Greenville, S.C. – A prolific scorer on the hardwood, legendary women's soccer coach, All-American track star, and the architect of one of Furman's most successful programs make up the 2024 Furman University Athletic Hall of Fame Class, which was announced on Thursday.
  
Men's basketball standout Stephen Croone, former women's soccer coach Brian Lee, cross country and track star Troy Reeder, and honorary inductee and benefactor Chris Borch will be inducted into the Furman Athletic Hall of Fame on a date, location, and time to be announced. 
 
"It's an honor to announce and celebrate another historic Furman Athletics Hall of Fame class," said Furman Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Jason Donnelly. "Being inducted is the highest honor that a Paladin student-athlete and honoree can receive, and this year's class is certainly worthy of this distinction. Please join me in congratulating the inductees and their families on this well-deserved recognition." 
 
Croone, a three-time All-Southern Conference selection by the league's head coaches, garnered SoCon Player of the Year honors and Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American accolades as a senior in 2016 after guiding the Paladins to their first appearance in the SoCon Tournament finals in over a decade. The Covington, Ga., native became the first Paladin to average 17 points per game in three consecutive seasons and first guard to receive three all-league citations since Jonathan Moore (1978-80). Croone led Furman in assists and steals in each of his four seasons while averaging 16.0 points per game over 177 career contests. His 40-point performance versus Liberty in December of 2014 marked the first by a Paladin since Roy Simpson accomplished the feat in 1972.
 
The inaugural head coach of the Furman women's soccer program, Lee guided the Paladins for their first 11 seasons. He led Furman to five SoCon regular season titles, three SoCon Tournament crowns, and four NCAA Tournament appearances while capturing SoCon Coach of the Year honors five times. Lee, who posted a 144-80-10 (.637) overall record and 76-16-3 (.816) league mark at Furman, went on to successful stints as a head coach at both LSU and Rice. Prior to his coaching success, Lee won three SoCon titles as a member of the Furman men's soccer team and helped the Paladins to their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance – a Sweet Sixteen trip – in 1991.
 
A native of Fishers, Ind., Reeder became just the second first-team All-American in Furman men's track and field history and the first since 1968 when he finished seventh in the 3,000m Steeplechase at the 2016 NCAA Championships.  He remains the only Paladin men's track and field athlete to win multiple first-team All-America citations after repeating the feat the following year when he placed tenth nationally in the event.  Reeder, who was Furman's first four-time All-SoCon first team selection for cross country, won eight SoCon titles for indoor and outdoor track combined and continues to hold Paladin records in the Steeplechase (8:36.51) and the 4x1,500m relay (3:15.70). 
 
Borch began his Paladin career as a walk on for the Furman cross country/track and field team, rising through the ranks and eventually earning a modest scholarship.  In 2005, he established the Blue Shoes XC/T&F scholarship fund, named for the pair of blue running shoes that Borch was given by then head coach Bill Keesling on his first day of practice as a Furman student.  He has been the visionary and lead donor for the XC/T&F endowment, personally contributing over $10 million to Furman, including a $5 million gift in the fall of 2021.   With Borch's gifts, along with those of others and investment growth, the endowment is on track to grow to $20 million, allowing the program's scholarships to be funded off investment earnings. Borch's leadership, along with the coaching of Robert and Rita Gary, has led to 11-straight men's and women's SoCon cross country championships and national prominence in the track and field community.
 
CHRIS BORCH - Cross country/track and field (1975-78)...a member of the 1976 Furman cross country team, which won the SoCon Championship, a feat that wouldn't be matched until 2013...competed on Furman's 1976 indoor track and field team, which claimed the Paladins' most recent indoor track league title...began as a walk on and the last runner on the 12-man cross country team...rose through the ranks to reach the No. 2 spot on the team...notched a freshman 3-mile record of 13:51 to earn a modest scholarship...finished third at the 1975 and 1976 SoCon Cross Country Championships, earning All-SoCon honors...turned in a ninth-place finish at the 1977 league cross country meet...placed fourth in the 3-mile at the 2978 SoCon Indoor Track and Field Championships...1977 SoCon Champion in the 10,000m at the league outdoor track meet...former member of the Furman board of trustees and advisory council...has contributed over $10 million to Furman...gave $5 million, at the time the largest athletics gift in Furman history, in the fall of 2021...has been instrumental in growing the XC/T&F endowment, which will soon stand at $20 million and fully funds the program's scholarships...contributed $1 million to support the Blue Shoes Track House...received the Alumni Service Award in 2007...a member of the board of directors for the USA Track & Field Federation.
 
