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Sports
UK Director of Athletics Mitch Barnhart has been named to the College Football Playoff Selection Committee for a threeyear term.
Barnhart was added to the selection committee along with Boo Corrigan, athletics director at North Carolina State; Texas AD Chris Del Conte; Will Shields, former All-America lineman at Nebraska; and Joe Taylor, longtime coach and current AD at Virginia Union.
In being named to the CFP Selection Committee, Barnhart adds to his leadership and impact in college athletics: • He is chairman of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee, which is responsible for the administration of the tournament in what is undoubtedly the most challenging year in the history of the event. His term on this committee expires following the 2021 tournament. • He is chairman of the of the Southeastern Conference Athletics
Directors, now in his fourth year in that role. • In his 19th year at Kentucky, he is the longest-termed AD in the Southeastern Conference and the second-longest among all Power 5 schools.
Barnhart has served on numerous other committees and boards for the NCAA and the National Association of College Directors of Athletics. Most notably he has worked on the NCAA Division I Council, been chairman of the NCAA Competition Oversight Committee and was a member of the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee. He was an original member of the SEC Network Content Committee, which was integral to the launch of the largest new cable channel in television history.
In 2019, Barnhart was named Athletic Director of Year by the Sports Business Journal. His legacy at UK includes helping develop administrators who have become athletics directors at nationally prominent universities, including Greg Byrne of Alabama, Mark Coyle at Minnesota, Rob Mullens at Oregon, Scott Stricklin at Florida, John Cohen at Mississippi State, Kevin Saal at Murray State and DeWayne Peevy at DePaul. ■
Mitch Barnhart
KENTUCKY FOOTBALL SIGNS 21 PLAYERS IN CLASS OF 2021
Kentucky, coming off a 5-6 season which included its third-straight bowl win, signed 21 players to the Class of 2021.
“The big storyline for this class is the state of Kentucky. You talk about the young men that we signed from the state. You have to credit the high school coaches and the programs for that. We do work extremely hard to keep the best talent at home.”
The signings further bolsters a class rated in the Top 40 nationally by ESPN and 247Sports and includes eight signees who have been rated as four- or five-star players by Rivals. Prospective student-athletes originally had until April 1, 2021, to sign national letters of intent but due to COVID-19, that has been extended to Aug. 1, 2021.
This year’s class: • Wilson Berry: Maribyrnong, Australia • Jager Burton: Lexington, Kentucky • Dekel Crowdus Jr: Lexington, Kentucky • Jordan Dingle: Bowling Green,
Kentucky • Justice Dingle: Bowling Green,
Kentucky • Jamarius Dinkins: Columbus, Ohio • Maxwell Hairston: West Bloomfield,
Michigan • Adrian Huey: Nashville, Tennessee • Christian Lewis: Pleasant Grove,
Alabama • Jordan Lovett: Radcliff, Kentucky • Chauncey Magwood: Leesburg,
Georgia • Wan’Dale Robinson: Frankfort,
Kentucky • Paul Rodriguez: Mason, Ohio • Devonte Ross: Cartersville, Georgia • Kahlil Saunders: Huntsville, Alabama • Kaiya Sheron: Somerset, Kentucky • Martez Thrower: Rochelle, Georgia • David Wohlabaugh: Stow, Ohio • La’Vell Wright: Radcliff, Kentucky
February Signees: • Luke Fulton: Youngstown, Ohio • Trevin Wallace: Jesup, Georgia ■
UK SWIMMING AND DIVING WINS FIRST SEC WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
For the first time in school history, the No. 3 University of Kentucky women’s swimming and diving team has won the Southeastern Conference Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships. The Wildcats broke five school records and produced 12 podium finishes throughout the meet, collecting 1,124 points for their highest score in program history.
Kentucky set itself up for success during the Saturday morning session after every single swimmer who competed in preliminaries earned a trip to that night’s finals, creating 20 scoring opportunities down the stretch. Fifteen swimmers earned a combined 16 personal records on Saturday, while 42 personal records were set throughout the meet.
