Chris Briggs to Max Duffy to Sydney McLaughlin, what voters said about finishers 11-25
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2019 Herald-Leader Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year
Click here to read all of our stories and watch all of our videos unveiling the winner of the Lexington Herald-Leader’s 39th annual Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year award.
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What media members who cast votes for the 2019 Lexington Herald-Leader Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year award said about those who finished outside the top 10:
11. Chris Briggs
2019 claim to fame: Coached Georgetown College men’s basketball to NAIA Division I national title, the coach’s second (2013) at the school.
What voters said:
▪ “Coach Briggs has been amazing in continuing Georgetown’s tradition-rich hoops success.” — Jamie Vaught, KySportsStyle.com
▪ “Anytime you coach your team to a national title, you need to be mentioned as one of the top sports stories of the year.” — Ivan K. Rice, Bourbon County Citizen
▪ “National championships are challenging enough, but the NAIA Tournament — where you must win five games in either six or seven days — is the most difficult tournament in the country.” Rick Bentley, University of Pikeville radio play-by-play announcer
12. Mallory Comerford
2019 claim to fame: In her senior season, U of L swimming star won NCAA championships in the 100-meter freestyle and the 200-meter freestyle, the latter for a third straight year, and finished third in 50 freestyle.
What voters said:
▪ “(Comerford) capped off a fantastic career with a fantastic season.” — Gene Abell, Lexington Herald-Leader (retired)
▪ “Comerford’s complete domination of her events over the last few years is my reason for putting her on top of my ballot.” — Doug Ormay, ex-Bellarmine radio play-by-play announcer (retired)
13. Justin Thomas
2019 claim to fame: St. Xavier High School graduate won the PGA Tour’s CJ Cup at Nine Bridges in South Korea and finished third in the FedEx Cup Standings and eighth on the Tour money list ($5,013,084).
What voters said:
▪ “(Thomas) is not a lock for the top spot as he was two years ago (when he won the 2017 Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year Award), but still difficult to ignore another season as one of the top 10 golfers in the world.” — Kal Oakes, Georgetown News-Graphic
14. Dan McDonnell
2019 claim to fame: Coached U of L baseball (51-18) to College World Series for the fifth time and reached final four for first time.
What voters said:
▪ “If consistency is the mark of greatness, then Dan McDonnell deserves to be in the conversation. Year in, year out, he’s got the Cards ticketed for Omaha (site of the College World Series). Five College World Series trips are nothing to scoff at. Plus, if character counts, McDonnell gets extra credit. I want my sons playing for him.” — John Huang, Nolan Media Group
▪ “(McDonnell) continues to do great things at Louisville. Who says the schools not in the South can’t compete for a national title.” — Dennis George, The Kentucky Standard, Bardstown
15. Josh Allen
2019 claim to fame: Ex-UK star led NFL rookies in quarterback sacks (10.5), setting a Jacksonville Jaguars rookie mark, and was 14th overall in NFL.
What voters said:
▪ “Josh picked up where he left off and enjoyed a successful rookie season with the Jaguars. It’s no surprise and just proves what kind of player he truly is.” — Keith Taylor, Kentucky Today
▪ “Last year’s Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year just keeps on keeping on. In 2018, he made UK’s defense the most fun unit to watch on the field. Now, he’s doing that in the NFL, too.” — Joe Mathis, WHIR-AM 1230, Danville
16. Max Duffy
2019 claim to fame: Kentucky junior won the Ray Guy Award signifying the nation’s best punter after leading NCAA Division I football with a 48.1 yards per punt average.
What voters said:
▪ “Was a game-changer, and I predict his style will become the norm.” — Lee Cruse, WTVQ-TV, Lexington
17. Sydney McLaughlin
2019 claim to fame: In her first season as a track professional, ex-UK star won silver medals in the 400-meter hurdles at the World Championships and the U.S. Championships and won a World Championships gold medal as part of Team USA 4-by-400 relay.
What voters said:
▪ “(McLaughlin) had a world-champion year in track and field.” — Rufus Friday, Lexington Herald-Leader (retired)
▪ “Sydney is one of the premier professional track athletes in the world, and will soon be a world champion and world record holder in the 400 hurdles.” — Steve Cornelius, The Commonwealth Journal, Somerset
18. PJ Washington
2019 claim to fame: As UK sophomore, power forward led the Wildcats to a 30-7 record and the NCAA Tournament round of eight. Earned Third Team All-America honors from AP and three other entities.
What voters said:
▪ “Washington helped lead Kentucky to the Elite Eight while being in contention for SEC Player of the Year.” — Angelo Carriero, WLXG-AM 1300, Lexington
▪ “After deciding to forgo the NBA after his freshman season, Washington came back to UK in order to transform his game and become a lottery pick. He achieved both, and was the biggest piece to UK basketball’s Elite Eight puzzle.” — James Streble, Sea of Blue, WHBE-AM 680, Louisville
19. Montana Fouts
2019 claim to fame: Former East Carter High School softball star pitched Alabama to the Women’s College World Series and was named Second Team All-America by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.
What voters said:
▪ “I saw (Fouts) in person a couple of times. She is the real deal. Another milestone for her at Alabama.” — William Warfield, PrepSpin.com
▪ “Hardest-working pitcher that I have ever seen come through the Kentucky high school ranks.” — Jim McAlister, Corbin News Journal
20. Billy Hicks
2019 claim to fame: Longtime Scott County boys’ basketball coach retired as Kentucky’s all-time wins leader (1,013-287) after leading the Cardinals (35-4) to Sweet Sixteen runner-up finish.
