The Kentucky Track and Cross Country Coaches Association are pleased to announce that the following Kentucky High School Female Athletes will be inducted into the KTCCCA Coaches Hall of Fame
On January 7, 2017 at the KHSAA Hall of Fame Room in Lexington, Kentucky. Information on reservations for the Hall of Fame Banquet will follow later this week.
Congratulations are in order for the following young ladies . . . . .
Simidele Adeagbo . . . . . Louisville Eastern High School and the University of Kentucky
Rachel Sanford DeJarnatt . . . . . Southwestern High School, Pulaski County High School and Western Kentucky University
Heather Hammond Hamilton . . . . . Rockcastle County High School and Western Kentucky University
Rhonda McManus . . . . . Louisville Central High School, Tennessee State University and Southern University
See below a brief resume of the accomplishments of these three outstanding athletes
Simidele Adeagbo |
Eastern High School - Louisville, Kentucky
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Outstanding Sprinter and Jumper in High School. KHSAA State Track Champion - KTCCCA All State Track and Field Athlete SEC Champion - NCAA All-American Olympic Trials Athlete |
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Nominated by: James Sexton |
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High School Eastern High School Louisville, Kentucky 1996-1999 |
Simidele Adeagbo has been a dominant force in Kentucky Track and Field history; gracefully sprinting and leaping her way into the record books for the past decade. Simidele burst onto the state athletic scene while a student at Eastern High School. At Eastern, she was a member of the Eagles' three time state championship track and field team (96' 97'98). Individually she topped the medal stand 7 times, winning individual state championships in the100m (2x), 200m, Long Jump (3x) and a part of the 4x 100m relay team. She won her seventh and last state championships in 1999, with a Kentucky State AAA record breaking mark of 6.00m (19-8.25), which still stands today. The same year she was among the top 20 national high school long jumpers and recognized as Kentucky's Female Gatorade Track and Field Athlete of the Year. While in high school, Adeagbo also excelled in Cross Country, Field Hockey (All State Honorable Mention) and Basketball (All District). In addition to her stellar athletic accomplishments, she was honored as a Governor's Scholar. |
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College University of Kentucky 1999-2003 |
Adeagbo went on to attend the University of Kentucky. While competing at UK she was a four time All-American (2001 - Indoor), (2002 - Outdoor), 2003 (Indoor and Outdoor) in the triple jump. She also set indoor (43-11.2) and outdoor (44-0.50) school records in the event that still stand today. Here world class performances also led her to wins in the triple jump at the prestigious Penn Relays in 2002 and Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships in 2003. Adeagbo was also a multiple time scorer in the SEC Championships in the Long Jump, 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m. In 2003, Adeagbo was also named an Academic All American. |
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Life After Athletics
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Since graduating from UK, Adeagbo continued her track and field career; consistently nationally ranked in the triple jump. In 2004, she was an Olympic Trials finalist in the triple jump. In 006, she was handpicked to train with 1984 Olympic triple jump gold medalist Al Joyner, who recognized her talent and potential to excel on the elite level. After training with Joyner at the U.S. Olympic Center in Chula Vista, Ca. Adeagbo narrowly missed a spot on the 2008 Olympic Team in Eugene, Oregon when she jumped a personal best of 45-10.75. Adeagbo now resides in Beaverton, Oregon where she is a footwear product manager at Nike Inc. She stays connected to the sport of track and field through coaching on a volunteer basis. |
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Rachel Sanford DeJarnatt |
Pulaski County High School - Somerset, Kentucky
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Outstanding Distance Runner in high school. KHSAA State Cross Country Champion - KHSAA State Track Champion - KTCCCA XC and Track All-State Athlete |
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Nominated by: Gordon Bocock and Byron Childers |
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High School Southwestern High School Somerset, Kentucky 1993-1995 Pulaski County High School Somerset, Kentucky 1995 - 2000 |
Rachel Sanford was a distance running machine from Somerset and was the young lady that taught Kentucky runners they could run and excel at the new 5,000m distance. In 1993 she was a little 5th grader that burst on the scene and captured the Class AAA Individual Cross Country title while running for Southwestern High School. She backed that title up as a 6th grader and then transferred to Pulaski County where she captures 3 more individual state cross country titles. The only runner in Kentucky History to win 5 XC Individual State Championships to go along with 3 other top 4 finishes in the state cross country meet. Eight time medal winner in KHSAA Cross Country along with being a 9 time medalist in track with 2 State Titles in the 3200 Meter Run. 17 Medals in KHSAA State Meet competitions and led her team to 2 State Cross Country Team titles. Eight times she was first team All-State in Cross Country and 4 Times first team All-State in Track and Field. |
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College Western Kentucky University 1985-1999 |
Rachel received a scholarship from KTCCCA Hall of Fame Coach Curtiss Long and took her running career to Western Kentucky University. Her college career was cut shot after injuries caused her to miss her junior and senior year. In her very short career she had one OVC championship. |
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Life After Athletics |
After graduation from Western she moved to Louisville where she worked for Macys' Inc. and later at the Center Manager for LasKin Vision Institute. Just having her second child she is a stay at home mom. She still runs for exercise and enjoyment. |
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Heather Hammond Hamilton |
Rockcastle County High School - Mt. Vernon, Kentucky
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Outstanding Jumper and Middle Distance Runner in high school. KHAA State Track Champion - KTCCCA All-State Track Athlete Sunbelt Conference Champion |
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Nominated by: Mark Brummett and Gordon Bocock |
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High School Rockcastle County High School Mt. Vernon, Kentucky 2001 - 2005 |
