UK Athletics x Women's History Month

The University of Kentucky Athletics Department celebrated Women’s History Month by sharing the accomplishments of eight UK alumni. 

Leslie Nichols played for the UK Women’s Basketball team from 1983-1986. During her time at UK, she was a four-year starter and three-time All SEC honoree. Nichols is 5th on the UK career scoring chart with 1,797 career points.

Jenna Dorman McGovern is a three-time UCA National Champion. She competed on the UK Cheer Team from 2008-2010. She now owns her own cheer gym, Spirit Athletics, and works as a CRNA in the UK Department of Anesthesia.

Robin Ewing Bodem was on the gymnastics team during her time at UK. She was the second UK gymnast to earn All-American honors in 1996 and helped lead the team to its first top-4 finish in the SEC Championships in 1996 before becoming the third gymnast in program history to qualify individually for the NCAA National Championships. In 2023, she was inducted into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame.

Sarah Rumely Noble played volleyball for UK from 2006-2009 and was a four-time All-SEC and academic All-American. She was the first UK Volleyball player to be named SEC Freshman of the Year in 2006 and SEC Player of the Year in 2008. She holds the UK record for career assists and aces.

Mary Elsass- Weeks competed on UK’s rifle team and was a four-time All American. She placed 3rd in smallbore at the 1999 NCAA National Championships and 4th in air rifle for three consecutive years (1997-1999).

Kim Shelton played for UK’s first women’s soccer team. Shelton was a team captain for five years and then an assistant coach while she completed her MBA at UK. She holds the record for most matches started and and most matches played in program history. Shelton is now the CEO of the Lexington Sporting Club. 

Sonia Hahn was the 1987 UK Female Athlete of the Year. She had an impressive tennis career, winning the 1987 ITA National Indoors Championship and SEC Championships in singles play, as well as earning a gold medal at the 1987 Pan American Games. She is now the Senior Associate Athletics Director/COO for CSUN Athletics. 

Lisa Brieding Durr ran track and cross country at UK. She won seven SEC Championship titles and was a key runner on UK’s only National Champion Cross Country team in 1988. She is 4th on the UK Women’s All Time Performance List in the 5,000m.