MT. CARMEL) The Mt. Carmel High School Athletic Hall of Fame Committee of the Mt. Carmel Sports Boosters is proud to announce its 2024 Induction Class. Highlighting the class are the first three female athletes to enter the Hall of Fame and the first Friend of Athletics to be enshrined. An additional player and one team will complete the 2024 class.

The first female athletes to enter the Hall of Fame are girls high jump state champion Jessica Bayne-Snow, the state of Illinois’ all-time leading scorer in basketball Tyra Buss-Davison, and Olympic equestrian Lauren Kieffer-Nicholson.

Also being enshrined is legendary Golden Aces football quarterback Sharon Miller, the first Friend of Athletics is longtime timekeeper Tim Wachs, and the team being inducted is the 1974 state finalist Golden Aces football team.

The 2024 Induction Class of the MCHS Athletic Hall of Fame will be recognized prior to the Aces home football game on October 4th vs. Olney. A reception, hosted by the Sports Boosters, will follow the game at Stymie’s Rest at West Berwick Golf Course.

Aces fans are also reminded that nominations for future Hall of Fame induction can be made anytime. Find the nomination form and view a list of all Hall of Fame members on the Athletic Hall of Fame website at www.wabash348.com/o/mchs/page/mchs-athletics-hall-of-fame

Jessica-Bayne Snow: Jessica Bayne-Snow graduated from Mt. Carmel High School in 1999. Bayne-Snow was the individual state champion in high jump her senior year (5’7”). She was the USA Track and Field Junior Indoor and Outdoor Illinois State Champion in 1998. She was a two-time conference champion in high jump and conference champion in 300 hurdles her junior year. She set school records in high jump, 300 hurdles, 100 high hurdles, and as part of the 4x800 relay team. Academically, Bayne-Snow as an Illinois State Scholar and was a valedictorian. After MCHS, Bayne-Snow attended the University of Illinois where she was a member of the track and field team and was a three-time Academic All-Big 10 Team selection.

Tyra Buss-Davison: Tyra Buss-Davison became the state of Illinois’ all-time leading scorer in girls’ basketball with 4,897 total points in her four-year career at Mt. Carmel ending in 2014. Buss-Davison was also recognized as the 2014 and 2013 Ms. Basketball in Illinois. Additionally, Buss-Davison continues to sit atop the IHSA record book in the categories of Most Points Scored (Career 4,897 and Season 1,466), Highest Scoring Average (Career - 38.0 & Season 45.8), Free Throws Made (Career 1,185), and sits second all-time in Career Steals (713). Buss-Davison played college basketball at Indiana University holding the IU career records in points scored (4 years – 2,364), steals (292), assists (572), free throws made (633), and points per game (17.5) At IU Buss-Davison was named All Big Ten First Team and led the team to the WNIT Championship her senior season. She has played professionally the past two years in Europe where she led the league in points and steals each season.

Lauren Kieffer-Nicholson: Lauren Kieffer-Nicholson is a 2005 graduate of MCHS. She competed for Team USA in the 2016 Olympic Games, the 2018 World Equestrian Games and was a member of the gold medal winning team at the 2015 Pan American Games where she individually placed seventh. Nicholson was named the 2019 Lady Rider of the Year by the US Eventing Association and was on the silver medal winning team at the 2022 World Eventing Championships. Individually, she won the Pinnacle Cup Trophy in 2014 and 2016 and continues to be recognized among the top riders in the U.S.

Sharon Miller: Sharon Miller was the starting Golden Aces quarterback on two conference championship teams in the pre-playoff era. In 1960, he led the Aces to an undefeated season. He was named to the Illinois All-State Team. After MCHS, Miller was the quarterback at Western Kentucky University where he started for three years. He played on WKU’s first undefeated team and was named the MVP of the Tangerine Bowl in 1963. Miller was also named to the College All American Team. He was elected to the WKU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016.

Tim Wachs: Tim Wachs becomes the first Friend of Athletics to be enshrined in the MCHS Athletic Hall of Fame. Wachs has served as the timekeeper since his days as a student. He’s served the district as timekeeper for over 50 years. He has also served as the timekeeper for Wabash Valley College. Wachs was a longtime sixth grade math teacher in District #348 and has worked as a dispatcher for local emergency services for over 50 years. Even after retirement, Wachs has volunteered in a variety of capacities for District 348. In a 2008 newspaper article, a District 348 administrator said of Wachs “Whatever somebody needs done, he’s always there to help. He’s such an asset to the community.”

1974 Aces Football So many teams deserve credit for putting Golden Aces Football on the map – but it was the 1974 team that took the Aces program to the state finals for the first time – in the first year of the IHSA playoff system. The Aces finished in a three-way tie for the North Egypt Conference championship but were voted by the league members to represent the NEC in the playoffs. The Aces beat Mt. Zion in overtime in the opener at the Snake Pit, stopping a potential game winning Braves two-point conversion attempt. The Aces then beat Sparta at home before travelling to Quincy to take on the Catholic Boys. In that game “The Toe” Doug Peterson kicked a 32-yard field goal in overtime to send the Aces to the championship game with the “Kick Heard ‘round the World”. The Larry Davis led Golden Aces would fall to West Chicago in the championship – but set the bar for future Aces teams very high

Mt. Carmel Athletic Hall of Fame Announces 2024 Class

Chandler Madden