UK Athletics to Induct Hall of Fame Class of 2019
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2019 will be inducted during Hall of Fame Weekend in conjunction with Saturday’s football game vs. Florida.
DeMarcus Cousins (men’s basketball), Henri Junghänel (rifle), A’dia Mathies (women’s basketball), Vic Nelson (track/cross country), Don Weber (track/cross country) and Andre’ Woodson (football) will officially join the ranks of Wildcat greats in the Hall of Fame with a private induction ceremony on Friday. The Hall of Famers also will be recognized during the football game, which kicks off at 7 p.m.
More information about each member of the 2019 class of the UK Athletics Hall of Fame can be found below.
DeMarcus Cousins, Men’s Basketball, 2010
NCAA Consensus Second Team All-American, including first-team nod from the AP … 2010 SEC Freshman of the Year by the league’s coaches … All-SEC First Team (AP and coaches) … Made the SEC All-Freshman Team … Led UK to a No. 1 national ranking, an SEC regular-season championship and an SEC Tournament championship … Averaged 15.1 points and 9.9 rebounds … Concluded freshman season with eighth-most rebounds in a single season in UK history with 375 … Selected the fifth overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft … Four-time NBA All-Star in his nine-year NBA career … Named to All-NBA Second Team in 2015 and 2016 … Averaged double figures in every NBA season, including 20-plus points in five years.
Henri Junghänel, Rifle, 2010-13
Olympic gold medalist, World Shooter of the Year, four-time All-American and the leading shooter on UK’s 2011 national champion rifle team … Led UK in shooting average for both air rifle and smallbore during the 2011 national champion campaign … Earned All-America distinction all four years as a Wildcat … Named World Shooter of the Year for 2013, his senior season … Won the gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the 50-meter prone event … Broke the Olympics finals record with a score of 209.5 … Also holds the 50-meter prone world record with a score of 211.2 points.
A’dia Mathies, Women’s Basketball, 2010-13
AP All-American second team (2013) and third team (2012) … Two-time finalist for the John R. Wooden Award and the Naismith Trophy … SEC Player of the Year as a junior and senior … UK’s all-time leader in steals (320), games played (140) and started (139), while ranking second in scoring (2,014) and 3FG made (177), third in FG made (712), FT made (413) and ninth in assists (349) … First player in UK history (men or women) to accumulate over 2,000 points, 600 rebounds, 300 assists and 300 steals in a career… Part of UK’s all-time winningest class with an overall 111-30 (.787) record … Helped UK claim an SEC regular-season title for the first time in 30 years in 2012 … Advanced to four NCAA Tournament Sweet 16s and three Elite Eights.
Vic Nelson, Cross Country/Indoor Track/Outdoor Track, 1968-71
Won seven SEC individual championships, at least one in each cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track … Swept the SEC outdoor three-mile crown all four years as a Wildcat, first male athlete in SEC history to win an event four consecutive years … Won the individual SEC cross country championship in 1969 and helped UK to the 1970 SEC team title … Claimed the SEC indoor two-mile run in 1970 and 1971 … Advanced to eight NCAA Championships, participating in a total of 11 events … 1971 UK Athlete of the Year by the K Association … Won an NCAA post-graduate scholarship … A long-time professor at Auburn, he was assistant chair of the electrical and computer engineering department before retiring this summer … Has been a track meet official at Auburn since 1979.
Don Weber, Track and Field/Cross Country; Athlete 1968-72; Assistant Coach 1978-83; Head Coach 1984-2012
Spent 34 years on UK staff, including 28 as head coach of track and field and cross country … National Coach of the Year in 1988 when women’s cross country won the national championship … Athletes he coached earned 10 individual NCAA championships, 225 All-America honors, 92 SEC individual titles … Weber’s athletes also won Academic All-America nine times … A champion track and cross country athlete at UK from 1968-72 … SEC cross country title team member in 1970, which led to All-SEC honors … Also received All-SEC honors in indoor track from 1968-72 … SEC 1,000-yard champion in 1972, establishing a then-SEC record 2:10.20 … Two-time SEC Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year … SEC Women’s Coach of the Year three times.
Andre’ Woodson, Football, 2004-07
Kentucky’s Most Valuable Player in 2006 and ’07, leading the Wildcats to a pair of eight-win seasons and victories in the Music City Bowls … Also MVP of both bowl wins … Led UK to six fourth-quarter/overtime come-from-behind wins as a junior and senior, including victories over No. 9 Louisville and No. 1 LSU … Threw for 9,360 yards and 79 touchdowns in his career … Magnificent senior season, completing 63 percent of his passes for 3,709 yards and 40 TDs … Set NCAA record for most consecutive passes without an interception … Set SEC record for most TD passes in a season (40) and lowest interception ratio in a career … All totaled, set two NCAA records, four SEC records and three UK records.
The UK Athletics Hall of Fame was started in 2005 to recognize and honor persons whose participation and achievements enriched and strengthened the University’s athletics program. The charter class included 88 individuals who previously had their jersey retired by UK.
A committee consisting of Hall of Famers, media members, campus representatives and current coaches and administrators elects new inductees each year.
