and Team 973. The WildStang FTC team, "MiniStang", has won the 2007, 2008, and 2009 Illinois State Championship with an undefeated record. Wheeling High School's congressional debate team is also one of its most prominent clubs. The team has won 10 out of the last 15 ICDA state titles; in that period, no other school has won more than once. The team had long been coached by Mike Hurley, English teacher. Another prominent club at Wheeling High School is its Orchesis team. The team has gone to the National High School Dance Festival 4 times in the last 8 years. Wheeling High School's Orchesis team has also gone to state several times in its history. Orchesis sponsor is Diane Rawlison, dance teacher and recipient of the 2014 Ruth Page Award. Notable alumni Michael R. Blanchfield (1967), a U.S. Army Specialist 4; during a tour of duty in Vietnam, he was killed after throwing himself on an enemy grenade and received Medal of Honor Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA Tommy McManus, former linebacker for NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars (1995–96, 1998–99) Mark Newman (1966), executive with baseball's New York Yankees Philip Ng (1994), Hong Kong-born American actor, martial artist and action choreographer Joseph G. Peterson (1983), novelist and poet Haley Reinhart (2009), singer, songwriter and voice actress, American Idol finalist Bren Spillane (2015), baseball player for the Cincinnati Reds References Wheeling, Illinois Public high schools in Cook County, Illinois 1964 establishments in Illinois Educational institutions established in 1964