Ripley County Basketball Hall of Fame Names Nine Inductees to 2025 Class

The inductees will be honored at the Ripley County Tournament in January.

(Ripley County, Ind.) - The Ripley County Basketball Hall of Fame will add nine new members in the New Year. 

The Hall of Fame Class of 2025 will include Tara (Borgman) Kelly, Kris Cranfill, Melissa (Dickman) Burton, Mark Gilland, Brent Gutzwiller, Ryan Hixson, Roselyn V. McKittrick, Becky (Narwold) Nobbe, and Kyle Simpson

The inductees will be honored between the consolation and championship games of the Ripley County Boys Basketball Tournament on Saturday, January 11 at South Ripley. An official induction ceremony will take place in April.

Bios for each of the honorees can be read below. 

Tara (Borgman) Kelly- Jac-Cen-Del 1997

Several stars throughout the years have provided a major spark on offense at Jac-Cen-Del and Tara Kelly is certainly one of them after starring for the Osgood crew in the mid-1990’s. As part of a three-year varsity career, Tara etched her name into the school record books and ranks in the Top 20 all-time in 13 different categories on offense and is also 18th all-time on the career steals list with 118. Her 20.1 points per game her senior season still ranks seventh all-time in a single season, she is eighth all-time with 41 made 3-pointers in a season and fourth all-time for career free throw percentage at 72 percent. She is also 18th on the school’s career scoring list after totaling 744 points in three years.

During Tara’s time in a Lady Eagle uniform, the girls basketball program reeled off a Ripley County championship, two Ohio River Valley Conference titles and back-to-back single-class sectional championships in 1995 and 1996. The 96 season would see Jac-Cen-Del defeat Switzerland County in a regional semifinal before bowing out to Brownstown Central in double overtime in the championship game that night. Tara was a two-time All-Sectional and All-Regional selection alongside being named All-ORVC and All-County on two occasions and wrapped up her high school career by leading the conference and area in scoring, being named a Girls Top 100 selection inside the state and earning honors as Team MVP, East/West All-Star Game candidate and winner of the Ripley Publishing Girls Basketball Excellence Award.

Tara went on to a stellar playing career at Franklin College and remains on the all-time list for career three-point percentage at the school. She graduated with a degree in secondary education and went on to both teach and coach at Jac-Cen-Del and Milan before going on to team up with her husband to help operate Chris Kelly Oil Company and Kelly’s gas stations. Chris and Tara now operate Kelly’s Hidden Acres Golf Course in Milan. Tara is a mom to Damon, Blaine, Mallory, Candice and Caleb and shares eight grandchildren with her husband. Her induction into the Hall of Fame allows her to join her dad Tom and brother Brad as fellow inductees, forever adding to the Borgman legacy.

Kris Cranfill- South Ripley 1996

South Ripley boys basketball was one of the state’s top scoring teams during the mid-1990’s and helping spearhead such an effort was Kris Cranfill who finished his career ranked second in program history with 1,259 points.

Cranfill was a multi-sport superstar in Versailles but he shined on the basketball floor with a South Ripley program that seemed to dazzle on offense each and every night. Under head coach Randy Snodgrass, the Raiders won back-to-back county championships during Cranfill’s career and the team amassed 58 wins in four years. Kris helped the green and white average nearly 85 points per game his junior season -second best average in the state- and 79 points per game the following season. Both numbers remain top scoring averages in school history. An All-ORVC, All-County and All-Sectional selection, Cranfill now sits at No. 3 on the school’s all-time scoring list and remains a record holder in three other categories. His 45 points against Switzerland County in 1995 is a single-game high for the Raiders and that same contest saw him set the single-game record for field goals with 17. He is also the career steals leader with 188 and at one point held the school’s career field goal percentage mark at 55.8 percent.

Cranfill was also a standout baseball player as both a hitter and pitcher, helping South Ripley to back-to-back sectional championships in 1995 and 1996 while also pitching a no-hitter in 1996. His abilities and accomplishments are now forever enshrined as part of his Hall of Fame induction. He and his wife Mendy have three children, Luke, Josie and Gabe and he remains an avid supporter of South Ripley Athletics and a loyal worker inside the Versailles community.

Melissa (Dickman) Burton- Jac-Cen-Del 1984

Standing at 5-foot-7, Melissa Dickman started at center for the Jac-Cen-Del Lady Eagles and a lack of size underneath never deterred her from being a force to be reckoned with in the 1980’s. Such evidence can be found in the school record books as she remains ranked fourth and fifth respectively in single-season steals at 87 and 80 and is seventh all-time with career steals at 167. Her 354 rebounds in four years also ranks 16th on the career rebounding list.

