TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Four Sycamores were inducted into the Indiana State Athletics Hall of Fame on Thursday, January 18 on the campus of Indiana State University. The Indiana State Athletics Hall of Fame banquet is presented by the ISU Credit Union and was held at the Sycamore Banquet Center.
Those inducted as part of the 26th class include: Kylie Hutson (women's track and field), John Allman (football), Jim Cruse (basketball) and John McNichols (cross country / track and field program coordinator). Each member of the 26th Class of the Indiana State University Athletics Hall Of Fame will be honored during Satuday's Sycamore Basketball game against Illinois State which begins at 2 pm (ET) inside Hulman Center.
"It is always exciting to induct our Hall of Fame Class," Clinkscales said. "We have a rich tradition and history of impressive student-athletes. This class is a special one as we honor four individuals who have meant so much to Sycamore Athletics. It is with great pride that we welcome this group into our Athletics Hall of Fame. Please join me in congratulating them on their dedication and success in their respective sports."
Kylie Hutson was a women's track and field athlete from 2007-2011 as she participated in the pole vault at a high level. Hutson was a four-time NCAA Champion, winning the pole vault in both the 2009 and 2010 Indoor and Outdoor Championships. She was twice named the Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Most Valuable Field Athlete as well as twice winning the Outdoor Most Valuable Field Athlete award. She was a three-time MVC Scholar-Athlete and four-time All-MVC in both indoor and outdoor competition.
Hutson won the MVC Pole Vault Championship seven times in her career and holds the school record in the outdoor pole vault with a mark of 14' 9.5" and indoor at 14'9". She was the Great Lakes Regional Women's Field Athlete of the Year for both the 2010 indoor and outdoor seasons and took home the USATF Outdoor Pole Vault Championship in 2011. Hutson finished seventh at the United States Olympic Trials in 2012.
She will forever hold the Marks Field Pole Vault Record with a mark of 15'5" which was set in 2013 after graduation. She participated in the 2011 and 2013 World Outdoor Championship where she finished 14th in 2011.
John Allman played football for the Sycamores from 1977-1980. He was a three-time All-Missouri Valley Conference selection in 1978, 1979 and 1980. Allman took Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America honors in 1979 and 1980. He is in the Sycamores' all-time Top 10 for career tackles with 336, including 169 solo stops. His 117 tackles led the team in 1978 while his 128 stops in 1979 was tops for ISU.
He posted six interceptions in 1980 which is tied for fifth-best in a single-season all-time while he added four more in 1979. Allman had three interceptions in one game against Illinois State on October 27, 1979.
After ISU, Allman signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1981. His daughter, Lindsay Allman, was named head coach of the Sycamore Volleyball program in early 2017 and in her first season led the Sycamores to a fifth place finish in the Missouri Valley Conference and the program's first-ever victory in the MVC Tournament.
Jim Cruse played basketball for the Sycamores from 1993-1997. He led the 1996-97 team in scoring with a 14.0 ppg average as well as rebounding as he pulled down 296 caroms. He also led the 1995-96 team in rebounding with 233 and the 1993-94 edition with 117. Cruse was a two-time All-Missouri Valley Conference selection in 1996 & 1997. He holds the school record for most rebounds in a single-game as he pulled down 25 against Drake on January 18, 1997.
He is a member of the Indiana State Basketball 1,000 Point Club with 1,049 career points and added 771 career rebounds. Cruse played professionally for Dijon ASPTT in France after graduation.
Following his playing days, Cruse became a trooper with the Indiana State Police and has worked security detail for former Indiana governor Mike Pence (currently the Vice President of the United States) as well as current Indiana governor Eric Holcomb.
Legendary Indiana State Track & Field / Cross Country Program Coordinator John McNichols is the final inductee into the ISU Athletics Hall of Fame this year. McNichols led the Sycamores in cross country and track from 1983 until his death in 2016. He finished his career by coaching in exactly 100 career MVC Championships, including 33 indoor meets, 33 outdoor meets and 34 cross country championships.
He posted 38 total team titles, including 11 in cross country, 10 in indoor track and 17 in outdoor track. He was named the MVC Coach of the Year 23 times. During that time, McNichols coached 456 MVC Track Champions, eight MVC Cross Country Champions, 355 MVC Track Scholar-Athletes and 110 Cross Country MVC Championships.
He coached 15 NCAA Track National Champions, 112 All-Americans, 173 NCAA Track National Qualifiers and 13 NCAA Cross Country National qualifiers. He oversaw the design, development and construction of the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course which has hosted 12 NCAA Division I Cross Country National Championships.
McNichols also served as the head meet official at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta and was a meet official at the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles as well as the 1987 Pan-American Games and the 1988 United States Olympic Trials. He was a three-time head coach of the United State Men's Junior Pan-American Team.
Additionally, McNichols served as chairman of the NCAA Rules Committee, a member of the NCAA Division I Track & Field Subcommittee and was inducted into the Indiana Track & Cross Country Hall of Fame in 2007 as well as the Drake Relays Coaching Hall of Fame in 2008.
