Kelly Preston, born August 22, 1972, is a member of the SHS class of 1990. While attending Sterling High School, Kelly lettered in golf, tennis, and basketball. As a three-time varsity letterwinner and captain of the varsity basketball team, Kelly led the Golden Warriors to the "Sweet Sixteen" during the 1989-90 season. With 1,247 points, Kelly became the leading scorer in SHS history. He was twice named the Northern Illinois Player of the Week by the Rockford Register Star and as elected their 1990 "Player of the Year." Kelly was two-time MVP of the New-Mor-Roc-Ster Tournament, and was selected for the First Team of the NCIC All-Conference Team for two consecutive years. Adding to the growing list of honors, he was named the 1990 Chicago Sun Times All-State Team. A 6-foot-2 senior, he tallied up 59 games at the end of his high school career, with 447 field goals, 219 free throws, 130 three pointers, and averaged 21.07 points per game. As a member of the tennis team, Kelly held a singles record of 18-1 and a singles winning percentage of 94.74% his senior year. He also held a doubles record of 26-10 with a double winning percentage of 72.22%. Selected as MVP his senior year, Kelly assisted the team in sweeping the conference in all four divisions, ultimately capturing the conference title. This made four conference titles in a row for the team, and nine conference wins out of the last eleven years.The Daily Gazette put it best, when they described Kelly as an ardent supporter of Theodore Roosevelt's "Walk Softly, But Carry a Big Stick" doctrine. Kelly put that theory into practice with every game he played. Following his graduation in 1990, he was granted a scholarship to play basketball for Sauk Valley Community College's Redmen basketball team. While attending Sauk, he played tennis, as well as basketball. Playing at the number one singles slot, he was dubbed MVP his second year. A member of the basketball team, he was also named MVP, All-Region, and All-Conference both years he was there. He was also named to the All-Conference tournament team at the All-Central Dupage Classic his sophomore year. After completing two years at Sauk, he continued his education and basketball career at Mary Crest College in 1993. In 1994, he proceeded to Northern Illinois University and graduated in 1997. Upon graduating, Kelly secured a job at Sauk Valley Newspaper as the circulation manager. Remaining active in athletics, Kelly has participated in numerous basketball tournaments, including Gus Macker and the Illinois Prairie State Games.