21 Student-Athletes to be Inducted into Frank G. Ham Society of Character
LEXINGTON, Ky. – University of Kentucky Athletics will induct 21 student-athletes into the Frank G. Ham Society of Character tonight at a dinner prior to the Kentucky’s men’s basketball game against LSU.
The student-athletes will be recognized on the court at Rupp Arena at halftime of the basketball game.
The Society of Character annually honors Wildcats who have shown an extraordinary commitment to academic excellence, athletic participation, personal development, career preparation and serving as a role model. The SOC was founded during the 1998-99 school year and is named for Ham, a longtime UK administrator.
Past honorees and more on the Frank G. Ham Society of Character can be found online at TheKentuckyRoad.com.
The following is an alphabetized list of this year’s induction class and highlights of their accomplishments.
CAROLINE BENDA – WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
- Maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout undergrad finishing in three years and now is pursuing her Ph.D. in Integrated Biomedical Studies
- 2024 Open Water Championship, & Olympic Trials Qualifier where she finished 17th in the 400-meter IM
- 2023, 2024 SEC Academic Honor Roll & CSCAA Second Team Scholar All-America
- No. 4 in program history in 1000-yard freestyle as a distance specialist
MIA BOOKHARD – WOMEN’S SOCCER
- Two-year member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll
- Was named CSC Academic All-District in 2024
- Played in 21 matches in 2024 with 12 starts
- Scored two goals with one assist in 2024
ALLY BUESSELER – RIFLE
- Helped lead Kentucky to the 2022 NCAA Rifle National Championship with a clutch performance in air rifle
- Has performed well and led UK to NCAA Championships appearances all four seasons
- Majoring in elementary education and been named to honor roll and SEC Academic Honor Roll all four years
- Has been very active in the Lexington community during her time in Lexington
KAELAN DALY – WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
- 2023, 2024 SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll & CSC Academic All-District
- Earning bachelor’s degree in human health sciences on the Honors track
- Volunteers at a healthcare clinic and works towards cardiovascular device development in a research lab
- Plans to attend medical school after graduation
GRANT DARBYSHIRE – MEN’S BASKETBALL
- Two-time SEC Academic Team selection and member of the Dean’s List every semester
- NABC Honors Court honoree
- Social Entrepreneurship Pathway Scholar in Gatton College of Business and Economics
- Has 70 hours of community service work, while also serving as a member of SAAC
ELLIE EADES – WOMEN’S TENNIS
- Two-time Team Captain
- 2023 SEC Community Service Team & three-time SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll
- Two-time Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Scholar Athlete
- Has helped team to three NCAA Tournament appearances
ELLA EMMERT – SOFTBALL
- Voted as a team captain for back-to-back seasons
- 2022 SEC First-Year Honor Roll
- 2023 and 2024 SEC Academic Spring Honor Roll
- Two career hits, an extra base hit, three RBI and two runs scored in her career
AISLING FROST – STUNT
- Four-year member of the UK STUNT Team
- Member of back-to-back national runner-up teams
- Second-team All-American in 2024
- Voted Best Teammate by her peers in 2024
PATRICK HERRERA – BASEBALL
- Played in 28 games with 19 starts in 2024
- Huge bases-loaded double to help UK earn a series win at highly ranked Florida
- Two-year member of SEC Academic Honor Roll
- Three-time Dean’s List honoree
RYAN JACK – MEN’S SOCCER
- 6x Dean’s List, 3x SEC Honor Roll
- 2x Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week, first player to ever win the award in consecutive weeks
- Completed multiple 4.0 GPA semesters, graduating with a 3.7 cumulative GPA
- Completed 20+ hours of community service during his career at UK
MARZIA JOSEPHSON – WOMEN’S SOCCER
- Two-year member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll
- CSC Academic All-District in 2023 and 2024
- Was team captain and a mainstay in goal for UK the last two seasons
- Tied a career-high in saves in the NCAA Tournament vs. WVU
JOSH KATTUS – FOOTBALL
- Represents UK Football on UK’s Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) and member of the SEC Football Leadership Council
- Represents the SEC on the NCAA Football Oversight Committee’s Student-Athlete Connection Group
- Named to the 2024 SEC Community Service Team and is a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll member
- On the field, has played in 33 games with 15 starting assignments and has caught 21 passes for 310 yards and five touchdowns
ALEXIA LACATENA – SOFTBALL
- 25 career wins in the circle for Kentucky with a 4-1 record in 2025 thus far with a 2.21 ERA
- Has thrown 246.2 innings for the Wildcats logging 162 strikeouts
- Pitched for Team Italy in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
- Member of the 2022 SEC First-Year Honor Roll and 2024 SEC Academic Spring Honor Roll, as well
PHOEBE MCCOWAN – WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD
- Named to the SEC Community Service Team in 2023
- Currently ranks third all-time at UK in the 1000m run with a time of 2:44.71 set in 2023
- 5x SEC Academic Honor Roll, 2023 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team, 2023 CSC Academic All-District
- Completed the Emerging Leaders/Team Captains Meeting, My New Kentucky Home Leaderships Series and Early Assurance Program Seminars
OLIVIA MENDENHALL – WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
- 2023 NCAA Qualifier
- 2023, 2024 SEC Academic Honor Roll & CSCAA Scholar All-America
- Ranks eighth in program history in the 100 and 200 yard breaststroke
- Volunteers within the community and plans to pursue a profession in student-athlete development after graduation while getting her masters
TALLULAH MILLER – WOMEN’S SOCCER
- Member of the SEC Community Service Team
- Four-year member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll
- Has 17 career starts for UK in the goal
- Was president of UK Student-Athlete Advisory Committee
HALLIE MITCHELL – SOFTBALL
- Hit her first-career home run in the I-75 Challenge against Georgia Tech earlier this season
- 24 career hits, 10 extra-base hits and 15 RBI
- Moved into a prominent catcher’s position in 2024 working with ace pitcher, Stephanie Schoonover
- Has helped team to three NCAA Tournament appearances
JILLIAN PROCASKY – GYMNASTICS
- 2023 Second Team All-American – All-Around
- 2022 SEC All-Freshman Team
- Three career event title wins
- Three-time WCGA Scholar All-American
ANNIE RIEGERT – GYMNASTICS
- 2024 SEC Community Service Team
- Three-time WCGA Scholar All-American
- 19 career appearances on bars with a career-high of 9.875
- Over 80 hours of community service
MARTIN SOEREIDE – MEN’S SOCCER
- 2x CSC Academic All-District and named to SEC Honor Roll and UK Dean’s List in each of his four years with the university
- Named to 2021 CUSA All-Freshman Team
- In 2023, he received UK’s Male Rookie of the Year and the Blue Heart Award after returning from a serious injury
- Joined the men’s soccer leadership council and was named team captain
JACKSON WATTS – MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD
- Ranks sixth all-time at UK in the outdoor 3000m steeplechase with a time of 8:53.97 set in 2024
- Named to the 2024 SEC All-SEC Second Team following a bronze medal in the 3000m steeplechase at the SEC Championships
- 2024 SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll and active member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC)
- Served in in various community service works and volunteer experiences while at UK, including the Big Brother Big Sister Program
