Bob Curtis
Bob grew up in the township
of Madge near Long Lake. He
attended Spooner high school through his sophomore year and then moved to
Belvidere, Illinois where he graduated in 1943.
Bob was
one of the state of Illinois’ premier fastpitch hurlers for
Belvidere during the mid to late 1940’s. Among the opponents he faced was
the nationally known Aurora Sealmasters. He
returned to Rice Lake in 1950 and pitched fastpitch from 1950 through 1967.
He accumulated over 350 wins while dominating the Barron County
Fastpitch League, the Rice Lake Municipal League and Northwest Wisconsin.
He began playing for Sockness Shoe Company and then played for
Breunig’s Lager, Manson’s Clothing Store, Grouchy Don’s Café, Mathison Tire,
Corner’s Bar and Club 48. Bob
simply overpowered hitters with his fast ball and 6’ 5” stature and was an
excellent left-handed batter as well, doing as much damage hitting against
an opponent as he did pitching.
Throwing a softball at an incredible speed came easy for Bob and he
thoroughly enjoyed the competition and the camaraderie with all the players.
He was a gentleman on and off the field and embodied what entails
good sportsmanship. Bob served in the U.S. Army as a military policeman in
the South Pacific during WWII.
When he returned to Rice Lake in 1950, Bob purchased Lake Area Disposal and
was a part owner of the Lake Area Landfill near Sarona until his retirement
in 1991. He was instrumental in organizing many northwest chapters of Ducks
Unlimited and was a member of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress, Muskies
Inc., and the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep.
He was also one of the organizers of fastpitch softball in Rice Lake.
Curtis Field, a softball diamond at the Tate Park complex was named
in his honor in 1983. Bob died
in 1992 at the age of 65.
Jessica Emerson-Kunz
A 1988 graduate of Rice Lake High School, Jessie
earned 11 varsity letters for the Warriors in basketball, softball and
volleyball.
In basketball, she was voted MVP in both
her senior and junior years as the Warriors were 17 & 3 all in 1987-88 and
18 & 3 all in 1986-87. She was first team all-
conference in her senior
season averaging 15 points per game and scoring 31 points in one game good
for third on the school’s all-time list.
She averaged 15.4 points as a junior and
12.5 points per game as a sophomore.
In softball, Jessie lettered all four
years.
She was co-captain and 1st
team all-conference her senior year and was a leading hitter all four years.
Jessie helped lead the Warriors to four
conference championships with a combined record of 34 & 4 and 54 & 13 in all
games.
In tournament playing against Division I
competition she was on three regional championships in 1986 through 1988.
In volleyball, Jessie was team MVP in both
her senior and junior years.
She was the leading spiker as a sophomore
and junior and was the leading digger her senior and sophomore seasons.
Jessie was awarded the ‘Most Outstanding
Athlete’ award by the Jaycees for females during the 1987-88 school year.
After high school, she attended UW-Barron
County where she played basketball and volleyball.
Since 1984, Jessie has played women’s
slowpitch in Rice Lake.
She and her husband Kurt currently reside
in the Rice Lake area.
John Leary
John Leary graduated from RLHS in 1981 as a
three-sport athlete in football, hockey and baseball.
In football, John was a two-year letter winner as a right guard and
middle linebacker. In
his junior year, John helped his team to their first
and only State Football Championship with an 11-0 record.
As a senior he was Team MVP, All-Conference guard for the second time
and Eau Claire Leader Telegram All-Northwest linebacker as the Warriors were
State runners-up with a 10-2 record. John was a three-year letterman for the
hockey team as a first line left wing. In his junior year he scored 59
points which advanced Rice Lake to their only WIAA State Hockey Tournament
appearance which resulted in a State runner-up and a 20-2 record. In his
senior year he was named NHC All-Conference, All-State and Team MVP for the
14-5 Warriors. He is the 5th
leading scorer in Rice Lake hockey history with 126 points.
John was a letter winner in baseball his junior year and played
American Legion Baseball as a shortstop and third baseman.
Post high school sports include playing adult hockey for teams in the
Chippewa Valley and the Hayward Muskies at the local, State and National
levels. Teams he has played on
have won 5 gold medals, 7 silver, and 1 bronze in the Badger State Games.
John graduated from the University of Notre Dame and the University
of Wisconsin Law School. He and
his wife Judy and family reside in Eau Claire where John is associated with
the Ruder Ware law firm.
Fred Lee
Fred graduated from Rice Lake High School in 1967
after having earned 8 letters in basketball, football and baseball.
In basketball, the 6’ 3” guard earned 3 varsity letters and played
without the benefit of the 3-point shot, nevertheless scoring a career 938
points with 356 points his senior
year and 328 as a junior.
He earned All Ho’N honors in both his junior and senior years and
co-captained the Warriors to a 1966-67 record of 14-5.
He was named All-Northwest and All-State Honorable Mention as a
senior, which gained him a scholarship to Mankato State. In football, Fred
was the leading scorer for the undefeated 1966 Ho’N champions with 44 points
on 5 TD receptions and 14 extra point kicks.
As a tight-end, he caught 17 passes for 277 yards and also handled
the kick-off duties. He was
First Team All Ho’N and named to the second team Eau Claire Leader
All-Northwest team. In baseball, the 3-year letter winner helped lead the
Warriors to 2 Ho’N championships in 1965 and 1966.
In 1966, the left-handed hitting power-hitter hit 5 home runs in 6
games, a school record, and ended the season with 6.
Fred received All Ho’N accolades in both his junior and senior years.
In addition, he played four years of Class A American Legion Baseball
for Post 87 of Rice Lake. In
the field, he played center field and had the ability to quickly get to the
ball and possessed a strong arm.
As a result of his success in baseball, he was drafted by the
Cincinnati Reds major league baseball team in 1967. In the fall of 1967,
Fred suffered a leg injury while trying out for the Mankato State football
team that prevented him from playing any further competitive sports.
He briefly played amateur league baseball and fastpitch softball in
Rice Lake and then chose the U.S. Army as a career.
He passed away at the age of 55 in March of 2003.