FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013
DAWAHARES/KHSAA HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2014 INDUCTEES ANNOUNCED
LEXINGTON – The Kentucky High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame Class of 2014 was announced today in a press conference at the KHSAA Offices. The 11 members in this year’s class will be the 27th inducted into the Dawahares/KHSAA Hall of Fame, and consists of former high school coaches, athletes, officials, administrators and contributors. The Class of 2014 will be inducted in ceremonies scheduled for Sunday, April 27, 2014, at the Lexington Convention Center. The induction of the 11-member Class of 2014 will bring the total number of individuals honored to 423.
Fred Bishop (Pineville, 1973) – A three-sport standout at Pineville High School, Bishop was a four-time All-SEKC selection in basketball, a three-time All-State honoree in football, and a regional track champion in multiple events. On the hardwood, Bishop averaged a double-double all four years of his high school career, including personal bests of 26 points and 18 rebounds per game as a sophomore. A star on the gridiron as well, Bishop was an offensive end and a defensive back for Pineville, earning SEKC Player of the Year honors as a junior. He caught 35 passes for 543 yards as a senior, while averaging 30.6 yards on kick returns and 15.7 yards on punt returns, with six interceptions. Following his high school career, Bishop attended the University of Kentucky on a football scholarship and graduated in 1977. With his playing days behind him, Bishop stayed involved in high school athletics as an assistant football coach at Bowling Green HS, helping the Purples to several district titles, three state runner-up finishes (1994, 2005 and 2006), and one state championship (1995).
Jeff Brohm (Trinity Louisville, 1989) – A three-sport athlete, Brohm excelled in baseball, basketball and football at Trinity (Louisville). Brohm was a First Team All-District and All-Region selection in baseball, and an All-District Tournament honoree in basketball, as well as the team’s most valuable player his senior year. His greatest impact came on the football field however, where he earned All-District, All-Region, All-State accolades and was named Mr. Football in 1988 after capping off an undefeated season by leading the Shamrocks to the Class 4A State Championship. He passed for 1,707 yards with 20 touchdowns as a senior, while rushing for 602 yards and 12 more scores, helping him earn Bobby Dodd Back of the Year and Atlanta Touchdown Club Back of the Year honors. Brohm went on to play football at the University of Louisville, where he was a three-year starter and ranks in the school’s all-time top-10 for career passing yardage, touchdown passes, completions, total offense and completion percentage. A fourth round draft pick of the Cleveland Indians, Brohm played two seasons of professional baseball in the Indians’ organization while in college. He played seven years in the National Football League (1994-2001) following his collegiate career, and began his collegiate coaching career as the quarterbacks coach at the University of Louisville in 2002. His No. 11 jersey has been retired by both Trinity and UofL.
Caroline Burckle (Sacred Heart, 2004) – One of the most decorated high school swimmers in Kentucky High School history, Burckle won a total of 15 event championships in swimming at Sacred Heart and still holds the state record in the 500 Freestyle. Burckle won eight individual state championships for the Valkyries, winning the 200 Freestyle and 500 Freestyle all four years of her prep career (2001-04), to go along with seven state relay titles. She was a 15-time High School All-American for her athletic accomplishments, and was also a USA Swimming High School Scholastic All-American for her work in the classroom. As a senior, Burckle set state records in the 200 Freestyle (1:49.38), besting a mark set in 1994, and the 500 Freestyle (4:48.79), a record which still stands today. Burckle went on to star at the University of Florida, winning a pair of NCAA individual championships in the 200 and 500 Freestyle in 2008. Her time of 4:33.60 in the 500 Freestyle at the 2008 Championships established a new NCAA record, helping her earn the NCAA Female Swimmer of the Year award. She received 23 All-America honors during her collegiate career, while winning five SEC individual championships and three more as a member of a relay team. In 2007, Burckle won the gold medal in the 800 Freestyle at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro. She earned a spot on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team by placing fourth in the 200 Freestyle at the Olympic Trials, and helped the U.S. to a bronze medal by swimming the third leg in the 4×200 Freestyle relay at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Sonny Collins (Madisonville-North Hopkins, 1972) – A four-time First Team All-State, three-time All-America, and four-time All-Big 8 honoree, Collins accumulated 6,200 rushing yards and 76 touchdowns for Madisonville-North Hopkins from 1968-71. Collins led the Maroons to back-to-back Class 2A state runner-up finishes his junior and senior seasons, and thrived on the track as well, winning the 100-yard Dash at the 1970 Class 2A State meet with a time of 10.0 seconds, while placing third in the 220-yard Dash. Collins went on to star at the University of Kentucky, where he rushed for a school-record 3,835 yards, a mark which still stands today, and was named the SEC Player of the Year in 1973 as a sophomore. During the 1973 season, Collins established personal bests with 1,213 rushing yards, 13 TDs and 80 points scored – leading the SEC in all three categories. He enjoyed a career day against Mississippi State that year, totaling 229 yards and four touchdowns. A three-time All-America and four-time All-SEC selection, Collins was chosen with the eighth pick of the 2nd Round by the Atlanta Falcons in the 1976 NFL Draft. He played one season for the Falcons before suffering a career-ending knee injury, rushing for a career high 107 yards against San Francisco. Collins’ jersey was retired by UK in 1991, and he was inducted into the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2005 he was a member of the Charter Class inducted into UK’s newly formed Athletic Hall of Fame.
