BBN

from TOPS in Lexington - July 2021

by TOPS Magazine

Editor’s Picks

Fantastic

Football... n y!by Larry Vaught photos courtesy of UK Athletics

Sometimes coaches might want to downplay how good they think a team could be. Vince Marrow is not that way. Instead, the Kentucky associate head coach/ recruiting coordinator is hyping the expectations for the 2021 Kentucky football team. “We have been to five straight bowls and won the last three,” said Marrow. “We are at the point in the program now where it is time to go to Atlanta [to play in the SEC championship game]. We should now be able to get Georgia [to win the SEC Eastern Division]. In 2018 we were in position, but were not ready for that moment. The way our roster is now, we are ready for that moment. I really do believe Kentucky football is at the point where there ain’t no jokes anymore. The days of jokes about Kentucky football are over.”

Kentucky has a lot of key returning pieces this year: — Running back Chris Rodriguez ran for a team-high 785 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. He scored on runs of 79 and 74 yards and ran for 480 yards and seven scores in UK’s last four games. No other SEC player with 50 or more rushing attempts averaged more than his 6.6 yards per attempts. — Offensive tackle Darian Kinnard earned AllAmerican honors last season and was graded as the nation’s best run-blocking tackle by Pro Football Focus. Luke Fortner also opted to take an extra year to give UK another stabilizing veteran. — Safety Yusuf Corner had 74 tackles in 2019 and came back with 77 last season. He also picked off two passes and had 2.5 tackles for loss and should be one of the SEC’s better defensive backs and playmakers this season.

— Josh Paschal is the inspirational leader of the defense. He had 32 tackles in 11 games, including 6.5 tackles for loss, last year and had his first career interception that he returned 76 yards. The defensive lineman missed most of the 2018 season due to skin cancer but is the player others follow because of his courage and tenacity.

The biggest “if” is at quarterback, where new offensive coordinator Liam Coen has three options: former Auburn transfer Joey Gatewood, redshirt freshman Beau Allen or recent Penn State transfer Will Levis. Gatewood and Allen both went through spring practice with Coen while Levis arrived on campus in June.

Kentucky had the SEC’s least-efficient passing game last season. UK has not averaged seven yards per pass the last two seasons, and Coen knows that must improve. Levis threw for 644 yards and three touchdowns last season and ran for 473 yards and six scores. He has more playing experience than Allen or Gatewood but less time in the offense.

Coen’s offense will be more a pro-style attack, and the quarterback will have two proven targets in Josh Ali — 54 catches for 473 yards and one score last year at UK — and transfer Wan’Dale Robinson — 91 catches for 914 yards and three scores and 134 rushes for 580 yards and four touchdowns in 18 games at Nebraska.

“We’ve got some big losses to the draft on both sides of the ball,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said. “But we have a lot of players that have just been waiting for a chance to show what they can do and a lot of players who have already proven what they can do.”

The one game that might define UK’s season could be the SEC opener on September 11th against visiting Missouri. Kentucky’s five-game win streak against the Tigers snapped in a 20-10 loss last season. To contend for the SEC East as Marrow believes UK will, this is a must-win.

“I really do believe Kentucky football is at the point where there ain’t no jokes anymore. The days of jokes about Kentucky football are over.” - Vince Marrow

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OUT + ABOUT

KATE WILLIAMS, VALERIE MARSHALL AND MOLLY CALDWELL AT THE UNITED WAY OF THE BLUEGRASS GOLF SCRAMBLE

SARAH LIM CLEMENTS BERKOWITZ, NANCI HOUSE AND LINDSAY HUGHES THURSTON AT COLEMAN CREST FARM

EVAN LONG, ISAAC J MYERS, GREGORY REPASS, DANIEL HACKETT AND TOM LEACH AT THE CHILDREN’S CHARITY CLASSIC LEADERSHIP LEXINGTON GRADUATING CLASS

JANE HEARN, DAVONNA SAIER AND BOBBIE LOWE AT ASHTON GROVE SENIOR LIVING’S 1-YEAR CELEBRATION MATT TRIBBLE, SUSAN NEIL, CRAIG ROBERTSON AND TOWNES RAWLS AT THE BARBASOL CHAMPIONSHIPS MEDIA DAY GOLF SCRAMBLE

