Knox College Athletics

Norm Hillner graduated from Knox College in 1979 where he had made his mark with speed and pure aggression as a baseball and soccer player.  He earned 8 letters in those 2 sports during the 4 years he competed at Knox.
           
He was named to the all-conference soccer team 4 times and he is Knox's all time leading scorer.  Three times he was named to the all-Illinois soccer team and he capped his soccer career by being named the Hilding Award Winner.
           
On the baseball diamond, Norm used speed and aggressiveness to lead Knox in stolen bases 3 times.  He was an outstanding fielding shortstop who could also bunt, hit for power, and take an extra base.  He was the team's captain twice and was named "Most Valuable Player" his senior year.  Norm was named to the All Mid-West Conference team as an infielder twice.
           
All of the things mentioned about him tonight don't really describe Norm Hillner as a competitor, but his baseball coach, Tim Heimann, described him this way:
"Norm was one of the finest baseball players to ever play at Knox College.  He was a fierce competitor who did all of the 'small things' to perfection.  He paid more attention to detail than anyone I've ever coached in baseball.  But it was Norm's competitive zeal that separated him from other baseball players at Knox."
           
Norm went on to the National College of Education and earned his Masters in 1985.  Today he teaches social studies at Lake Park High School in Roselle, Illinois where he served as the past head coach of the boys' baseball and soccer teams.  He is the past president of the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association and currently serves as the assistant boys' soccer and baseball coach at Buffalo Grove High School.