See the 92 people, 3 horses who received votes for 2023 Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year

READ MORE

---

2023 Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year

The Lexington Herald-Leader revealed the winner of its 43rd annual Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year award on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. Click below to read more about the winner of the 2023 honor, view the complete voting totals and see reaction from the media members who contributed to the balloting.

Expand All

He dethroned a ‘King.’ Travis Perry is the 2023 Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year.

Top 10: Reed Sheppard edges Juli Fulks, Lamar Jackson for 2nd in Ky. Sports Figure voting

See the 92 people, 3 horses who received votes for 2023 Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year

From Brad Cox to ZaKiyah Johnson, what Ky. Sports Figure voters said about finishers 11-25

Watch: Lexington Herald-Leader reveals 2023 Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year award winner

---

Final voting

One hundred thirty current and former media members from across Kentucky helped select the 2023 Lexington Herald-Leader Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year. Voters submitted up to 10 names. Points were awarded in the following manner: 12 for a first-place vote; 10 for second; eight for third; seven for fourth; six for fifth; five for sixth; four for seventh; three for eighth; two for ninth; one for 10th. First-place votes are in parentheses:

Others receiving first-place votes in order of total points received: Anna DeBeer, volleyball (1), 60; Mage, horse racing (1), 34; Jeremy Shope, baseball (1), 28; De’Aaron Fox, basketball (1), 16; Ashton Gillotte, football (1), 16; Will Levis, football (1), 12.

Others named on at least two ballots: Barion Brown, football, 55; Savannah DeMelo, soccer, 55; Deone Walker, football, 54; Carlie Thurmond, basketball, soccer, 53; Charlotte Crush, swimming, 50; Will Smith, baseball, 45; Aaron “Kiael” Waldon, boxing, 45; Ciara O’Shea, track & field, 44; Ben Rhodes, auto racing, 43; Craig Skinner, volleyball, 41; Haven Ford, basketball, 40;

Jeff Walz, basketball, 38; Preston Spradlin, basketball, 36; Masai Russell, track & field, 35; Trinity Beth, golf, 32; Jayden Boelter, soccer, 32; Kayla Kowalik, softball, 31; Dani Busboom Kelly, volleyball, 30; William Unseld, basketball, 30;

Jon Sumrall, football, 26; Lee Kiefer, fencing, 24; Levi Sandidge, swimming, 23; Erin Coffel, softball, 22; Grace Berger, basketball, 21; Cutter Boley, football, 20; Emma Grome, volleyball, 20; A.W. Hamilton, basketball, 19; Tyler Gaffalione, horse racing, 18; Caden Veltkamp, football, 18; Marques Warrick, basketball, 18; Cole Hodge, football, 17;

Jawhar Jordan, football, 16; Alexis Holmes, track & field, 14; Alan Jones, softball, 14; Jay Cobb, football, 12; Malachi Corley, football, 12; Brooklyn DeLeye, volleyball, 12; Kensley Feltner, basketball, 12; Hailey Van Lith, basketball, 12; J.P. Vaught, track & field, 12; Josh Wynder, soccer, 12; Donovan Mitchell, basketball, 11; Sage Dawson, football, 11; Beau Brown, track & field, 10;

Cedric Kauffman, tennis, 9; Raena Worley, gymnastics, 8; Paige Briggs, volleyball, 7; Chad Griffin, football, 7; Joe Morris, football, 7; Austin Reed, football, 6; White Abarrio, horse racing, 6; Gavin Wimsatt, football, 6; Darrin Horn, basketball, 5; Travis Hudson, volleyball, 5; Seth Livingston, wrestling, 5; Hunter Cantwell, football, 4; Sofia Ceccarello, rifle, 4; Liam Draxl, tennis, 4; Bill Shively, soccer, 4; Savannah Wheeler, basketball, 4; Katlynn Wilks, basketball, 4; Teigh Yeast, track & field, 4; Katelyn Young, basketball, 4; Darius Neal, football, 3.

Ballot leaders

Candidates included on the most ballots:

Voting by region

How the leaders fared in each region of the state (Eastern Kentucky is the 606 and 859 area codes outside of Lexington; Western Kentucky is the 502 and 270 area codes outside of Louisville)

Past winners

All-time results in Lexington Herald-Leader Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year Award voting:

Note: The award was known as Kentucky Sportsman of the Year from 1981-2015.

This story was originally published January 30, 2024 at 9:14 AM.

Mark Story

Lexington Herald-Leader

859-444-4731

Mark Story has worked in the Lexington Herald-Leader sports department since Aug. 27, 1990, and has been a Herald-Leader sports columnist since 2001. I have covered every Kentucky-Louisville football game since 1994, every UK-U of L basketball game but three since 1996-97 and every Kentucky Derby since 1994. Support my work with a digital subscription