The Top 10: John Schlarman prevails in battle with Rhyne Howard and Anthony Davis
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2020 Herald-Leader Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year
Click here to read all of our stories and watch our video unveiling the winner of the Lexington Herald-Leader’s 40th annual Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year award.
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The top 10 finishers in voting for the 2020 Lexington Herald-Leader Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year award:
Did you know? Long before the University of Kentucky assistant football coach built one of the nation’s top offensive lines for 2020 while also battling the cancer that took his life, Schlarman’s coaching roots were in high school football. As a head man, he went 8-12 at Campbell County (2003 and ‘04), then 19-6 at Newport (2005 and ‘06).
What the voters said:
1. “Besides the fact that his fingerprints have been all over the Big Blue Wall since the arrival of Mark Stoops, John Schlarman showed what it’s like to keep fighting, keep competing, no matter what the odds.” — Dick Gabriel, WLAP-AM 630
2. “Schlarman’s battle with cancer was courageous and inspiring to so many — on and off the field.” — Larry Vaught, VaughtsViews.com, Danville
Sports Figure factoid: With Schlarman’s victory following the wins by Lynn Bowden (2019) and Josh Allen (2018), UK football is the first team in the 40-year history of the Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year award to produce winners in three straight years.
Did you know? En route to winning 2019-20 SEC Player of the Year honors and being named a First-Team AP All-American, the UK women’s basketball star finished second in the nation in scoring (23.4 points). The only player with a higher scoring average than Howard? It was Rider guard Stella Johnson (24.8).
What the voters said:
1. “UK’s latest basketball sensation isn’t found on John Calipari’s men’s team — Howard is becoming one of the best to ever lace them up for the UK women.” — Steve Moss, WKYT-TV
2. “Rhyne is one of those players who come along that make an impression early and just keep on improving — a special talent who will continue to add to her legacy.” — Keith Taylor, KentuckyToday.com
Sports Figure factiod: Ninth in 2019, Howard is the fourth UK women’s basketball player to crack the Top 10 twice: Valerie Still (second in 1982, 10th in 1983), Victoria Dunlap (fourth in 2010, sixth in 2011) and A’dia Mathies (10th in 2012, eighth in 2013).
Did you know? When the ex-Kentucky star helped the Los Angeles Lakers win the 2020 NBA title, he joined an elite fraternity. Having both won an NCAA title at UK and an Olympic gold medal with Team USA in 2012, Davis joins Clyde Lovellette, Bill Russell, K.C. Jones, Jerry Lucas, Quinn Buckner, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan on the list of players to have won NCAA, NBA and Olympics championships.
What the voters said:
1. “No A.D., no Lakers’ NBA title. Simple as that.” — Terry Meiners, WHAS-AM 840, Louisville
2. “(His) buzzer-beater against my Nuggets still stings, but he added to his ring collection by showing he’s one of the best in the game.” — Kent Taylor, WAVE-TV, Louisville
Sports Figure factoid: This is Davis’s third Top 10 finish — first (2012) and fourth (2014).
Did you know? When the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher and former Henry Clay High School star struck out 10 Tampa Bay Rays in L.A.’s 6-2 win in Game 3 of the World Series, it was the first time in World Series history that a pitcher reached double-digit strikeouts in only six innings.
What the voters said:
1. “Who among us didn’t wile away Kentucky summers in the backyard dreaming of pitching in the World Series? … Walker Buehler is living that dream, and has a World Series ring to prove it.” — Darrell Bird, The Cats’ Pause
2. “An ace on the mound who followed in the footsteps of Kentuckians John Shelby, Lou Johnson and Pee Wee Reese to win a World Series with the Dodgers.” — Keith Farmer, WLEX-TV
Sports Figure factoid: Ninth in the 2018 voting and fourth last year, Buehler has finished in the Top 10 three years in a row.
Did you know? The 15th and final state title team Beatty — who has announced his retirement — coached at Trinity allowed only 48 points all season and shut out its final three opponents in the Class 6A playoffs.
