Jim Frisina, Sr. is a name synonymous with sports excellence in central Illinois. Amateur golfer who in 1942, 1947, 1954, 1956, 1955 won the Illinois State Amateur Golf Tournament, provided leadership and a positive role model for student athletes in the Taylorville area.
Frisina was always available to the coaching staff at the high school to assist them in any way he could. He is known to have helped Dolph Stanley by “suiting up” and scrimmaging against some of the teams in the early forties. Legendary Taylorville standout Johnny Orr tells of the trips Frisina provided for him to the foot doctor in St. Louis to ensure that he was properly treated and able to play.
As a golfer, Frisina qualified for 13 U.S. Amateur Championships, played in the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, Georgia in 1952, played in the U.S. Open in 1949 and won the 1951 Decatur Open beating both Bryon Nelson in the process.