Cadwells Going Into GHS HOF

Melissa Cadwell

Twin sisters, Melissa and Melinda Cadwell are going into the GHS Athletic Hall of Fame this year. They were outstanding guards for the Streak’s 1990 team who were WB6 Champs and ranked #14 in Illinois (two class system). They join teammate Tiffany Sibley into the HOF.

 

As teams try to build to be champions, often there is that one team that gets in the way. In the NBA in the ‘80’s the Pistons had to get by the Celtics. Then in the ‘90’s the Bulls had to get by the Pistons. Those tough losses are painful as you can’t get over the top.

 

Our 1988 and 1989 teams took the step of winning our first Regional titles, and got the tradition of winning Regionals, winning 20 games, and being ranked in the top 20 going. For the Streaks, we couldn’t get past Moline in the late ‘80’s. The Streaks had a 7-29 record vs. the Maroons since the start of girls basketball thru the ‘80’s. In 1988 and in 1989, the Streaks advanced to the Sectional only to lose each year to Moline. Going into the 1990 season, Galesburg had lost 14 straight games to Moline. But things were to change during the 1990 season.

 

1990 Silver Streaks

The 1990 team had a starting lineup of seniors Melissa and Melinda Cadwell, Kelly Foxall, and Lara Swanson to go along with sophomore Tiffany Sibley. Coming off the bench regularly we had guards Chris Kennedy, Cammi Heimann, and Angie Bruington. Vicki Wardell, Traci Conklin, and Lynda Clevidence were the first posts off the bench.

 

Melinda Cadwell

Galesburg has always been blessed with some outstanding guards. In 1979-80, with Cookie Rosine, Lesa Moore, and Amy Crisman, Galesburg won their first WB6 title. Rosine was a great shooter who would have been all-time three point shooter if there had been an arc. Moore was a quick point guard who was a terrific ball handler. Crisman was a great, great defender. The three were outstanding together. They were the first guard threesome from a girls basketball team to go into the GHS HOF.

 

But to get our program to another level, we needed one of our all-time best guards in 1990 to get the job done. Melissa Cadwell, Melinda Cadwell, and Tiffany Sibley led the charge in 1990. The Streaks beat Moline 2 of 3 games that year to become WB6 Champs, and rated #14 in State (in a two class system).

 

Melissa was a great point guard. She could beat any and all pressure defenses. Teams would try to be physical with her and it didn’t faze her. Teams would try to double team her, but quickly realized what a great passer she was and how good her teammates were. Melinda was an outstanding shooter. The three point arc was still a pretty new thing, so teams did not shoot lots of threes. In today’s basketball, she would have scored and scored from the arc. And the last of the guards was Tiffany Sibley. Tiffany was quick and had a soft touch from anywhere.

 

As good as the three were as offensive players, they were great defensively. They gave other teams fits with their quickness and their tenacity. They all had such great vision of the floor defensively, so one of them could gamble and the others would cover for them.

 

The WB6 title game came down to the Moline game at Thiel Gym at the end of the season. As the season had gone on, they were given more and more freedom defensively and they took advantage of it. Melissa and Melinda were extremely quiet but it was amazing how they could communicate on the floor. They did their own thing with the pressure defense. Sometime the three would deny the ball inbounds, sometimes play straight mm, sometimes trap immediately and sometimes run and jump the dribbler. It was not something called from the bench, they just talked and communicated, or simply watched and reacted to each other.

 

Their pressure baffled the Moline guards. We would get a couple steals, Moline would take a time out to get organized, and when they came out, the three pressed differently. The game turned into a 16 point blowout.

 

1990 Seniors- Lara Swanson, Chris Kennedy, Melinda Cadwell, Melissa Cadwell (I think), Traci Conklin, Kelly Foxall, Vicki Wardell

Vicki Wardell Legge played with the Melissa and Melinda at both Lombard and then at GHS. Vicki describes her experiences with them:

Melissa & Melinda Cadwell aka the Cadwell twins. I was lucky to have them as teammates for 6 years, first at Lombard & then at GHS (they would have made my two years playing at CSC even more fun)!! What do I remember most about them, it has to be the long red hair-lol. I remember when we all showed up for basketball tryouts in 7th grade (this was the first year that athletics was back in the Jr Highs, before Jr. Streaks, and most of us had only played at home or the Y), they were new that year, super quiet/shy and kept mostly to each other. When we all lined up for layups, most of us are slow and methodical; those two, well definitely not slow or methodical, it was quick and precise, took us all by surprise including Coach Armstrong.”

I remember a game at Knoxville (I believe it was the same one were they fouled Melinda out, by giving her Melissa's fouls too), we overheard the Coach say, "can't you at least try to guard one of them, to slow them down"  Our 8th grade team at Lombard went undefeated (10-0) and the two of them probably accounted for 75% of our points.

We lived in the same neighborhood and I had a basketball hoop, it was always a good time when the two of them or the three of us, could knock the neighborhood boys down a notch or two with a pickup game.

They were modest, quiet leaders, who led by example (Melissa especially) and worked hard. Melissa ran the offense with a calmness & collectiveness not everyone has. Melinda was just a pure shooter & wow some of the shots she made!! You wouldn't see much emotion from either one on the court, but if they got mad, boy did their faces get red.

The most impressive thing about them was the "wonder twin power", they always knew where the other was or where she was going to be, it was fun to watch, they were fun to watch and I was very lucky to have had them as my teammates and friends.

 

Summer of 1989- Streaks at Michigan Team Camp- Melissa Cadwell, Cammi Heimann, Tiffany Sibley, Coach Vicki Fields, Vicki Wardell, Kelly Foxall, Melinda Cadwell, Traci Conklin, Angie Bruington, and Lara Swanson.

Vicki Fields Stewart was a teammate with the Cadwells in 1988-89. Her thoughts on them as teammates:

I remember them both as having a work ethic that involved a positive attitude and a whatever it takes to make the team better. They both were reliable and committed to the team. They displayed the type of dedication that an athlete needs to become a better player. I know they did not always say a lot out loud, but they definitely were effective in communicating in their own ways to make sure it would benefit the team. It was a privilege to play with them both and very proud of their accomplishments.

I am so happy that Melissa and Melinda were selected into the GHS HOF. They aren’t at the top of the all-time scoring list for GHS. They were good offensively, but they were great defensively. They were both All-Conference and All-State their senior years. They led push to get our program from being good to becoming great.

 

 

2017 Twins Night- the Cadwells, the Gonzalez's, the Bowmans, and the Townsells.

As their coach, I am so very happy they have been selected to the GHS HOF. They were incredible workers who gave so much to our program. As twins, I made one wear white shoelaces and the other black shoelaces initially so I could tell them apart. But quickly it became evident they gifted but unique in their talents.

 

A lot of loyal Streaks fans never saw the Cadwells play. During this ear for most games, only the bleachers behind the benches were pulled out, and for big games they pulled out the far side too. There was still not great fan interest in girls basketball. But after 1990, both bleachers were pulled out for games and it wasn’t long that the balcony needed to be used.

 

Our 1988 and 1989 teams got us headed into our championship success of the next decade. The Cadwells and their teammates in 1990 took our program to another level and got the 1990’s decade of success going. Galesburg went onto have a 27-3 record vs Moline over the next 15 years, win 11 of next 15 WB6 titles, and win 9 straight Sectionals. Their quiet, competitive toughness created a culture that endeared with the Streaks for years to come.