A four-year letterwinner at the school, Melissa was a three-time All-Sectional selection, two-time All-ORVC and All-County pick and a member of the 1982 All-Regional squad, the same Jac-Cen-Del team that won the regional with victories over Seymour and Hauser before falling in the semi-state to Evansville Bosse. She was a rebounding, hustle and free throw award winner during her career and ended the 1983-1984 campaign as Team Captain and Team MVP while also being a member of the 40 & 8 All-Star Team. Her dedication, hard work and unselfishness alongside a passion towards rebounding and playing defense are fondly remembered as some of her greatest assets and those same assets allowed head coach Maurice Meyers and company to earn a championship status once again.

Melissa’s work ethic and dedication would later be seen in her 24-year career with the Batesville Community School Corporation where she would spend time as an educator, administrator and technology specialist. She graduated from Marian University in 1989 and along with her husband Joe have three children and also play the roles of grandma and grandpa. We celebrate the addition of another Lady Eagle and welcome Melissa into the Ripley County Basketball Hall of Fame.

Mark Gilland- Jac-Cen-Del 1978

To play for legendary head coach David Porter meant having to be a fierce competitor and that certainly can be said of Mark Gilland who played for three years under Porter and finished his career with 920 points which ranks 17th currently in program history. His ability to score the basketball from anywhere on the floor allowed the Eagles to remain one of the area’s most feared teams in the 1970’s.

Despite not playing his sophomore season, Gilland turned in three seasons of 200-plus points which concluded with 404 points his senior season. His season average of 18.6 points per game was among tops in the area and his scoring prowess paved the way to honors of All-County, All-ORVC and All-Sectional for a second-straight season. His junior season, which saw him score 306 points and average 14.6 points per night also saw the Eagles capture the single-class sectional at Batesville, defeating Milan and the host Bulldogs before falling to Union County one weekend later in the regional semifinals. It would be the final title for Jac-Cen-Del until 1992.

Gilland’s 920 points included game-highs during his career of 29, 28 and 24 points. Several colleges sought out the Eagle great but Mark elected to remain on the family farm and marry Lorrie Brown in July of 1979. The two have four children and five grandchildren and remain on the family farm while continuing to support Jac-Cen-Del Athletics.

Brent Gutzwiller- Batesville 1995

As single-class basketball started coming to a close in the 1990’s, Batesville boys basketball made a lasting impact in those final years and very much so a part of that was 1995 graduate Brent Gutzwiller who played for both Steve Cochran and Melvin Siefert during his three years at the varsity level.

In that time, Gutzwiller helped the Bulldogs to a 53-18 overall record which included two conference titles, two sectional championships and a regional title in 1994 that saw Batesville beat New Castle and Connersville in the regional before a single-class semi-state loss the next weekend against Ben Davis. Gutzwiller averaged just shy of 11 points per game that year and was named All-EIAC and was an All-State honorable mention selection for a 20-5 squad. One season later, his senior campaign saw him nab Team MVP honors, All-County, All-EIAC, All-Sectional and All-Regional while being All-State Honorable Mention and a District 3 All-Star. Playing alongside past Hall of Fame inductee Michael Menser, Gutzwiller scored 479 points, averaging 21.4 points per night which included career-highs of 31 and 34 points. Batesville went 17-6, beating Greensburg in the sectional championship before a two-point loss in the regional to Connersville.

Gutzwiller finished his career as one of the program’s top scorers, totaling 814 points and was a multi-sport student-athlete, having earned a combined five letters in football and baseball which included an All-Conference nod in football. He went on to play one season of basketball at Anderson University before finishing his education at Ball State. Brent worked five years at Eli Lilly and was the company’s Salesperson of the Year. He is now a sales representative for Stryker.

Ryan Hixson- Milan 2000

Throughout Milan’s storied basketball history, several all-time great names come to mind and given his accolades, Ryan Hixson is among those and still remains the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,525 points and all-time leading rebounder at 756 boards. As Hixson racked up records and honors during his four-year career, success for the Indians was abundant during that time.

Despite a 12-13 record during the 1998-1999 campaign, Hixson and the black and gold under head coach Randy Combs marched all the way to the Class A Semi-State, upsetting Jac-Cen-Del in the sectional championship and blowing out Southwestern (Shelby) in the regional finals before nearly pulling off another shocker in the semi-state, eventually falling by four to Tecumseh. One year later, Milan and Hixson would find themselves 19-3 and ranked as high as No. 2 in the Class A poll, earning ORVC championship honors in the process. Hixson finished that season averaging 20.5 points per game and shooting 62 percent from the floor en route to being named a USA Today Top 25 player in the state and capturing Third Team All-State honors. He was a four-time All-ORVC selection, named All-Sectional three times and was the Ripley Publishing Tiny Hunt Award Winner along with being named MVP of the 40 & 8 All-Star Game.

