Gibault Catholic High School has a strong reputation for athletic excellence. Many have donned the Hawks’ colors, leading their teams to glory.

On Saturday night, Gibault celebrated four legendary student-athletes as Scott Amann, Amanda Seib, Tyler Beckerle and Tyler Crawford were inducted into the school’s Sports Hall of Fame.

Amann was a two-sport star who played four years of varsity baseball and three of varsity basketball. Though his play on the court is not to be diminished, it was his accomplishments on the diamond that made him into a hall-of-famer.

Amann had a career batting average of .384 while at Gibault. In his four years, he scored 84 runs, pounded 129 hits and drove in 66 runs. His most remarkable stat, however, is his 0.045 strikeout percentage — by far the lowest in Gibault baseball history (fewest strikeouts per at bat).

Upon his graduation in 2005, Amann went on to play for two years at SWIC, where he continued to put up big numbers. He was named first team all-conference in the Great Rivers Athletic Conference and owns the fifth-highest single-season batting average in SWIC history (.433 in 2007). Amann finished his career at Coker College, a Division II school in South Carolina.

Andy Skaer, Amann’s baseball coach at Gibault, said he quickly recognized Amann was a special player.

“Scott was a senior in my first year as head coach here,” Skaer said. “At the beginning of the year, I was still trying to learn what type of team I had. It didn’t take me long to realize that Scott was an incredible and hard-working player. He sure made my first year a lot easier.”

While Amann was rounding the bases on the baseball diamond, Amanda Seib was stopping opponents from doing so on the softball field.

Another two-sport athlete who also excelled in the classroom, Seib was a dominant force on the mound, posting a 35-14 record and an incredible 1.03 ERA throughout her career. Seib made things easy for her defense, amassing 10.7 strikeouts per game and 569 total.

In addition to 18 shutouts, Seib also threw two no-hitters and a perfect game. With these numbers, it’s easy to see why Seib collected so many awards throughout her career. A two-time all-area first teamer, Seib was also named a St. Louis Post-Dispatch Scholar Athlete in 2007 — the same year she was voted MVP of both the Gibault softball and volleyball teams.

Seib continued her softball career at UMSL, where she racked up 136 strikeouts in 183.3 innings. She was named a member of the Great Lakes Conference All-Academic Team throughout her entire four-year career with the Tritons, and won the conference’s Council of the President Academic Excellence Award in 2011.

Gibault softball coach Dave Gregson praised Seib for her work ethic and leadership skills.

“Amanda was a leader on and off the field,” he said. “She constantly worked on her pitching skills to become one of the most dominant pitchers in the area during her high school playing days.”

Humble as she is accomplished, Seib asserted she could not have accomplished so much without the help of her parents, who taught her important life lessons.

“I want to thank my mom and dad for their support and for teaching me the value of hard work,” she said. “When life throws me a curveball, I think back to being on the mound, and my daddy saying, ‘Bear down!’

“Also, my coaches and teammates — you taught me so much,” she continued. “We made so many memories together. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

The night’s festivities concluded with the induction of two soccer legends. Tyler Beckerle and Tyler Crawford, who graduated together in 2007, were core members of some of the best teams in school history. With Beckerle in net and Crawford up top, the Hawks won back-to-back state titles in 2005-06.

Beckerle was yet another multi-sport standout, playing four years of varsity basketball along with his four years of soccer for the Hawks. Beckerle was a menace in net, and was known for his clutch play, making the biggest stops at the most important moments.

In addition to being nearly unbeatable between the pipes, Beckerle was also an outstanding leader and was team captain of the 2006 squad. He went on to play at Central Arkansas, where he owns records for career save percentage and best single-season save percentage.

IHSA Hall-of-Fame coach Jim Corsi said Beckerle was a joy to be around, both on and off the field.

“I loved him in the classroom and I loved him on the field,” he said. “He had a lot to do with our success.”

Like Seib, Beckerle took time to show his appreciation for all those who contributed to his spectacular sporting career.

“You don’t ever really accomplish anything on your own,” he said. “I just want to thank everyone who supported me and gave me the opportunities over the years.”

Crawford, meanwhile, is one of the most prolific players in the history of Gibault soccer. In his four years, Crawford scored 76 goals and added 66 assists. He was a two-time all-state selection and was voted Belleville News-Democrat Player of the Year in 2006. That same year, he received All-American honors.

Crawford played college soccer at Evansville and was named to the Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman Team in 2007.

Coach Corsi raved about Crawford’s skills, and gave the Columbia native a prestigious distinction.

“Tyler is probably the best soccer player ever at Gibault,” he said. “For a little school like this to have an All-American is quite an accomplishment. He was a lot of fun to watch.”

Crawford returned Corsi’s praise.

“I can honestly say that he’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing for,” he said.

Though Corsi has since retired, Crawford is confident Gibault soccer will maintain the winning tradition.

“None of us are here anymore, but I know that Coach Reeb has already done some great things,” he said.

That was just the beginning of a long list of people Crawford wanted to recognize. He also expressed gratitude for the soccer alumni who came before him, including his brother Ryan.

“Without your hard work to put Gibault on the map, we could not have accomplished what we did,” he said.

Crawford also thanked his parents — his father, who helped him work on his game every day — and his mother, who was there to support him at every game, rain or shine.

“I couldn’t have done it without you,” he said. “Thank you, so much.”

Last, but not least, Crawford thanked his teammates.

“Even with all the great accomplishments, the things I remember most are the times we had together — two-hour bus rides home on school nights,

freestyle rap battles between freshmen and seniors — it was all so much fun.

“It’s almost as if we turned the team into a family,” he said. “There was no better definition of the word team.”