CATHY SNIPES

BASKETBALL

Born: July 12
Position: Center
Played For: Alton HS (1994-1997), Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (1997-2001), Eastern Kentucky (2002-2003)

By Steve Porter 

When it comes to basketball, few can match the success of Alton High product Cathy Snipes. 

The 6-foot-1 inch Snipes emerged as a force for the Redbirds in the middle 1980s and then became a collegiate standout at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M and Eastern Kentucky. It’s no wonder she’s a valued member of the 2023 St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2023. The statistics tell the story. 

During a memorable prep career with the Alton Redbirds, Snipes scored 2,673 points and collected 1,617 rebounds, making her one of the most prolific female players in Illinois High School Association history. She is among the Top 25 scorers and Top 10 rebounders in IHSA history. Snipes averaged an impressive 34.6 points per game in 1984-85, her senior season for the Redbirds. 

The Redbirds went 21-4 that season and were a composite 59-18 during Snipes’ three seasons for coach Mary Bowling at Alton High. They won three regional titles and their 1985 Southwestern Conference championship was the last one in the school’s basketball annals until this year’s squad shared the championship with O’Fallon.

Yet scoring points and grabbing rebounds weren’t foremost on Snipes’ mind. She had a bigger goal: victories. “Just winning games and being with the team were the most important things for me,” Snipes said. “All the points I scored weren’t as big as that.” 

Yet it seemed like Snipes always produced plenty of points and snagged ample rebounds when the Redbirds needed them the most. She still holds the single-game school record of 53 points against Bunker Hill. She also punched in 51 points during a regional semifinal win over rival Edwardsville. “It seemed like every shot was going in for me that night,” Snipes said of her 53-point effort against Bunker Hill at the East Middle School in Alton. “My teammates were getting me the ball and everything was working. After I had 52 points, they wanted me to get two more because I wore No. 54.” 

She got fouled and made one of two free throws to finish with 53 points. “Coach Bowling kidded me about that…not making both free throws and not getting to 54 points,” Snipes said. Not that it really mattered. Snipes finished her senior season with 852 points and 470 rebounds, earned All-State first team honors and was selected to the all-SWC squad for the fourth successive year. 

Then it was on to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Community College, where she earned Kodak All-American honors. Snipes completed her collegiate career at Eastern Kentucky. 

For the past 34 years, she has worked at Beverly Farm in Godfrey and assisted those with developmental disabilities. “I really like helping kids,” Snipes said. She attends local basketball games and even served as a summer coach for athletes trying to learn the finer points of the game. “Maybe I will get back into coaching because I love the game,” she said of basketball. 

The game has loved her back. She was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Alton Athletics Hall of Fame three years later. In 2022, she received a meritorious service honor from the Gallatin Basketball Awards Committee in the Alton area for her lifetime contribution to the game.