Heather Hammond was a scoring machine when she ran track for Rockcastle County High School under the watchful eye of KTCCCA Hall of Fame Coach Mark Brummett. She was a 12 time State Track and Field Champion. She won the 400m Dash and the 300m Hurdles, back to back events, for three consecutive years. Her anchor leg on the 2005 4x400m Relay was one of the greatest anchor legs ever run as she moved from 5th to 1st at the wire. She was a 3 time state runner up. During her 6 years of high school competition she was 19 Regional Championships as well at 17 KHSAA State Meet Track and Field Medals. She was named All-State in Track 14 times and the KTCCCA Class AA Female Athlete of the Year. In her Senior Year she was names Ms. Track in Kentucky as the KTCCCA Female Track and Field Athlete of the Year.. She was also selected as the Class 2A Athlete of the Year and award she won for three consecutive years. She led her teams to the 2001 State Title as well as 4 other top 5 team finishes. She was nominated for the National Gatorade Athlete of the Year as well as the Wendy's High School Heisman. |
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College Western Kentucky University 2005-2008 |
After high school she enrolled at Western Kentucky where KTCCCA Hall of Fame Coach Curtiss Long saw her develop into one of the outstanding multi-event athletes in the Sun Belt Conference. She was the Sun Belt Pentathlon Champion in 2008 and still holds the WKU School Record. All-Sunbelt Conference indoor and outdoor 2006 - 2007 and 2008 Upon graduation she held WKU she ranked in the school All-Time top 5 in 6 events. She represented WKU in the NCAA Regional meet on 2 occasions. She was an NCAA Academic All-American and member of the WKU Student Athletic Academic Council. During her stay at WKU the team was a 4 cross country titles, 4 indoor and 4 outdoor track and field titles. |
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Life After Athletics |
After graduation from Western she followed her husband to Paducah where she soon joined the Paducah Tilghman Track and Cross Count programs. Since 2010 she has been the Head Cross Country Coach and the Head Girls Track and Field Coach. She has been the Region 1 Track and Field Coach of the year 5 times and the KTCCCA Area 1 Coach of the Year 2 times. Her Girls Track Team has been the Regional Champions 5 times, been in the top 5 in the State Meet 3 times and had 7 Individual State Champions. Her Cross Country team was the first girls Regional Champion in Paducah history. She has coach a Paducah Girl to 5 Individual Regional championships. Her boys and girls cross country teams have qualified for the KHSAA State Cross Country Championships every year since 2010. |
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Rhonda McManus |
Central High School - Louisville, Kentucky
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Outstanding Sprinter in high school. KHSAA State Track Champion |
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Nominated by: Gordon Bocock and Kenny Morton |
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High School Central High School Louisville, Louisville 1968-1971 |
Rhonda McManus was the first great female sprinter in Kentucky. She came on the scene as a slender sprinter and made it to the KHSAA State Meet in three events (75 yard Dash, 100 Yard Dash and 220 Yard Dash)she not only won all three but set state records in all three. Her Junior year she came to state in two events (100 Yard and 220 Yard) and broke her own state records. As High School Senior she came to state in 3 three events (110 Yard, 220 Yard and 440 Yard) and again 3 new state meet records. In three years she ran 8 events in the KHSAA State Track and Field Meet and set 8 new State Records. She graduated from Central in 1971 as Valedictorian of her Class. |
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College Tennessee State University 1971-1973 Southern University 1974-1975 |
Her high school track and field career was so outstanding that colleges came from everywhere wanting her to extend her running career with them. She left Central High School and went South to Nashville and the campus of Tennessee State University and to run for the legendary Tigerbelle Coach Ed Temple. During her first collegiate season she continued to shine with . . . o The Junior National Championships in Wilmington, Delaware. In this meet she was the Junior National Champion in the 100 Yard Dash in a New National Record as well as being the 220 Yard Dash Champion where she tied the National Record. o Later in the summer she attended the National AAU Championships in Bakersfield, California where she set a new National Record in the 200m Dash. o In 1972 she represented the Tigerbelle s in the United States Olympic Trials where she made the finals in the 200m Dash. o After the Olympic Trials she was selected to be a member of the United States National Team in the US vs Canada meet in Toronto, Canada. 1973-1974 school year saw Rhonda transferred to Southern University where she would join legendary hurdler and coach Willie Davenport. After the 1974 season Rhonda was selected as a member of the United States National Team for the US vs. USSR meet at Durham, North Carolina. The '74 season also saw her honored as an AAU All-American. She graduated from Southern University in 1975 with a BA in Elementary Education. |
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Life After Athletics |
During the 1979-1980 School Year she was went to LSU with a Graduate Assistantship and was Assistant Track and Field Coach for Louisiana State. She left LSU for the 1980-1981 School Year and went to Dallas, Texas where she was with The Dallas Independent School District as a Girls Basketball Coach, Girls Volleyball Coach and Track and Field Coach. Now only outstanding on the track she was just as OUTSTANDING in the class room. § Valedictorian of her class at Central High School § Southern University- Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education) § University of Florida - Gainesville, Florida (Masters of Education - Reading) § Louisiana State University - Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Certificate of Education Specialist - Reading) § The George Washing University - Washington, District of Columbia (Graduate Certificate in Bilingual Special Education) § New York University - New York, New York (Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Psychology Having received her Ph.D. from New York University with a specialization in Reading and having more than 20 years of teaching experiences in the elementary through the post-secondary levels she has been designated as a Highly Qualified teacher and holds a Maryland State Department of Education Advanced Professional Certificate which includes the following endorsements: Principal/Supervisor, Reading Specialist, English for Speakers of Other Languages and Classroom Teacher. She has a Trustee and Ministry leader in the All Nations Baptist Church in Washing D.C. She has been inducted into the Central High School Hall of Fame as well as the KHSAA Dawahare's Hall of Fame. |
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