STEPHEN CROONE — Men's Basketball (2013-16)…guard...four-year letterman and one of the most prolific scorers in Furman basketball history…garnered 2016 Southern Conference Player of the Year honors, 2016 Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America accolades and was a three-time All-SoCon First Team selection by the league's head coaches…ranks in sixth place on the Furman's career scoring ledger with 1,936 points, trailing only Furman Hall of Famers Frank Selvy (2,538), Jonathan Moore (2,299), Darrell Floyd (2,281), Mike Bothwell (2,016), and Karim Souchu (2,014)…became the first Furman player to average 17 points per game for three consecutive seasons and first guard to earn three first team all-league citations since Jonathan Moore in 1978-80…the Covington, Ga., native finished his career averaging 16.0 points, 3.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game in 177 contests… paced the Paladins in steals and assists in each of his four seasons and ranks seventh in career steals (177) and assists (385)…netted a career-high 40 points in an 86-83 win over Liberty in December of 2014 to become the first Paladin to reach to 40-point plateau since Roy Simpson in 1972…helped spark a men's basketball resurgence at Furman as the Paladins increased their win total each of Croone's four-year career…earned first team All-SoCon Tournament honors after leading the eighth-seeded Paladins to the league finals in 2015… led Furman to a 19-16 overall record, 11-7 league mark and the program's first postseason bid since 2011 as a senior in 2016 when the Paladins downed Louisiana Monroe in the opening round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament…after starting his professional career with the NBA G League's Sioux Falls Skyforce in 2017, went on to play overseas in Finland, Bulgaria and Georgia.
 
BRIAN LEE — Women's Soccer (2013-16)…coach...started the Furman women's soccer program in 1994 and guided the Paladins for 11 seasons…named Southern Conference Coach of the Year five times (1995, '98, '99, '00, '02), while pacing Furman to six SoCon regular season titles (1995, '99, 00, '01, '02, 03), three SoCon Tournament crowns (1999, '02, '04) and four NCAA Tournament appearances (1999, '00, '02, '04)…posted a 144-80-10 (.637) overall record and 76-16-3 (.816) league mark in his 11 seasons…his 144 victories rank third in SoCon history behind current Furman head coach Andrew Burr and Samford's Todd Yelton…led Furman to the program's only NCAA at-large bid and tournament home match in 2000 with a 20-3-0 record…served as head coach at LSU for 10 seasons after leaving Furman…led the Tigers to six NCAA Tournament appearances and four SEC West titles, while compiling 143 victories…garnered 2018 United Soccer Coaches South Region Coach of the Year…currently serves as head coach at Rice…directed the Owls to a 14-3-1 record and NCAA Sweet Sixteen showing in his second season at the helm of the program during the spring of 2021…helped the Owls to a CUSA regular season title in 2022…four-year letterwinner as a player for the Furman men's soccer program from 1989-92…a part of three SoCon titles as a player…helped the Paladins to their first NCAA Tournament appearance, a trip to the Sweet Sixteen, in 1991…Served as team captain and named team's most outstanding player as a senior in 1992.
 
TROY REEDER - Cross country/track and field (2013-18)...a two-time first-team All-American in the 3,000m Steeplechase for outdoor track (2016 & 2017)...became just the second first-team All-American in Furman men's track history and the first since 1968...is the only person in Furman men's track history to win multiple first-team All-America citations...Furman's first four-time All-SoCon first team selection for cross country...qualified for the NCAA Outdoor East Preliminaries in the 3,000m Steeplechase three consecutive years...finished seventh in the event at the 2017 meet and 10th in 2016 to advance to the NCAA Championships...advanced out of the semifinals at the national meet both years...placed seventh nationally in the 3,000m Steeplechase in 2016 and eighth in 2017...a two-time all-region selection for cross country...finished as high as eighth at the NCAA Southeast Region XC Championships...won eight SoCon titles for indoor and outdoor track combined...holds the Furman program record in the 3,000m Steeplechase (8:36.51) and 4x1500m relay (15:45.98)...2013 SoCon Freshman of the Year for cross country.