Players

Val (Wancket) Van Hyfte

Year Inducted: 2002

Category: Players

Schools / Organizations:
Atkinson High School
Bradley University

Biography:

Val Wancket had a sensational career at 80-student Atkinson High School from 1984-87. She led the team to a 90-13 record in her four seasons as a starter and to the Class A Elite Eight in 1984 and 1986.

Wancket’s 2,644 career points ranked her as the 12th all-time leading career scorer in Illinois girls basketball at the time of her induction. Her career average was 25.7 ppg. Three times she scored more than 40 points, with a high of 44 against Ohio in 1986, and 24 times she scored 30 or more points. She hit for double figures in all 103 games she played for the Tigers.

Wancket’s rebounding totals are even more astonishing. At the time of her induction, she ranked seventh in career rebounds with 1,606. Her 455 in one season ranked 20th and her 32 in a game ranked ninth. She made the Champaign News-Gazette all-state team twice and was the only junior to receive the honor in 1986. In her two Elite Eight appearances she was named second-team all-tournament. She was a unanimous all-Indian Valley Conference pick for the last three of her four selections. In 1987 she was the Quad City Times Female Athlete of the Year.

Wancket was a four-year starter at Bradley University and twice was named all-Missouri Valley Conference and team MVP. She left Peoria as the 17th player on the career scoring list with 1,048 points (10.4 average) and was the top rebounder at 788 (7.8 average) when she graduated.  She is a member of the Bradley Hall of Fame.