Blackburn Athletics Announces Hall of Fame Induction Class of 2024

CARLINVILLE, IL -- Blackburn College and Blackburn Athletics have announced the Blackburn College Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Class of 2024. The individuals selected include former student-athletes Justin Cryder, Matt Helms, Sierra Shipley, Jon Tipton, former men's basketball coach Ira Zeff, and the 1997-98 Women's Basketbal team. 

Justin Cryder, a 2004 graduate, was a four-year member of the men's soccer team and boasts one of the most successful careers in Blackburn soccer history. He was named to the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All-SLIAC Team four times, including three First-Team selections. Cryder helped guide the Beavers to 39 wins during his career which is tied for the most career-wins with his teammates. His freshman season saw him tally seven goals and seven assists and he followed it up with 11 goals and seven assists the next season. The 2002 season saw Cryder score 12 goals with 13 assists, which his 13 assists and 37 total points are both school records. His efforts saw him finish as runner-up for SLIAC Player of the Year. During his senior season, he went on to add six goals and an assist. A four-time team captain and three-time team Most Valuable Player, he was also named All-Region. Cryder finished his career with 36 goals along with 28 assists to post 100 career points during his time at Blackburn which puts him near, if not at, the top of all three statistical categories in program history. His efforts culminated in earning SLIAC All-Decade team honors.  

Matt Helms was a four-year starting defensive back for the Blackburn Football team. A Pre-Season All-American his senior year, the standout finished his BC career as the all-time leader in interceptions. In addition to his achievements on the field, Helms also saw success in the work program as he was a crewhead prior to being named Manager of the Campus Maintenance Department. Outside of football and work, he was named the 1995 Burnian King. Helms is a 1995 graduate from Blackburn and went on to earn his MBA from Lindenwood University. He currently serves as Senior Vice President Operations for Black Mountain Sand in Fort Worth, Texas. 

Sierra Shipley was a member of the women's basketball team for four years and scored 1,062 points during her career despite missing all of her junior year due to injury. A three-time First Team All-SLIAC selection, during her freshman season she was named the league's Newcomer of the Year and helped the Beavers reach the SLIAC conference tournament after the team finished last in the league the year before. During her senior year, she was selected as the B Woman of the Year along with being named the Manager of the Athletics Department, serving as the first female person of color to serve in this role. Her career culminated with her being named to the SLIAC All-Decade team. Shipley was a part of the 3-2 program and completed her academic coursework at Blackburn then went on to University of Missouri-Kansas City and is a 2014 graduate of Blackburn.

Jon Tipton graduated from Blackburn in 2003 after a standout career with the men's basketball team. A member of the SLIAC All-Decade Team, Tipton was named the SLIAC Player of the Year for the 2002-2003 season along with First Team All-SLIAC distinction. After leading the Beavers to a SLIAC Championship, he was also a DIII News Honorable Mention All-American selection. A career 58% shooter from the field, Tipton averaged 11.6 points per game in three seasons at Blackburn including 15.8 during the 2002-03 season. During his career at Blackburn, he also snagged 327 rebounds and dished out 94 assists. 

Ira Zeff has been selected into the Hall of Fame after a successfull coaching career at Blackburn saw him earn mulitple SLIAC Coach of the Year honors, three conference championships and two conference tournament championships. Zeff took over the coaching reins for the 1990-91 season and achieved 124 wins over the next eight seasons. In his first season, the Beavers were SLIAC Champions and SLIAC Tournament Champions as he won his first SLIAC Coach of the Year honor, a feat the team repeated during the next season. He again earned Coach of the Year honors in 1997 with another league championship. He also served as Athletic Director during his tenure at Blackburn.- He was later named the SLIAC Coach of the Decade. 

The 1997-98 Women's Basketball team has also earned induction into the Blackburn Athletics Hall of Fame. Led by Head Coach Matt Garrett, the team finished the season third in the National Small College Athletic Association National Tournament and holds the school record with an 11-game winning streak on their way to 19 wins that featured wins over traditional regional powers University of Chicago and Illinios Wesleyan University. They also finished 12-2 in the SLIAC. The team finished top ten in three-point fields goals made and free throw percentage. Tonya Cole was named an NSCAA All-American while Jessica Davis joined Cole as First Team All-SLIAC selections. Amanda Kober currently sits in the school's record books for points, 1,162, and rebounds, 631, in a career while Laura Pheifer, 550, can also be found in the rebounding list. Jessica Davis is currently third all-time with 175 steals during her career as well.