS. This past summer, she added some new things to the Streaks’ routine. Besides their normal summer camp, they played competitively in Kimbrough Fieldhouse and got involved in a couple college camps. 

Coach Kisler introduced these competitive challenges to not only increase the team’s skill level but to bring a level of excitement to the program. In reaching out to Coach Kisler, it is obvious that she has great energy and sees good things ahead for the volleyball program. 

Streaks Alumni Profile- Juniper Schwartzman 2023

Today’s Streaks Alumni Profile features Juniper Schwartzman from the Galesburg HS’s Class of 2023.

Silver Streaks Senior Profiles & Team Schedules

Galesburg High School’s Fall Sports are off and competing. We can help you fans with:

Fall Sports Schedules

This Week’s Home Events

Senior Profiles

This Week in Galesburg History (Aug 24, 2026)

 

“This Week in Galesburg History,” there asbestos for sale, women’s hosiery sales, and PE uniforms at JC Penney’s. 

This is a look back at the history of Galesburg (and the world). What was going on 100 years ago, 75 years ago, 50 years ago, 25 years ago, and 10 years ago this week? 

“This Week in Galesburg History” is available each Monday on the WGIL website and on Massey Basketball Blog. 

1977 Illinois Boys Basketball Class AA State Tourney

State Champions- Peoria

Building A Championship Culture

Some say “culture” is an over used word in sports. I would disagree, “culture” is at the heart of any team’s success. “Culture” is what makes any business or organization successful. Culture is a set of shared values, beliefs, and norms for behavior. When everyone is “on the same page,” “buying in,” “rowing the same direction”- a group or organization works. 

Massey Basketball Quiz #4- Legendary Illinois Coaches & Teams

This quiz is designed to test your knowledge of legendary coaches, players, and teams from Illinois basketball history.

1971- Streaks Boys Basketball- Undefeated at Home- 18-6

The 1971 Silver Streaks went undefeated at home, and had an overall record of 18-6. In the IHSA 1-class system, in the Regional the Streaks beat Abingdon and Monmouth before losing to Macomb in the Regional 79-54. 

Galesburg Football- “That's our goal, and the next year build on that.”

Galesburg HS football has had a tough time. In the last twenty-five years, the Streaks have had only 2 years where the teams finished above .500. 

To turn things around is not an easy task. It will require a strong team of coaches with leadership, enthusiasm, and relentless energy. Shawn Hickey took over in the Summer of 2024. The process of changing the culture is tough, Hickey and his staff have worked to increase the number of players in football and the enthusiasm for football. Their hope is that the wins will follow if they get the numbers and the commitment raised. 

I sat down to talk to Shawn about the process of building up the football program. 

Coaches’ Corner- Late Game Side OB

This is a late game side ob play when trailing. It was run by the Indiana Fever when down 2. It gives 2 options for threes, and one option for an inside two.