Karen Rapier, a former Jefferson City Lady Jay basketball standout, will be inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame later this year, it was announced Wednesday.
Rapier will be inducted during a ceremony Thursday, Dec. 10, at the University Plaza Convention Center in Springfield. The ceremony will begin at 11 a.m.
Rapier played collegiately at Southwest Missouri State (now Missouri State) in Springfield. The Lady Bears were 83-36 in her four seasons, earning Gateway Conference championships and berths in the NCAA Tournament in her final two years. The Lady Bears advanced to the Final Four in the 1991-92 season, ending at 31-3 and ranked No. 4 in the country under head coach Cheryl Burnett.
Burnett closed her career at Southwest Missouri State as the all-time leader in games played (118), fifth in rebounds (666) and points scored (1,365), and sixth in steals (123) and field-goal percentage (.513).
Rapier also served as an assistant coach at the university, helping the Lady Bears to six NCAA Tournament appearances and the 2001 Final Four.