Sydney McLaughlin to be honored in Lexington. Verne Lundquist, too
Former University of Kentucky track star Sydney McLaughlin and iconic CBS sportscaster Verne Lundquist highlight the 2019 winners of the Bluegrass Sports Awards.
McLaughlin, who won the outdoor 400-meter hurdles NCAA championship for UK as a freshman last year and then turned pro, will receive the Jim Host Youth Sports Award.
Lundquist, the former longtime play-by-play voice of Southeastern Conference football on CBS and the announcer who called the 1992 Duke-Kentucky NCAA Tournament classic, will receive the Tom Hammond Sports Media Award.
The awards, sponsored by the Bluegrass Sports Commission, will be presented at the eighth-annual Bluegrass Sports Awards Banquet Jan. 30, 2019, at the Lexington Convention Center’s Bluegrass Ballroom.
The winner of the 2018 Lexington Herald-Leader Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year Award will be revealed at the banquet as well.
Also being honored at the Bluegrass Sports Awards Banquet will be University of Kentucky radio play-by-play announcer Tom Leach, who will receive the Tom Hammond Kentucky Sports Media Award. WinStar Farm, part owner of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify, will receive the Jim Host Sports Business Award.
The Committee of 101, the volunteer organization whose members serve as ushers at major UK sporting events, will receive the Bobby Flynn Volunteer of the Year Award.
A New Jersey native, McLaughlin first rose to national prominence when she qualified for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team in the 400-meter hurdles as a high schooler.
“Sydney McLaughlin achieved more before the age of 17 than most do in a lifetime,” said Jim Host via a news release. “She was excellent at the University of Kentucky, the model for excellence in the track and field community, and an outstanding example for young people. Her achievements speak for themselves and I’m confident she will continue to make her mark on the world.”
Lundquist, 78, has provided the soundtrack to some of the most memorable moments in college sports history — as well as PGA Tour golf and other sports.
“For over fifty years, Verne Lundquist has been associated with many of the world’s premier sporting events,” Tom Hammond said. “His versatility is legendary, ably broadcasting a wide range of sports with some iconic calls that will live forever. His reputation as one of the world’s top sportscasters is exceeded only by his reputation as one of the real gentlemen in the (broadcasting) business.”
A 1979 graduate of Bourbon County High School, Leach became radio play-by-play voice of UK football in 1997 and added men’s basketball four years later.
“In the grand tradition of Claude Sullivan and Cawood Ledford, Tom Leach has continued the tradition of excellence as the voice of the Wildcats,” Hammond said.
WinStar Farm and owner Kenny Troutt claimed the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder of 2016 after leading all North American breeders with earnings of $10,516,427.
“Kenny Troutt and WinStar Farm are the gold standard in the horse racing industry. They routinely produce (Kentucky) Derby horses every year and this year they did it again with Triple Crown winner, Justify,” said Host.
Tickets to the Bluegrass Sports Award Banquet are $150 apiece, or $1,250 for a table of 10 and can be purchased by calling (859) 523-0009 or by visiting the website www.bluegrasssports.org.
Mark Story: (859) 231-3230; Twitter: @markcstory