NORMAL, Ill. – Three Illinois State legends will be recognized on Friday, March 9 at the Missouri Valley Conference Women's 25th Celebration Brunch. Jill Hutchison, Linda Herman and Kristi Cirone will be guests of honor for their impressive accomplishments as the Valley celebrates the 25th anniversary of women's sports in the league.
The Brunch will take place at the TaxSlayer Conference Center in Moline, Illinois with breakfast scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. Tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased by calling, Beth Harding at
(309) 438-3636.
Illinois State Hall of Famer Kristi Cirone was selected to the women's basketball MVC 25-Year Team. Cirone led Illinois State to their deepest postseason run in program history, as she was 3-time All-MVC, 3-time Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, 2-time MVC all-tourney team, third on MVC all-time scoring list and a 2009 All-American.
Jill Hutchison spent 28 seasons (1970-73, 1974-99) as the head coach of the Redbirds and compiled a record of 461-323. She guided the Redbirds to double-digit wins in all but one season, including nine 20-win campaigns. ISU made 16 national postseason tournament appearances during her tenure, including three NCAA Tournament bids. The three-time conference coach of the year was named the Kodak District Coach of the Year in 1996 and mentored 28 all-conference selections. Hutchison coached two of the greatest players in Redbird history, Cathy Boswell and Charlotte Lewis, who were both all-Americans, Olympians and professional players.
Linda Herman served Illinois State and its student-athletes for more than 30 years. She began as head volleyball coach and finished her seven-year coaching career with a 267-112 record, including a pair of national finishes in the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women tournament. She went on to serve as senior woman administrator and interim director of athletics. During her time as an administrator, the Redbirds won 117 Missouri Valley Conference titles and 16 conference all-sports championships. In 2003, she was inducted in the American Volleyball Coaches Association's (AVCA) inaugural Hall of Fame class, and was inducted into the MVC Hall of Fame in 2014.
MVC TOURNAMENT INFO
Tickets: All-session tickets to the 2018 MVC Women's Basketball Tournament are available through the Illinois State Athletics ticket office by either calling (309) 438-8000, or by visiting GoRedbirds.com/Tickets, with all-session seating available for a special rate of $40.
Hotel:Â Hotel Blackhawk, Autograph Collection in Davenport, Iowa, will serve as the Illinois State home base during the 2018 Hoops in the Heartland tournament.
- Price:Â $139/night
- Deadline: Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018 or while available
- Reservations: To make a reservation: Call Samantha Ott at (563) 484-5906 and ask for "Illinois State University MVC Fan Block." All reservations must be accompanied by a first-night room deposit or guaranteed with a major credit card. Any reservations made must be cancelled no later than 48 hours prior to arrival.
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