What the voters said:
1. “(Beatty’s) teams won 15 state titles in 21 years; we simply will never see that kind of coaching dominance ever again.” — Jody Demling, CardinalAuthority.com, Louisville
2. “Beatty did something that two decades ago seemed unfathomable: He turned a Kentucky high school football program into a national powerhouse.” — Mike Rutherford, CardChronicle.com, Louisville
Sports Figure factoid: Beatty is one of only three high school coaches ever to crack the top five in voting — Clay County boys’ basketball coach Bobby Keith was fifth in 1987 and Bourbon County football coach Dudley Hilton was third in 1997.
Did you know? While maintaining a 4.0 GPA majoring in kinesiology, Seidt won four SEC swimming championships in her storied University of Kentucky career and became the first UK athlete recognized as NCAA Woman of the Year.
What the voters said:
1. “Swimmers aren’t in the spotlight often, but Seidt was named NCAA Woman of the Year and SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2020, incredible accomplishments that deserve mention.” — Tyler Thompson, KentuckySportsRadio.com
2. “Asia Seidt may not be a household name, but her accomplishments as a student-athlete are second to none.” — Lee K. Howard, WKYT-TV
Sports Figure factoid: Seidt’s sixth-place finish ties Megan Kleine (sixth in 1992) and Kelsi Worrell (sixth in 2016) for the third-best by a swimmer. Mary T. Meagher achieved the top-two finishes, first in 1984 and second in 1981.
Did you know? The former Murray State star won 99 of 100 first-place votes for 2019-20 NBA Rookie of the Year after his dazzling debut with the Memphis Grizzlies. The one vote he didn’t get, from Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, went to Zion Williamson.
What the voters said:
1. “Ja Morant not only sent the league into a frenzy with his play but he, along with fellow rookie Zion Williamson, also helped send the basketball card market into a frenzy, too, as collectors flocked to stores looking for their rookie cards.” — Joe Mathis, WHIR-AM 1230, Danville
2. “(Morant went) from an under-recruited three-star out of South Carolina to NBA Rookie of the Year in just a few years. Remarkable.” — Evan Dennison, The Ledger Independent, Maysville
Sports Figure factoid: Third in 2019 Sports Figure voting, Morant now has back-to-back Top 10s.
Did you know? After achieving three PGA Tour victories in 2020, the former St. Xavier High School star joined Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only players ever with 13 career Tour wins by age 27 years, three months and four days.
What the voters said:
1. “The greatest male golfer who’s a native Kentuckian added to his glowing list of victories and money earned.” — Billy Reed, Northern Kentucky Tribune
2. “I don’t think we will ever see a better golfer from Kentucky than (Thomas). A rising star who will continue to be a dominant force in pro golf.” — Jamie Vaught, KySportsStyle.com
Sports Figure factoid: This is Thomas’ first Top 10 finish since winning in 2017.
Did you know? Jackson led the Baltimore Ravens to an 11-5 record while doing something no other NFL quarterback has ever done. After running for 1,206 yards in 2019, the former Louisville star ran for 1,005 yards in 2020. That made Jackson the first QB in NFL history to have back-to-back 1,000 yards-plus rushing seasons.
What the voters said:
1. “His stats were not the only thing that (Jackson) accomplished. His leadership during trying times stood out.” — Ron Bailey, The Ledger Independent, Maysville
2. “With multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons as a quarterback, Jackson has solidified himself as not only a premier dual-threat quarterback but one of the better quarterbacks in the league.” — Tyler Dixon, The Owensboro Times
Making Sports Figure history: Jackson now has four Top 10s — first in 2016 and second in both 2017 and ‘19.
Did you know? After winning the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs and the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland, the Bob Baffert-trained 3-year-old joined American Pharoah (2015) and Alysheba (1987 Derby, 1988 Classic at Churchill) as horses to win both the Derby and the Classic in the state of Kentucky.
What the voters said:
1. “Completed the rare Kentucky Derby-Breeders’ Cup Classic (sweep) in front-running style.” — Brian Zipse, HorseRacingNation.com, Louisville
2. “This horse was always a threat to win. … A memorable horse on the big stage.” — Andrew Chernoff, WLKY-TV, Louisville
Sports Figure factoid: Authentic is only the ninth horse in 40 years to finish in the Top 10.
This story was originally published January 26, 2021 at 9:30 AM.