Mike Fields (Contributor) – Fields has dedicated the last 38 years to covering high school sports in Kentucky, the last 33 of which have been spent at the Lexington Herald-Leader. A committed journalist, Fields recognizes the accomplishments of young men and women on and off the field. He’s dedicated his career to giving recognition to the Youth of the Commonwealth, spending countless hours at sporting events across Kentucky. Raised in Bardstown, Fields attended St. Joe Prep for three years until its closing, and graduated from Bardstown High School in 1969, where he played baseball. He graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, and began his career in Florida, writing for the Eustis News and Lake City Reporter. He joined the Henderson (Ky.) Gleaner in 1975 and then went to the Evansville (Ind.) Sunday Courier & Press in 1976, where he covered Kentucky high school sports. He returned to the Gleaner in 1978, before joining the staff of the Herald-Leader in February of 1980, where he continues to serve the outlet as the lead beat writer for high school sports. He was a charter member of the Kentucky School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1997 for his coverage of the sport.
Ukari Figgs (Scott County, 1995) – One of the best girls’ basketball players to come out of Kentucky, Figgs’ decorated career includes a KHSAA State Championship, an NCAA National Championship, and a WNBA Championship. Figgs was named Kentucky’s Miss Basketball as a senior in 1995 after leading Scott County to a state championship. A three-time All-District and All-Region selection, and a two-time All-State honoree, Figgs averaged 18.6 points, 7.1 assists, 6.4 rebounds and 4.3 steals per game as a senior. In the championship game of the 1995 KHSAA Girls’ Sweet 16®, Figgs delivered a 14-point, 11-assist double-double to lead Scott County to a 68-45 victory over Pulaski County. She totaled 33 assists during the 1995 state tournament, a mark which is second all-time in KHSAA history. Following her senior year, Figgs participated in the Kentucky vs. Indiana All-Star series. She went on to star at Purdue from 1995-99, leading the Boilermakers to an NCAA National Championship her senior season. The 5-foot-9 co-captain was named Most Outstanding Player at the 1999 Final Four after posting game highs of 24 points in the semifinal win over Louisiana Tech, and 18 points in the national championship game against Duke. She averaged 16.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists as a senior to earn First Team All-Big Ten honors, and All-America Honorable Mention accolades from the Associated Press and Kodak. She totaled 1,455 career points for the Boilermakers, and was inducted into Purdue’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007. Drafted in the 3rd Round of the 1999 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks, Figgs played five seasons in the WNBA, winning a WNBA Championship in 2001. She averaged 6.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists during her professional career before starting her post basketball career as an engineer at Toyota Motor Manufacturing in Georgetown. She now serves as Assistant Athletic Director for Women’s Basketball Operations at the University of Kentucky. She was inducted into the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004.
Don Frye (Monticello, 1960) – Frye scored 1,751 points during a standout prep career, helping lead Monticello to three trips to the KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16® and a 105-28 overall record. A three-time All-District and All-Region selection, Frye was ranked the No. 1 player in the state of Kentucky by the Courier-Journal and was listed as one of the Top 30 players in America by Scholastic Magazine in 1960. The 6-4 forward earned All-State Honorable Mention accolades as a sophomore, before receiving 2nd and 1st Team honors the following two seasons by averaging 20 points per game. Frye made 65 field goals and scored 160 points over Monticello’s three Sweet 16® appearances, numbers which rank 11th and 15th all-time in KHSAA state tournament history. Monticello was the state runner-up at the 1960 state tournament, falling 65-56 to Flaget in the state championship game at Freedom Hall. Frye scored a game-high 24 points against Flaget in the championship game and was named to the 1960 All-Tournament Team. He received a basketball scholarship to the University of Colorado, and transferred to Furman University for his final three seasons, where he was a starting player when the Paladins upset No. 4 Davidson. In 2006, Frye was inducted into the 12th Region Hall of Fame.
