06/11/22- Kopser, Gloyd Named 2021-22 Midway/KHSAA Student-Athletes of the Year

June 11, 2022 2021-2022 News Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JUNE 11, 2022

The 2021-22 Midway University/KHSAA Student-Athlete of the Year awards program culminated this week on the campus of Midway University, as Renae Kopser (Ryle) and Ben Gloyd (Mayfield) were recognized as the overall Student-Athletes of the Year.

Beginning in May of 2016, Midway University started presenting a Female Student-Athlete of the Year award at each KHSAA girls’ state championship event. The awards program was expanded in 2019-20 to include male student-athletes, with Midway honoring a deserving student-athlete in each of the 19 officially recognized KHSAA sports and sport-activities.

The awards are based on athletic and academic achievement as well as community service and leadership, with Midway choosing one overall male and female student-athlete of the year each academic year. School administrators, coaches and athletic directors nominate student-athletes online at KHSAA.org, and the nominees are voted upon by a closed panel consisting of representatives from Midway University.

2021-22 Midway University/KHSAA Student-Athlete of the Year Award Winners

• Archery: Erin Kendall (Bryan Station)
• Baseball: Ben Gloyd (Mayfield)
• Basketball: Presley Partin (Knox Central), Jackson Huff (Harlan County)
• Bass Fishing: Samantha Say (North Oldham), Andrew Wilson (Washington County)
• Bowling: Elisabeth Schwemmer (Elizabethtown), Charles Smith (Paul Laurence Dunbar)
• Competitive Cheer: Shannon Meade (Lexington Catholic)
• Cross Country: Claire Curtsinger (Bishop Brossart), Luke Cross (Murray)
• Dance: Reese Pohle (McCracken County)
• eSports: Ethan Slone (Betsy Layne)
• Field Hockey: Dylan Breier (duPont Manual)
• Football: Samuel Epplen (Covington Catholic)
• Golf: Abigail Sutherland (Sacred Heart), Rylan Wotherspoon (Cooper)
• Soccer: Mallory Glass (Sacred Heart), Daniel Karlen (Trinity [Louisville])
• Softball: Camdyn Meier (Villa Madonna)
• Swimming & Diving: Lainy Kruger (Notre Dame), Payton Crick (Muhlenberg County)
• Track & Field: Renae Kopser (Ryle), Matthew Buckle (Leslie County)
• Volleyball: Mackensie Walters (Hart County)
• Wrestling: Kylie Hudgins (Harrison County), Cole Thomas (Ryle)

* 2021-22 overall winners in bold

Midway University/KHSAA Student-Athlete of the Year Overall Winners

• 2016-17 – Brooke Forde (Swimming & Diving, Sacred Heart)
• 2017-18 – Sara Hieneman (Softball, Russell)
• 2018-19 – Maci Ferguson (Tennis, Russell)
• 2019-20 – Lee Ann Gordon (Field Hockey, Assumption); Michael Chou (Tennis, Trinity [Louisville])
• 2020-21 – Claire Lehmkuhler (Softball, Woodford County); Jackson Smallwood (Track & Field, Grant County)
• 2021-22 – Renae Kopser (Track & Field, Ryle); Ben Gloyd (Baseball, Mayfield)

– KHSAA –

About the Kentucky High School Athletic Association
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association was organized in 1917 and is the agency designated by the Kentucky Department of Education to manage high school athletics in the Commonwealth. The Association is a voluntary nonprofit 501(c)3 organization made up of 284 member schools both public and non-public. The KHSAA awards 215 state championships to 51 teams and 164 individuals in 13 sports and 6 sport-activities, funds catastrophic insurance coverage for its more than 106,000 rostered member school student-athletes, provides coaching education and sports safety programs for more than 12,000 coaches, and licenses and facilitates the distribution of training material for over 4,000 contest officials.