“This championship means a lot,” said Head Coach Lars Jorgensen. “We’ve been building this over a few years now, and it’s about the people in front of us that helped build our program. The alumni from years past established it — our coaching staff, our administration. So many people had terrific effort this weekend. It was really fantastic. I couldn’t be more thrilled for our institution and for our girls. What a great moment.”
Kentucky set the pace early in finals, earning a 2-3 finish in the 200 backstroke.
Sophie Sorenson claimed the first individual podium finish at the SEC Championships in her career, collecting the silver medal in the event on a personal record 1:50.94. The time is the fourth fastest in UK history. Caitlin Brooks followed her pace, earning her second individual podium finish of the meet with a bronze medal after touching the wall in 1:51.96.
Following the opening event, two swimmers broke school records in the next two events.
Riley Gaines broke the school record in the 100 freestyle for the third time this season, doing so in 48.21 and earning sixth place overall in the conference. In the next race, Gillian Davey broke the school record in the 200 breaststroke on a time of 2:05.59. With that time, she also earned her second silver medal of the meet and met the 2021 NCAA Championships “A” time standard.
Two other swimmers stepped up in the 200 breaststroke to win the “B” final and the “C” final on personal records. Jaclyn Hill won the “B” final for ninth place on a time of 2:08.62, while Anna Havens Rice, a freshman, won the “C” final for 17th place on a time of 2:10.21.
In the final individual event of the meet, the 200 butterfly, Gaines brought home fourth place on a personal record 1:55.10, while Izzy Gati finished in seventh place in 1:56.00.
On the men’s diving side, Danny Zhang earned his second podium finish of the meet, collecting a silver medal in the men’s platform event on a score of 403.20. Chase Lane, competing in the final SEC Championships of his career, finished in fifth place overall on a score of 345.40. ■
No. 1 has new meaning for the UK women’s swimming and diving team as it wins its first SEC Women’s Championship.
A Big Blue Thanks Thank you to all of our new Life Members!*
Life Members are among our most loyal alumni and friends. We salute your commitment to strengthening UK’s alumni community and honor your dedication to the university’s past and future.
Robert Anzenberger Daniel Ariza Melissa Ariza Jill Beck Maurey Bond James David Centers II Kyle Childers Sharon Childers Margaret Chowning Spencer Coe Thomas Conway Wendy Coplen Margery Coulson-Clark Elizabeth Cox Bill Cutrer Tony L. Delk Mark Dempsey Paula Dempsey Karen Dewitt Evan K. Dick Rose Dillon-Norman Kristin Dubick Marc Dubick Charles Duncan Matthew Durham Michelle C. Feger Timothy A. Feger Wesley J. Flagler Wesley Flagler Joanna Gibbs Linda Gill Deborah A. Gona Adrian Gooch Lisa Q. Gothard Michael D. Gothard Dana Grube Samuel Hancock Michael A. Haunert Barry R. Hopkins Denise L. Hopkins Marcia Johnson Kathryn Jones Cynthia Kelly John Kelly Duane M. Kirking Scott Lay David Levy June Levy James McKenzie Virginia McKenzie Jane Meko Bradley Mitzelfelt Donald Moss Melody Moss Ronald Overfield Stephanie Parker Sara Paton Franklin D. Persinger Nikki J. Pritchett Palep R. Rao James Rollins Virginia Rollins Zach Rosenthal James Sharpe David Smith Eric Smith Josephine Smith Kathryn Smith Chris D. Stephens Rebecca Taha Jessica L. Tanner Clark Ulmer Edwina Watson Philip Westerman Thomas Wigginton Charles Wilson Nancy Wilson Charles Wolfe Marion Wood Susan Wood Edwina R. Zettler James J. Zettler
*New paid-in-full Life Members Oct. 1 – Dec. 31, 2020