Derek Homer, Jr. (Fort Knox, 1997) – One of the most productive running backs in Kentucky high school football history, Homer ran for a then state-record 8,224 yards and totaled 112 touchdowns (3rd all-time) at Fort Knox from 1993-96. Named Kentucky’s Mr. Football in 1996, Homer also received the Frank Camp and Roy Kidd awards after compiling 3,003 yards (7th all-time) and 43 total touchdowns (41 rushing) for the Eagles as a senior. Homer helped lead Fort Knox to a Class 2A runner-up finish in 1996, as the Eagles fell to Breathitt County, 25-21, in the state championship game. A two-time First Team All-State selection, Homer scored 680 points in his career (5th all-time) and rushed for 110 touchdowns (2nd all-time), including a career-best seven TDs against Taylor County in 1996. Homer’s impact at Fort Knox was not limited to the gridiron, as he set several school records in track during his prep career. He currently sits 28th on the NFHS’ all-time list for rushing yards (he was 11th when he graduated from Fort Knox), despite the fact that he often sat out the fourth quarter (and sometimes the third) so as not to run up the score on opponents, and missed five games due to injury. He went on to be a four-year letterman at the University of Kentucky, where he was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team in 1997 and received a National Honor Society award in 1998. He signed with the Baltimore Ravens in February of 2002, and played professionally with NFL Europe’s Barcelona Dragons and the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. He went on to play with the Lexington Horsemen of the National Indoor Football League, and helped lead the team to an NIFL championship in 2004.
Barbara Ann Isaac (Official) – A pioneer in girls’ officiating in the 1970’s, Isaac was instrumental in leading the charge for equality for women in all facets of athletics. A star high school basketball player in her own right, Isaac helped lead Roanoke Catholic to the 1952 Virginia State Basketball Championship before embarking on a career in officiating. Isaac became a KHSAA official in 1970 and began to have an impact on social change by helping to put important legislation in action from the ACLU of Kentucky in regards to Title IX and the KHSAA. In 1974, new state legislation required girls high school basketball teams in all schools which sponsored a boys basketball team. Despite a pledge to actively recruit women’s officials, little had improved in the 12 years that followed as male officials outnumbered female officials 1,470 to 30. In March of 1986, attorney Teresa Ann Isaac filed suit against the KHSAA on behalf of four women referees, including her mother, Barbara Ann. Ultimately, a settlement was reached with an agreement for the Association to actively and aggressively recruit more female officials and ensure that local associations stepped up training programs across the state, while adding two women to the Board of Control to help guarantee a continued emphasis in these areas. Barbara Ann Isaac’s fight for gender equity and the end of gender discrimination helped open doors for women across the state in many areas, including officiating, coaching and athletic administration.
Brooke Marnitz (Paul Laurence Dunbar, 2003) – A versatile athlete, Marnitz was a standout performer in three sports at Paul Laurence Dunbar, while also lettering two years in soccer, highlighted by her efforts on the softball diamond where she was named Kentucky’s Miss Softball in 2003. Marnitz played softball and golf for six years each, and basketball for five seasons at Dunbar. She was twice named Regional Player of the Year in softball (2002-03), received All-Region and All-City honors in basketball her junior and senior years, and led the Lady Bulldogs’ golf team to a state championship in 2001 and a runner-up finish in 2003, while earning All-Region honors. She ended her softball career as the state’s all-time leader in career hits (301) and triples (33), while ranking third with 193 RBI. Marnitz still ranks in the state’s all-time top-15 in career hits, runs scored (225), triples, home runs (21), RBI, and batting average (.499). As a senior, Marnitz posted a .622 batting average, going 61-of-98 at the plate, helping her win the Wendy’s High School Heisman award. Marnitz played four seasons at the University of Kentucky (2004-07) where she hit .320 with 102 runs scored for her career, and ranks third all-time in UK history with 31 home runs and a .575 slugging percentage. As a senior in 2007, Marnitz enjoyed a career-best .399 batting average (4th all-time at UK) and set school records with 21 home runs, 61 RBI,137 total bases and an .895 slugging percentage (3rd all-time in SEC history) to earn Second Team All-SEC honors. Marnitz followed up her collegiate career by playing one season professionally with the Washington Glory in the National Pro Fastpitch League.
Russell Miracle (Bell County, 1961) – A multi-talented athlete at Bell County, Miracle was a two-time member of the All-State football team, led the Bobcats to a 13th Region basketball title, and was a leader on the track team. Miracle had never seen a football upon entering high school, but that didn’t stop him from earning All-State honors in 1960 and 1961. He started every football game from his freshman season on, playing halfback and defensive back for Bell County. As a junior, he led the state in scoring up until the last two games of the season. As a senior, he was selected to play in the Kentucky East/West All-Star game. He was recruited by Tennessee and Alabama, but chose to play football at the University of Kentucky. A three-year starter on the Bell County varsity basketball team, Miracle helped lead the Bobcats to a 13th Region Championship in 1960 and a berth in the KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16®. Bell County advanced to the second round as he scored 21 points in a win over Harrodsburg, and Miracle went on to earn All-State honors. A four-year letterman in track, Miracle competed in the 100, 200 and 440 yard dashes, as well as the mile relay. As a senior, he served as the acting coach when Bell County went to the Regional meet at Barbourville and helped several runners qualify for state, including himself. Miracle got involved in coaching the area’s youth when his playing days were over, and served as the analyst for Bell County football broadcasts on WRIL from 1985-2006.
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