ST. LOUIS – Former Illinois State All-American and all-time leading scorer Kristi Cirone was selected as one of six inductees into Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame class of 2019, revealed by MVC Commissioner Doug Elgin Wednesday.
The 22nd MVC Hall of Fame class features three basketball student-athletes in Cirone, Dolph Pulliam of Drake and Kent Williams of Southern Illinois. Also part of the class are UNI wrestling Olympian Bill Smith, legendary Indiana State track & field coach John McNichols and long-time contributor to Bradley athletics, Joe Stowell.
"The Missouri Valley Conference has always been recognized for the great success of its athletics programs, with a rich history that dates back more than a century," Commissioner Doug Elgin said. "Our MVC Hall of Fame has provided us with an opportunity to honor the student-athletes, coaches, administrators and contributors who have played important roles in the Conference and in intercollegiate athletics. The individuals we will be honoring in the Class of 2019 have brought significant honor to themselves, their institutions and to the Conference. We are truly humbled to have this opportunity to salute them for their achievements."
Cirone is the 13th Illinois State representative in the MVC Hall of Fame, joining Kenneth "Buzz" Shaw (1998), Doug Collins (1998), Cathy Boswell (2003), Will Robinson (2003), Jill Hutchison (2008), John Coughlan (2009), Linda Herman (2014), D.A. Weibring (2015), Dave Bergman (2016), Sue Daggett Miller (2016), Charlotte Lewis (2017) and Christian Goy (2018).
"Kristi Cirone is one of the best women's basketball players in Valley history, and we are proud that she is taking her rightful place in the MVC Hall of Fame," Illinois State Director of Athletics Larry Lyons said. "Kristi re-wrote the record books at Illinois State and deservedly is one of only three women's basketball student-athletes to have her number hanging from the rafters of Redbird Arena. She made everyone around her better, as evidenced by the team's success during her career with two MVC regular-season championships and three postseason appearances. Kristi was the epitome of what a student-athlete should be and represented the University and MVC with the highest degree of class and dignity throughout her career."
A member of the Missouri Valley Conference All-Centennial and 25th Anniversary Teams, Cirone was a three-time MVC Jackie Stiles Player of the Year (2007-09), becoming only the second player in the history of the conference to win the award in three-consecutive years, with the other being the award's namesake.
A four-time All-MVC selection and three-time MVC All-Defensive Team selection, Cirone was also named a two-time WBCA and Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American during her illustrious career at Illinois State. She was named a John Wooden nominee as one the nation's best players and was also a nominee for the Nancy Lieberman Award, which is awarded to the nation's top collegiate point guard. A standout in the classroom as well, Cirone was a two-time MVC Scholar-Athlete First-Team selection and was a Second-Team selection as a sophomore in 2007.Â
"I'm so honored and humbled to be inducted into the MVC Hall of Fame," Cirone said. "This is an achievement that could not have happened without my coaches, teammates, family and the support from so many others. I am incredibly grateful to be able to represent Illinois State with this prestigious award."
As a member of Redbird teams, she guided Illinois State to two WNIT berths and one NCAA Tournament berth during her career, while leading the Redbirds to back-to-back MVC regular-season championships in 2008 and 2009. She is Illinois State's all-time leader in points (2,139), three-point field goals made (229), three-point field goals attempted (613), free throws made (512), free throws attempted (655), assists (681), and assists per game (5.3). She also holds ISU single-season records for points in a season (657) and assists (203). Other honors include a 2008 MVC Tournament MVP, 2006 MVC Freshman of the Year and the 2008 and 2009 Jill Hutchison ISU Female Athlete of the Year Awards.
Following her collegiate career, Cirone played professionally in Greece and Poland and the WNBA, with the Connecticut Sun and Chicago Sky. Her No. 10 jersey was retired by Illinois State in 2010, making her one of three women's basketball players to have her number retired in the rafters of Redbird Arena and was inducted into the Illinois State Athletics Percy Family Hall of Fame in 2015. She previously served as the head women's basketball coach at Judson University in Elgin, Ill., from 2013-18, finishing her tenure there as the third-winningest coach in program history in both wins (82) and winning percentage. Cirone currently is the head girls basketball coach at Ridgewood High School in Illinois.
The league will conduct its annual Hall of Fame ceremony as part the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Championship next March 7-10. The March 8 festivities will begin with an 8:00 a.m. breakfast, followed by the induction ceremony at 8:30 a.m.
Tickets to the 2019 Hall of Fame event – scheduled to be held at Stifel Theatre (formerly known as the Peabody Opera House), which is adjacent to Enterprise Center (formerly known as Scottrade Center) – can be obtained by calling the league office at (314) 444-4300. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