Hixson went on to play one year of collegiate basketball at Vincennes University under legendary head coach Dan Sparks before three seasons at the University of Indianapolis. He averaged 10 points and six rebounds per game his senior season and the Greyhounds finished that season ranked seventh in the NCAA Division II poll. Hixson is currently in his 18th year of active duty in the United States Coast Guard and serves as Lieutenant Commander, having earned various medals throughout his military career along with serving all across our great country. He has been a two-time member of the All-Navy Golf Team and was a four-time Re/Max World Long Drive Champion in the military division from 2007 through 2010. We thank Lieutenant Commander Hixson for his continued service and welcome him to the Hall of Fame.

Roselyn V. McKittrick- Meritorious Service Award Winner

Preserving the spectacular history of Indiana High School Basketball has been done by many but when it comes to the legendary story of the 1954 Milan Indians, nobody preserved it better than the late Roselyn McKittrick. And even six years after her passing, her legacy and preservation continues today.

Milan became home for Mrs. McKittrick after marrying her husband John in 1955 and she would make a mark in town by resurrecting the historic King Hotel and transforming into the very popular Railroad Inn. But when her Milan Station Antiques store popped up on Carr Street, Roselyn turned her attention to displaying the stories and legends that made possible the “Milan Miracle.” What started as just a corner of her store blossomed into the full renovation of an old bank building which turned into the Milan 54 Museum, allowing McKittrick to retell the tales from that historic season to all who entered the doors. Through her efforts and stories, thousands of museum-goers from all over the world received a hospitable smile and a better understanding of why Milan and Southeastern Indiana play such an integral role in the history of “Hoosier Hysteria.”

Roselyn McKittrick worked tirelessly to ensure that the Mighty Men of Milan and Southeastern Indiana hoops history was preserved and shared with younger generations. While Mrs. McKittrick passed away in 2019, her legacy and the museum continue to live on. She was always one to shy away from recognition but through her induction into the Ripley County Basketball Hall of Fame, we now give her the full recognition she deserves for the part she has played in our neck of the woods.

Becky (Narwold) Nobbe- Batesville 1995

Three-straight single-class sectional championships over Milan, Jac-Cen-Del and South Ripley highlighted Batesville girls basketball from 1992 through 1994 and leading on the court was Becky Narwold who would finish her career in the Top 10 all-time in seven different categories on offense after a stellar four-year varsity career.

Always accepting of any role on the court, Becky scored 100-plus points each season including 397 points her senior year which came out to an average of 18.9 points per game, both of which are ranked seventh and ninth all-time respectively as part of single-season program records. That same year she also had 85 steals -seventh all-time- and her 154 field goals finished seventh as well. She scored 1,052 career points and remains seventh on the career scoring list, her 73 percent career free throw percentage remains fourth and 242 career assists sits seventh on the school’s all-time list. She was Team MVP her sophomore and senior seasons, was All-County three times, All-Sectional two times, All-EIAC twice and a member of the All-Regional squad in 1993. She was the 1993 Sectional MVP, an EIAC free throw champion in 1995 and finished fifth in the state three-point shootout that same year alongside playing in the 40 & 8 All-Star Game.

In addition to her basketball accolades, Becky was a Team MVP in softball, golf and soccer and was All-Conference in each sport. She led Batesville softball to a sectional championship. Becky and her husband Aaron have three children, Hank, Ashley and Bo and the couple currently operates The Rusty Buck in Batesville and Versailles, providing the community with its outdoor needs year-round.

Kyle Simpson- Milan 1996

Four years in the varsity starting lineup allowed Kyle Simpson to star for the Milan Indians and his reputation as a scorer and tenacious rebounder is evident in the school record books. He is second on the school’s all-time rebounding list and his 1,272 points remains third on the all-time scoring list. It is only the beginning of his accomplishments in an Indian uniform.

Simpson not only was an All-ORVC performer for all four years of varsity basketball but was also All-County his freshman, junior and senior seasons along with being named All-State by the Herald Times in 1993 and 1995. Following his high school career, Simpson went on to star at Indiana University Southeast and played four years for Hall of Fame coach Jim Morris. He played on the first Grenadier team to appear in the NAIA National Tournament, was a two-time All-Conference player and an NAIA All-South Region member in 1998 and 2000. He currently ranks ninth all-time at IU Southeast for career rebounds and is 25th on the program’s all-time scoring list.

Following graduation, Simpson transitioned from player to coach and served 18 years as an assistant coach at Bloomington South, led by Indiana’s all-time winningest coach JR Holmes. Holmes, Simpson and staff led South to 11 sectional titles, eight conference championships, five regional crowns and two semi-state championships which turned into state titles for the team in 2009 and 2011. The 2009 squad was highlighted by Indiana Mr. Basketball and future Indiana University great Jordan Hulls. Simpson then took over as varsity boys basketball coach at Southport High School and led for six seasons. Simpson’s tenure saw Southport win three conference titles, the 2015 Hall of Fame Classic and a sectional and regional title in 2016.