10/31/19 – Dawahares/KHSAA Hall Of Fame Class Of 2020 Inductees Announced

October 31, 2019 2019-2020 News Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 31, 2019

The Kentucky High School Athletic Association will induct its Class of 2020 into the Dawahares/KHSAA Hall of Fame presented by Roberts Insurance on Saturday, May 30, 2020, at the Embassy Suites Lexington. This year’s 12-member class will be the 33rd inducted into the Dawahares/KHSAA Hall of Fame, and consists of former high school coaches, athletes, officials, administrators, and contributors. The Class of 2020 will also be recognized during the semifinals of the 2020 Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16®. The induction of the 12-member Class of 2020 will bring the total number of honorees in the Hall of Fame to 491.

Nominations for the Dawahares/KHSAA Hall of Fame are always welcome and can be submitted by filling out the online form available at http://bit.ly/2K6vrUX.

CHARLIE ADKINS (Coach / Paintsville) – Charlie Adkins coached baseball in the 15th Region for 34 years, amassing a career record of 805-293 with 20 district and 14 region titles, along with a state runner-up finish and one state championship. Adkins began coaching at Johnson Central in 1969 before moving on to Paintsville, where he spent the next 33 years. He guided the Tigers to five semifinal appearances in the KHSAA State Baseball Tournament, finishing as runner-up in 1989 after falling to Lafayette, 11-4, in the championship game. The Tigers bounced back the following year and defeated Tates Creek, 10-4, at UK’s Shively Field to capture the school’s first baseball state championship in 1990.

GREG BUCKNER (Athlete / University Heights) – Greg Buckner helped University Heights to the 1992 KHSAA Boys’ Sweet Sixteen® State Championship before a stellar four years at Clemson University led to a 10-year NBA career. As a sophomore, Buckner chipped in nine points in the championship game of the Boys’ Sweet Sixteen® to help the Blazers defeat Lexington Catholic, 59-57, at Freedom Hall. He earned First Team All-State honors as a senior after averaging 21 points, eight rebounds and four assists per game. Buckner went on to star at Clemson from 1994-98, where he played in 122-consecutive games and led the Tigers in scoring all four years. The 1995 ACC Rookie of the Year, Buckner finished fourth in career points scored at Clemson. He was drafted in the 2nd Round of the 1998 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks and spent 10 years in the league, ending his professional career with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2008-09. He was inducted into the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.

DONNIS BUTCHER (Athlete / Meade Memorial) – A five-year letterman at Meade Memorial from 1951-55, Donnis Butcher scored 2,400 career points on his way to earning three All-District and two All-Region honors, along with 1st Team All-State accolades in 1955. Meade Memorial won a pair of 59th District Championships during his career and enjoyed a perfect 27-0 record in 1955 before losing in the 15th Region finals. Butcher went on to star at Pikeville College, scoring 2,073 career points before being selected in the 7th Round of the 1961 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks. He played two seasons for the Knicks and two seasons for the Detroit Pistons, scoring 1,696 points with 821 rebounds and 585 assists over 279 career NBA games. He was named head coach of the Pistons on March 8, 1967, and compiled a career record of 52-60 as head coach. Butcher, who went on to enjoy a long career with Converse, was inducted into the Pikeville College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989.

JOEY COUCH (Athlete / Paintsville) – An outstanding multi-sport student-athlete at Paintsville, Joey Couch was a four-year starter for the football team on both offense and defense, and a four-year starter on the basketball team for head coach Bill Mike Runyon. On the gridiron, Couch totaled over 2,000 rushing yards with close to 40 touchdowns, while making 300 solo tackles. His efforts helped head coach Walter Brugh’s squad to an appearance in the 1985 1A State Championship Game, where the Tigers suffered a 14-6 loss to Crittenden County at Cardinal Stadium. On the hardwood, Couch was part of a phenomenal run that saw Paintsville make three-consecutive trips to the Boys’ Sweet Sixteen® by winning three-straight 15th Region titles. The Tigers advanced to the semifinals at the 1987 Sweet 16® before falling to Ballard, 61-54, with Couch earning a spot on the All-Tournament Team. He scored 2,034 points during his basketball career while grabbing 1,024 rebounds. He became the first player in Kentucky history to play in both the Kentucky vs. Indiana All-Star Basketball and Football games, with Couch earning defensive MVP honors in football. He went on to play football at the University of Kentucky, where he was selected as defensive captain as a senior while earning All-SEC and pre-season All-America accolades and finished his career with the second-most tackles by a noseguard in school history.

