Former Kaskaskia Tennis player, Craig Freels, was an integral part in the 1971 Blue Devil Tennis team, with an unchallenged team record through Kaskaskia College’s history. They competed in both singles and doubles, winning the Consolation Championship at the NJCAA National finals as a doubles team. Freels, undefeated in his freshman year, never lost a match to a junior college opponent. At the time of their NJCAA finals victory, qualifying for National, Region IV encompassed the entire state of Illinois and part of Indiana. The doubles team upset the number 1 ranked squad from Rock Valley to advance to the National Tournament and Freels with teammate Ken Abrams, both of Centralia, competed at the National Tournament held in Ocala, Florida. Freels would continue to play another three years of college tennis at Eastern Illinois University and later became the Head Coach at Centralia High School, where he coached for 28 years before returning to Kaskaskia College to again become indispensable to the college as the Head Coach of the Men’s Tennis team.