What voters said:
▪ “(Hicks’) winning and character epitomizes the folklore of high school basketball in Kentucky. ... He was always a pleasure to cover and speak with at games.” — Jamey Johnson, WMDJ-FM 100.1, Martin
▪ “(Hicks) has been standing on the top of the heap for decades.” — Mike Cameron, WLXG-AM 1300, Lexington
21. Tanner Morgan
2019 claim to fame: Ryle High School product quarterbacked Minnesota to an 11-2 season that ended with a win over Auburn in the Outback Bowl.
What voters said:
▪ “The former Ryle quarterback ‘rowed the Golden Gophers’ boat’ to their best season in decades.” — Nick Roush, KentuckySportsRadio.com
▪ “(Morgan) just had a great season.” — Ed Peak, freelance sportswriter, Louisville
22. Philip Haywood
2019 claim to fame: Coached Belfry High School football (11-3) to 3A state title, the coach’s seventh at the school. The all-time wins leader in Kentucky high school football ended 2019 with 449 career victories.
What voters said:
▪ “(Haywood is) a high school coaching legend in Kentucky. Remarkable.” — Keith Taylor, Kentucky Today
▪ “(Haywood) is a legend, not only in Eastern Kentucky, but the entire state of Kentucky.” — Jamie Vaught, KySportsStyle.com
23. Travis Hudson
2019 claim to fame: Coached Western Kentucky volleyball (32-3) to NCAA Tournament second round, Conference-USA regular-season and tournament titles and a No. 19 national ranking.
What voters said:
▪ “(Hudson was) already cemented as the face of WKU volleyball. This season may have made a case to put his name in the Diddle Arena rafters.” — Michael Compton, The Bowling Green Daily News
▪ “Once he is retired, Travis Hudson deserves to have his name written on a rafter or wall somewhere inside the E.A. Diddle Arena or even have a statue outside the arena. Hudson had built Western Kentucky volleyball into a nationally recognized program that consistently wins 20-plus games and championships every season. ... What he and his team were able to accomplish in 2019 was absolutely amazing and won’t soon be forgotten.” — Tyler Mansfield, InsideHilltopperSports.com, Bowling Green
24. Donovan Mitchell
2019 claim to fame: The ex-U of L men’s basketball star averaged 23.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg and 4.2 assists while leading the Utah Jazz (50-32) to the NBA Western Conference Playoffs.
▪ What voters said: There were no voter comments on Mitchell in 2019.
25. Morgan Hentz
2019 claim to fame: Notre Dame Academy alumna led Stanford to NCAA women’s volleyball national title for second straight year and third time in four seasons. Named First Team All-America libero for third time by American Volleyball Coaches Association.
What voters said:
▪ “(Hentz was) the glue that held together a dynasty for Stanford volleyball.” — Kal Oakes, Georgetown News-Graphic
Below are comments about some who received first-place votes but finished outside the Top 25:
Jeff Walz
2019 claim to fame: Coached Louisville women’s basketball team (32-4) to share of ACC regular-season title and the NCAA Tournament round of eight. Coached Team USA to gold medal in FIBA Under-19 Gold Cup.
What voters said:
▪ “(Walz) had a great year with the Lady Cards, plus his accomplishments with Team USA.” — Ron Bailey, The Ledger-Independent, Maysville
Madison Temple
2019 claim to fame: Thomas More women’s basketball star led the Saints to an undefeated (33-0) NCAA Division III national title and was unanimous D-III National Player of the Year and winner of both the Jostens Trophy (all-around excellence) and the Honda Cup Award (outstanding female athlete in D-III).
What voters said:
▪ “Hard to beat perfection (undefeated national champion, unanimous National Player of the Year), not to mention being named D-III’s all-sport Woman Athlete of the Year.” — Brad Laux, 1016Sports.com
▪ “Going undefeated in basketball is next to impossible; the Thomas More star not only led her team to an undefeated national title, she won every award in the process.” — Daniel Hopkins, WRNZ-FM 105.1, Lancaster/Danville
Jim Matney
2019 claim to fame: Coached Johnson Central (15-0) to 21-20 upset of favored Boyle County to win 4A state football championship, the coach’s second at the school.
What voters said:
▪ “What a tremendous response the Golden Eagles made to rather unfortunate comments from two Boyle County adults in the lead-up to the Class 4A state final. If you haven’t seen Matney’s video response the next day, do yourself a favor and find it on Twitter.
▪ “Matney is unpopular with certain opposing communities because of his occasional disregard for convention and because he unabashedly puts his own players and program first, regardless of how others perceive it — but there is no greater advocate for Appalachia and its young people.” — Zack Klemme, Ashland Daily Independent
Savannah Wheeler
2019 claim to fame: The ex-Boyd County star was chosen 2019 Miss Basketball after leading the state in scoring (29.6 ppg) and leading Boyd (28-5) to the Sweet Sixteen.
What voters said:
▪ “(Wheeler) essentially put the entirety of Boyd County on her back. It cannot be overstated how much high school basketball stars in Appalachia mean to the community they come from, and she provided a generational example to follow by winning the Miss Basketball Award and leading the Lady Lions to three straight state tournaments.” — Zack Klemme, Ashland Daily Independent
David Barnes
2019 claim to fame: Longtime Caldwell County football coach died in August at age 59 after going 110-50 in 13 seasons, including a state runner-up finish in Class 2A in 2012.
What voters said:
▪ “In three-plus years covering high school sports in Western Kentucky, I can count on one hand the number of people — adults and kids combined — who were as kind, genuine and selfless as David Barnes. He was truly in a league of his own.
“Anyone who knew him could tell you, off the top of their head, several instances in which Barnes made them feel like what they were doing held a special purpose, like God put them there in that moment for a very specific reason. We’re all a little worse off now that he’s not here, but his impact isn’t something that just goes away. It endures.” — Al Willman, The Paducah Sun
This story was originally published January 28, 2020 at 9:17 AM.