GARY DEARBORN (Contributor / Harrison County & Pendleton County) – A longtime educator, Gary Dearborn spent 24 of his 38 years in the 10th Region as an administrator working with athletics. A strong advocate for gender equity, Dearborn initiated changes at Harrison County to bring girls’ athletics on par with the boys’ programs. He was one of the first in the state to establish equal pay stipends for girls’ and boys’ coaches and insisted that both programs were equitable in terms of uniforms, prime date scheduling, facility usage, and locker room assignments. In 1998, he volunteered Harrison County HS to be the site of the first KHSAA Title IX Audit. His changes in district policy were commended by the committee and other schools replicated the procedures in their own districts. A former President and two-term member of the KHSAA Board of Control, Dearborn chaired the Board’s statewide basketball realignment committee, guiding a task that had not been reviewed in 37 years. In 2014, Dearborn was inducted into the 10th Region Basketball Hall of Fame.

SAM HARP (Coach / Danville) – One of the most successful football coaches in KHSAA history, Sam Harp guided Danville HS to seven KHSAA state football championships and 10 championship game appearances during his time with the Admirals. He finished his coaching career with a record of 326-106, which ranked fifth all-time when he retired in 2012. Harp led the Admirals to 27-consecutive playoff appearances, with 19 district and 16 region championships, while compiling an 82-21 record in the postseason. Danville captured its first state title under Harp’s watch in 1989, as the Admirals defeated Mayfield, 7-3, at Cardinal Stadium. From 1991-93, the Admirals put together a 42-game win streak, a run which included two more 2A State titles in 1991 and 1992, with both championships coming over Mayfield. A five-time Kentucky Coach of the Year honoree, Harp was a two-time finalist for National Coach of the Year honors and one of the founders of the Kentucky Football Coaches Association. He was previously inducted into the Hall of Fame at both Danville and Franklin County High School.

ROBERT JOE “BOBBY” LYNCH (Athlete / Ashland Blazer) – A three-sport athlete at Ashland Blazer, Bob Lynch helped lead the Tomcats to three-consecutive KHSAA State Baseball Championships and ended his pitching career with a sterling 27-2 record. As a sophomore in 1966, Lynch threw a four-hit complete game in the state title game as Ashland defeated Shelby County, 2-1, and capped off a perfect 25-0 season. He compiled a 10-2 record the following year, with both of his losses coming by a 1-0 final score, and won two games in the state tournament to help the Tomcats repeat as state champions, capped off by a 7-2 victory over Fort Knox in the title game. Lynch posted a perfect 11-0 mark as a senior and recorded two victories in the state tournament, including the 1-0, 10-inning victory over Southern in the state championship game, as the Tomcats completed their three-peat. He went 5-0 across six appearances during those three state tournaments, with a 0.00 earned run average (allowing only two unearned runs) with 42 strikeouts against four walks over 30 innings pitched. A two-time player of the year in Kentucky, he ended his baseball career with a 27-2 record and a 0.42 ERA. On the hardwood, Lynch totaled 1,277 points from 1966-1968 and helped the Tomcats to a 16th Region Championship and a spot in the Boys’ Sweet 16® in 1966. In Track and Field, Lynch contributed to a record-setting performance for the regional champion 880-relay team and a fourth-place finish at the state meet. He went on to play at the University of Alabama, where he lettered in baseball and was a three-year letterman on the basketball team (1969-72).

SHARAE MANSFIELD (Athlete / DuPont Manual) – The 1997 Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Kentucky, ShaRae Mansfield averaged 18 points per game as a senior to lead DuPont Manual to a 26-3 record while receiving Third Team All-America accolades from Parade Magazine. A preseason Second Team All-America selection by Street & Smith in 1996, Mansfield helped the Lady Crimsons to a runner-up finish in the 7th region as a junior by averaging 20.1 points and 11.5 rebounds with 145 blocks en route to her first of two-straight All-State nods from the Louisville Courier-Journal. She went on to play at Western Kentucky University, where she helped lead the Lady Toppers to 88 victories during her four seasons (1997-01), including NCAA Tournament appearances in 1998 and 2000. Mansfield totaled 1,804 points and 1,000 rebounds during her collegiate career, making her just the second player in program history to top 1,000 in both categories. She was selected by the Houston Comets in the 3rd Round of the 2001 WNBA Draft and transitioned to coaching after injuries slowed her professional career. In 2007, Mansfield was inducted into the DuPont Manual Hall of Fame.