Lexington VA: Proudly serving military women Veterans

The Lexington VA Health Care System supports women Veterans with programs designed with their needs in mind. VA provides training to equip VA providers and nurses to better support women Veterans’ long-term health and well-being. Unique needs and exposures that impact women, such as the burdens of deployment, physical demands of heavy gear, combat exposure, military sexual trauma, breast and cervical cancer are all apart of training. Programs, like Nutrition, Whole Health, and Maternity Care are provided to women under 50 with their needs in mind, while specific clinics, like the Women’s Health Clinic serve and coordinate the care of women of any age on any gender-specific issue. The Women’s Health Clinic also treats all women who served -- straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender -- and the LGBTQ+ program offers support and services to this specific community. The Lexington VA Health Care System also offer services for women who have experienced trauma through our Military Sexual Trauma (MST) program, and our Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) program, Suicide Prevention program and Mental Health Service. The VA Maternity Care Program helps support pregnant Veterans from the first positive pregnancy test through delivery and followup appointments. Prenatal educations, exams, tests, ultrasounds, and genetic tests are all covered. Other benefits pregnant Veterans receive include: nursing bras, breast pumps, and lactation consulting. Infants are also covered for 14 days following their birth.

The VA also provides infertility evaluation, management and treatment services to Veterans who are enrolled and are eligible for VA health care. Infertility services include infertility assessment and counseling, hormonal therapies, surgical correction, fertility medications and genetic counseling. Lexington VA patient and Army Veteran, Laura Sallee, is a Lexington VA success stories. Ms. Sallee and her husband, Korey Sallee, heard about the VA IVF program when it was first offered, and through care in the community program, she was able to stay with her OB/ GYN. The same doctor provided her IVF care, prenatal care and delivered her daughter. Laura, her husband and their 17-month old daughter, Ayn, are currently waiting for the arrival of their son / brother, Milton, due in October.

“We are very grateful for the VA to offer such a program for couples that are looking to have a child or expand their current familial situation,” Laura said. “Male or female Veterans having reproduction concerns: reach out to your VA primary care physician about this program!” The Lexington VA Health Care System serves all who served in the military and has a program or clinic to meet your specific health care needs. To discuss further or to find out how to enroll, call Jimalee Ross, Women Veterans Program coordinator, at 859-2813888 or email at Jimalee.Ross@va.gov.

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KET SUMMER CELEBRATION

Donamire Farm | June 12 ket.org Photos by Woody Phillips

DAWN BECKLEY, RALPH COLDIRON, SUSAN COLDIRON AND SONNY BECKLEY

ANN BAKHAUS, LARRY JONES AND DEBBIE JONES. JANA ALEXYOVA, CHRISTOPHER DEMMLER, ANDREA BLANCO, RAMONA THIEROFF AND FERHAT TUNA

BRANDON GREEN AND TABITHA HUSTON MELISSA HARMON, JEREMY HARMON, STUART BAIRD, SHAE BAIRD, ANNE BAIRD AND ROGER BAIRD

MICHELE RIPLEY, KIM PATTON, RENEE DIXON, BARRY STUMBO AND GREG DIXON DAWN LENZINI AND ANDY LENZINI

KHRISTY PARKS AND ELEANOR BARBOUR BRANT WELCH, ANNE WELCH, BEN KELLER, ALYSSA KELLER, SARAH ROWE AND BRYAN ROWE

RON TURNER, LINDA TURNER, JUDI STRONG, BILL STRONG, JUDY HOOKER AND RON HOOKER JACQUELINE PITTS AND LOGAN SELBY

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KET SUMMER CELEBRATION

Donamire Farm | June 12 ket.org Photos by Woody Phillips COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE RYAN QUARLES, DONNA MCCLURE AND GEORGE MASON

DOLORES HALL AND HOUSTON HALL NICOLE GRIFFITH, CRISTY SHARP AND MEREDITH TURK

CONNOR ROSE, DAN ROSE AND ELLIE ARNAOUDOVA SHAE HOPKINS, MIRA BALL, MELANIE SIMPSON AND MICHELE RIPLEY

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ALBERT COUTURE FASHION GALA

The Kentucky Castle | June 4 albertcouture.com Photos by Woody Phillips

GENTILLE NTAKARUTIMANA AND CHIMENE NTAKARUTIMANA TAMMIE CRAWFORD AND TONY CRAWFORD

ALBERT LUKONGA

DELIA ANGEL AND MAYRA BRENNER JENA GERARD AND GJ GERARD

JAYME JACKSON AND MARK FICHTNER

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GREENBRIER WHITE PARTY

Greenbrier Golf & Country Club | June 12 greenbriergcc.com Photos by Danny Pendleton DANA PEDDICORD, JENNIFER TINGLE, KELLY KARPINKSY, JAMI FRITTS, LEAH KERKHOFF, ELLEN YOUNG AND ANNY SYDNEY PARRISH