Cynthia Hall’s basketball success took her around the world and now, 20 years later, it’s making her an immortal in her hometown.

Hall, who helped Vicksburg High reach the 1997 Class 5A championship game and later played at Mississippi State and professionally in the Netherlands, will be part of the inaugural class of the Vicksburg Warren School District Athletic Hall of Fame.

The five-person class will be inducted Thursday in a banquet at Roca Restaurant and Bar. The banquet is open to the public. Tickets are $20 and available at the VWSD athletic office on Mission 66. They will also be recognized at Friday’s Warren Central vs. Vicksburg football game at Memorial Stadium.

In addition to Hall, the inductees are former Vicksburg tennis great Barry Hassell and Warren Central football stars Tony Smith, Carl Blue and Sean Brewer.

“It’s a great honor to be selected as part of the first class of the Hall of Fame. It’s a wonderful thing that the Vicksburg Warren School District is doing,” Hall said. “I think it’s something great that they can continue for years.”

Hall was also a track and field standout for Vicksburg, but was mostly known for her exploits on the basketball court.

She was the 1997 Vicksburg Post girls’ Player of the Year, made the All-State team and played in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game.

She went on to play four seasons at Mississippi State. She led the Bulldogs in steals in 2001, and finished her career as the school’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made, with 147. She recorded the second triple-double in MSU history in 2000, and made the Academic All-Southeastern Conference team that same season.

She played one season of pro ball in the Netherlands before retiring.

“I enjoyed it, and enjoyed that experience,” she said of her year abroad.

Hall now lives in Monroe, La., and is the primary caregiver for her ailing mother Mattie Lee Hall. Mattie Lee suffered a stroke in November 2015. Cynthia said she’s thankful for the chance to share her big moment with her mother.

“I am grateful that my mom will be able to celebrate this moment with me,” Cynthia Hall said. “We were told to start making preparations, but she’s still here. It has been a long and continuing journey for her. And, she was one of my biggest supporters throughout my career being an awesome athlete herself.”

Hall’s success beyond high school is one of the things VWSD athletic director Preston Nailor said the selection committee looked for when picking members for the new Hall of Fame.

Smith played in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons, while Blue was a college star at Jackson State. Brewer, who played at Millsaps, has been inducted to both the National College Football Hall of Fame and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in the past year. Hassell won two Southeastern Conference tennis championships at Ole Miss and helped the Rebels reach the final four of the NCAA Tournament.

“It’s the time and the work they put in while they were here, and what they did outside of Warren County,” Nailor said. “Tony going to the NFL, Carl the records he broke at Jackson State, Cynthia just going to Mississippi State and being a factor there. It shows we have athletes that can go on and participate at Division I schools, go professional, and still be positive influences in the community. That’s what we want.”

The Hall of Fame is still a work in progress, but Nailor hopes this year sets the foundation for an ongoing tradition.

The five inductees were selected from a group of nominations submitted by community members. A selection committee narrowed it down from there. Nailor said he’s hoping to induct between six and eight new members every year.

The Hall of Famers will receive a plaque. Some sort of physical hall of fame will eventually be built at the VWSD’s central office, Nailor said.

“We didn’t have a lot of names come through. We hope that that increases next year. This is something new. So having this year’s class will open the door for it to blow up next year and for years to come,” Nailor said. “We’ll start the process over earlier next year so we can push it for the ’17 season.”

Nailor is also hopeful that the Hall of Fame serves as inspiration for young student-athletes who are currently writing their own legend. Besides their on-field success, this year’s class includes a successful businessman (Smith), lawyer (Hassell) and high school principal (Brewer).

“A large amount of school districts in Texas and Alabama do this, because they want to show the community we’re behind athletics as well as this is what the current class has to push forward to,” Nailor said. “Being great in Warren County is good. We’ve got enough talent here that can be great nationwide, and they need to be noted for it.”