BART RISON (Coach & Official / Montgomery County) – Bart Rison amassed nearly 900 wins across 40 seasons as a head coach in boys’ basketball and softball, totaling 20 district and eight regional championships. As a basketball coach, Rison compiled a 505-269 overall record, with 12 District titles, five Regional runner-up finishes and one Regional Championship, which was the first-ever for Montgomery County. The Indians put together 13 20-win seasons under Rison’s watch and made the school’s first appearance in the Boys’ Sweet 16® in 1995 following a 99-92 victory over Mason County in the 10th Region Championship game. Montgomery County advanced to the quarterfinals of the Sweet 16® with a 78-71 overtime victory against Paintsville before falling to eventual state runner-up Pleasure Ridge Park. A two-time KABC 10th Region Coach of the Year (1995 and 2002), Rison got his start in coaching at Estill County in 1981 where he went 81-59 across five seasons before moving on to Montgomery County. On the softball diamond, Rison guided Montgomery County to 387 wins against 137 losses across 14 seasons, with eight District titles and seven Region championships and was a finalist for the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Coach of the Year award in 2016. A highly regarded official, Rison began umpiring baseball games in 1983. He is a member of numerous Hall of Fames including the Kentucky HS Baseball Coaches Association (as an umpire), 10th Region Basketball Coaches Association, NHSACA, KY Fast Pitch and the Central Kentucky Umpire Association.

CHRISSY ROBERTS (Athlete / Eminence) – Chrissy Roberts rewrote the girls’ basketball record book at Eminence High School during her playing days, earning First Team All-State and All-America accolades while leading the school to its first and only district title. She was picked to play in the Kentucky-Indiana All-Star Game and received a full ride to the University of Kentucky. After two years at UK, Roberts transferred to Eastern Kentucky, where she led the Lady Colonels to two OVC regular-season titles, an OVC Tournament title, and a berth in the NCAA and WNIT Tournaments. As a junior in 1996-97, she led the nation in three-point shooting at 48.8 percent, winning both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Edward S. Steitz Award and the AT&T Long Distance Award. Roberts averaged 15.2 points per game and shot 45.9 percent from three-point range as a senior the following season to garner OVC Player of the Year honors and Kodak All-America Honorable Mention accolades. Roberts transitioned to coaching after her playing career ended, and spent 11 seasons as EKU’s head coach (2008-19). She was inducted into the EKU Athletics HOF in 2007.

BOB STACEY (Coach & Official / Boyd County) – A longtime track & field and cross country coach at Boyd County HS, Bob Stacey guided the Lady Lions to 25 regional championships, two cross country state runner-up finishes, and one 3A girls’ track and field state title from 1975-2000. The Lady Lions’ track and field program produced 13 team and 62 individual region championships under Stacey’s watch, with 12 individual and relay state titles and one girls’ 3A Team State Championship in 1980. His Boyd County cross country teams produced 12 team and 15 individual regional championships, with two state runner-up team finishes (1983 and 1986) and one individual 3A state title courtesy of Paula Kelly in 1987. Stacey was named KTCCCA girls’ cross country Coach of the Year in 1983 and received KHSCA girls’ track & field Coach of the Year accolades in 1980 and 1986. Stacey served as an assistant track/cross country coach at Morehead State for four years (2000-04) before returning to the high school ranks as head track and field coach at Fairview (2005-06, 2013) where he added one regional team title and five individual Class A state championships. In addition to coaching, Stacey has been an official in track and cross country for more than 40 years, mentoring many young track officials along the way. He was inducted into the KTCCA Hall of Fame in 1991 and is also a member of the Hall of Fame for both Fairview HS and Boyd County Girls’ Track.

ADRIANE DIAMOND TRAVIS (Athlete / Marshall County) – A seven-time individual 3A track and field state champion at Marshall County HS, Adriane Diamond Travis captured four-straight state titles in the 400 meters to go along with three state championships in the 200 meters. Diamond Travis claimed the state title in both the 200 and 400 meters at the 1980 and 1981 3A State Meet. She picked up her third-straight state title in the 400 meters as a junior in 1982 but was bested in the 200 meters. She closed out her prep career by taking both titles at the 1983 3A State Meet and won the 400 meters in a state-record time of 55.50 seconds – a mark that stood until 2013. She went on to compete at Indiana University where she was a three-time All-American and totaled 17 Big Ten individual and relay championships in both indoor and outdoor track. During the 1985-86 season, Diamond Travis was a part of Indiana’s indoor national championship relay team in the 4×440. In January of 1987, she posted a time of 1:10.18 in the 500 meters, which was the fastest time in the world at that point by a female. Following her senior season, Diamond Travis participated in the 1988 Olympic Trials. She was inducted into the KTCCA Hall of Fame in 2012 and is also a member of the Marshall County HS Hall of Fame.

For more information on the Hall of Fame, visit https://khsaa.org/special-programs/dawahareskhsaa-hall-of-fame/.

— 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 280 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.