Kleckner, Hack Named to DGN Hall of Fame

Kyle Kleckner and Carolyn Hack went to the prom together when they were seniors at Downers North High School in 2001.

Ten years later, they found themselves reunited for another special occasion associated with their alma mater. Both were highly successful multi-sports athletes at DGN, and their achievements were recognized by the school on Saturday night when they became the newest inductees into the Downers North Hall of Fame.

Kleckner and Hack each received plaques during a ceremony which took place between the North-South varsity girls and boys basketball games.

Kyle Kleckner

Three-sport athletes are rare these days. Not only did Kleckner play three sports—football, basketball and baseball—but he excelled in each. Named to all-state teams in all three sports, Kleckner’s senior season is one that may never be equaled in school history.

During 2000-01, Kleckner helped lead the Trojans to West Suburban Conference championships in football (at quarterback), basketball (as a guard) and baseball (as a center fielder). He was a member of every all-state football team that year and also made the 2001 all-state basketball team. Last year, Kleckner was named to longtime prep sports writer Taylor Bell’s All-Decade Football Team.

Kleckner followed in the footsteps of his father, Bill, and played college football at the University of Illinois. (Bill Kleckner was on the Fighting Illini squad from 1972-1974.) A defensive back, Kleckner was a three-year letterman at Illinois. He also was teammates with Rashard Mendenhall, a starting tailback for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2011 Super Bowl runner-up squad.

Today, Kleckner lives in Lincoln Park and is a marketing sales manager for Cintas Corp. in Hammond, IN. He recently got engaged to his fiancée, Adrienne Jones.

Kleckner spoke to Downers Grove Patch about his career as a Trojan, and being selected to the Hall of Fame.

Patch: How does it feel to be a member of the Hall of Fame, and how did you learn about your selection?

Kleckner: I was extremely excited just knowing how many great athletes are a part of it, and just to know that I’m seen in the same light as them. It’s a great accomplishment. I heard about it via a letter that came to my house actually. I got a letter (from the school in November), opened it up and called my dad afterwards. It was very nice.

Patch: What are a couple of your favorite athletic memories at Downers North?

Kleckner: The one that sticks out anytime anybody asks me is beating Hinsdale Central our senior year, the last game of the year in overtime to win the (Old Oaken) Bucket and to win the conference (football) championship in 2000. They had beaten us probably 150 to 6 for the first three years, and to beat them in overtime was such a special feeling and a great opportunity.

The other one would be basketball my sophomore year against (Chicago) Richards when Dwayne Wade (now with the NBA’s Miami Heat) was playing for them. We beat them in the sectional championship and got the opportunity to move into the supersectionals (where DGN fell to Hillcrest). We talk about how we beat Dwayne Wade in high school, but we always add in that he scored 37 points on us.

Patch: What are a couple of your favorite memories playing football at the University of Illinois?

Kleckner: It would be the life lessons that I learned. We dealt with a lot of adversity. It wasn’t always great down there, but just the mental toughness that it built for me—just continuing to fuel that competitive fire and just wanting to be better and taking that into the professional world. That experience was priceless.

Carolyn Hack

A native of California, Hack played on the Northern California Olympic Development Program soccer team until she moved to Downers Grove before her junior year.

She played only two varsity seasons at DGN, but made an immediate impact as both a soccer and basketball player. Hack, a midfielder/defender, captained the soccer team both years, was named team MVP twice and also was a two-time all-state selection.

In basketball, she led the team in scoring her senior year and was a member of the West Suburban all-conference team.

Hack landed a scholarship to play soccer at Northwestern, where she became only the third player in school history to start every game in her career (75).

Hack lives in San Francisco and works in sales for ON24, a virtual event company. She also spoke to Downers Grove Patch about her DGN career, and being selected to the Hall of Fame.

Patch: What is your reaction to being named to the Hall of Fame?

Hack: It was initially a surprise. I moved to Downers Grove my junior year from California, and just for being here two years, I didn’t anticipate that I would be able to get such an honor. But then when I found out that Kyle was being inducted at the same time, it just seemed perfect because we were high school prom dates and we signed our letters of intent together. It just seemed to fit, so I was really honored.

Patch: What are your favorite memories being an athlete at Downers North?

Hack: There would be two big ones that actually stand out. I remember my first game playing basketball here. I had been working on a behind-the-back pass with my coach out in California—not for flashy purposes, but for strategic purposes so I wouldn’t get the ball stolen. I pulled a behind-the-back pass my first game, and my coach immediately yanked me out and said, “We don’t do that here.” Soccer-wise, we ended up winning the DGN soccer tournament my senior year (2001).

Patch: How about your favorite memories when you played at Northwestern?

Hack: No specific one. I could quote you one, but the thing I’m most proud of would be the fact that I started and played in each game. To have the opportunity in the Big Ten and never have an injury that took me out of play. The dedication and commitment I put into it, it was great to get that reward back.