The Courier-Journal (Louisville)

Olympic champs highlight UK’s HOF class

- Prince James Story

Kentucky's 2024 Hall of Fame inductees include Olympic and NCAA champions.

Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (20162018 track and field), John Cropp (administra­tor/coach), Henrik Larsen (2018 rifle), Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (2018 track and field), Jodie Meeks (2007-2009 men's basketball) and Corey Peters (2006-2009 football) recently were chosen.

The new Wildcats Hall of Famers will be inducted during Hall of Fame Weekend on Sept. 20-21.

Camacho-Quinn is the first athlete in Puerto Rico history to win two Olympic medals. She won gold in the 100-meter hurdles at the Tokyo Olympics and bronze at the Paris Olympics. At UK, she was a two-time NCAA champion in the 100 hurdles and was part of the 2017 4x100 relay team that finished first at the national meet. She holds the program record in the 100 hurdles.

Cropp worked in multiple roles in UK athletics during his 22-year tenure. One of his most prominent accomplish­ments was being a founding administra­tor for the Kentucky softball program in 1997. After he retired, the softball stadium was named after him in 2013.

Larsen won a gold medal in the smallbore competitio­n at the 2022 ISSF World Championsh­ips. In one year with the Wildcats, he won the 2018 NCAA air rifle individual national championsh­ip and set program records in smallbore, air rifle and aggregate. He was named the 2018 NCAA Shooter of the Year and NCAA Freshman of the Year.

McLaughlin-Levrone is a four-time Olympic gold medalist and holds the 400 hurdles world record. In one year at Kentucky, she was an NCAA champion in the 400 hurdles and broke the collegiate record (52.75 seconds). She was an SEC champion in the indoor 400 and outdoor 400 hurdles and 4x400 relay.

Meeks played on seven teams in 10 seasons in the NBA. He holds Kentucky's single-season record for 3-pointers made (117) and has the second-most points scored in a season (854).

Peters played 13 years in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals and Jacksonvil­le Jaguars. In his senior year at Kentucky, he recorded 56 tackles, including 12 for loss, and four sacks. He earned All-SEC first-team honors and was named UK's Outstandin­g Defensive Player.

Around the city: Louisville women's golf coach Whitney Young to be inducted into Kentucky Golf Hall of Fame

Louisville women's golf head coach Whitney Young will be inducted into the Class of 2024 Kentucky Golf Hall of Fame.

Young competed for Glasgow High School in the 1994 Kentucky State Championsh­ips as a fourth grader. At 13 years old, she became the youngest winner of the Kentucky Amateur in 1998. She also won the 1999 and 2000 titles.

She was a four-time AJGA Polo Golf All-American and represente­d the United States in the 2002 PING Junior Solheim Cup.

Young was a three-time National Golf Coaches Associatio­n All-American at Georgia and a four-time first-team AllSEC honoree.

Young started as an assistant coach with the Cardinals, but she has been the head coach for the last five years. Young has led the Cardinals to two regionals. In 2021, they hosted the regional for the first time in program history.

More informatio­n on the ceremony will be released later.

Around the state: ESPN's Jay Bilas giving September lecture at Bellarmine

ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas will give a lecture Sept. 6 at Bellarmine's Frazier Hall.

Bilas plans to discuss name, image and likeness activities in Division I sports, the transfer portal and the evolving landscape of college sports.

The lecture is scheduled to start at 4 p.m., and admission is free. Those who plan to attend are asked to register by Sept. 2 at the Wyatt Lecture registrati­on site.

High school recruiting: Trinity baseball player Colton Cravens commits to Northweste­rn

Trinity High School senior pitcher Colton Cravens recently announced his commitment to Northweste­rn.

As a junior, Cravens struck out 26 batters and recorded four wins with a 2.30 ERA in 24 1⁄3 innings.

Mark your calendars

● Racing Louisville FC will host Chicago Red Stars at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

● Louisville City FC will visit Hartford Athletic at 7 p.m. Saturday.

● The Louisville Bats will host the Gwinnett Stripers in a six-game series. Games begin at 6:35 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and at 7:15 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The last game of the series is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. Aug. 25.

● Louisville men's soccer will host Jacksonvil­le at 5 p.m. Thursday.

● Louisville women's soccer will host New Hampshire at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Then, the Cardinals will visit Northern Kentucky at 5 p.m. Aug. 25.

● Bellarmine men's soccer will host Evansville at 7 p.m. Thursday. Then, the Knights will visit Northern Kentucky at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 25.

● Bellarmine women's soccer will host Asbury at 3 p.m. Aug. 25.

Know of a story you think should be included in our weekly Starting 5 notebook? Send your idea to sports reporter Prince James Story at pstory@gannett.com for considerat­ion. You can follow him on X at @PrinceJSto­ry.

 ?? JOHN DAVID MERCER/USA TODAY SPORTS ?? Kentucky product Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone celebrates after winning the 400-meter hurdles final at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
JOHN DAVID MERCER/USA TODAY SPORTS Kentucky product Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone celebrates after winning the 400-meter hurdles final at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

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