South Laurel honors outstanding athletes
May 14—It was all about the athletes and those who support the teams of South Laurel High School on Friday evening as the annual Cardspy Awards were held at The Creek Church.
Hunter Bundy and Addison Baker were chosen as Mr. Cardinal and Miss Lady Cardinal, respectively, while the boys tennis team and the girls soccer team were named the Team of the Year.
The program also paid tribute to the accomplishments of all teams, including cheer and dance teams. The naming of two athletic facilities after long-time former coaches were also mentioned.
G.J. Smith attended Laurel County Schools, playing basketball and baseball, and went on to play baseball and basketball at the University of Kentucky before returning to London to coach baseball and served as Athletic Director for 18 years. Smith was honored with the baseball field being named the G.J. Smith Field.
Roy Bowling, who coached softball before becoming head coach of the girls basketball team, led the Lady Cardinals to four state championships and leaves a legacy for future teams. Last November, the basketball court was named the Roy Bowling Court in his honor for his years of dedication.
Kenzie Williams set a school record with a perfect game against Knox Central and had a total of 195 strikeouts in her career. The Lady Cardinals went to the semi-finals of the state tournament, with Coach Hailey Mink named the 13th Region Coach of the Year.
Boys tennis also made a name in the 2023-2024 season and three players receiving honors. The SLHS cheerleaders also made their mark, going to national competition and advancing to the final round — another first in school history. Coach Carly Mink was recognized for logging 100 career wins.
Other awards were:
—Rookies of the Year — Waylon Hensley, baseball, and Kenzie Wiliams, softball.
—#SL Family — Chuck Sowders, baseball announcer
—Perseverance Award: Jaylen Smith
—Outstanding Coaches — Girls team: Carly Mink, softball; Boys team: Mike Lovitt, football/track
—Breakthrough Athlete — Wes Dowell, football; Gracie Hoskins, track and soccer
—Best Teammate Awards — Cross Country — Riley Lewis and Lauren Scheithauer; Volleyball — Nora Clark; Soccer — Jacob Parman and Tess Little; Football — Ethan Leach; Golf — Josh Steele and Sophy Smith; Basketball — Max Fullmer and Sketter Mabe; Swim — Allen Nguyen and Kaylee Brochue; Archery — Waylon Joseph; Fishing — Hailey Anderson; Baseball — Jack Vaughn; Softball — Mara Horn; Track — Aaron Kilburn and Emma Flynn; Tennis — Luke Brown an Cierra Durham; Cheer — Lauren Smith; Dance — Makena Comley
—Community Volunteer — Katrina Mounce
—Community Supporter — The Martin Family
—Principal's Leadership — Greenlee Ray
—Ted Cook Team Community Award — SLHS Dance Team
—G.J. Smith Play Like a Champion Award — Will Wagers
—Most Outstanding Student Athletes on Co-Ed Team — Hailey Anderson and Brooklyn Martin — Fishing
—Triple Threat Award (involves student athletes who participate in fall, winter and spring sports) — Riley Lewis, cross country, indoor track, track; Jack Vaughn, indoor track, baseball, bass fishing; Andrew Hurley, cross country, indoor track, track; Andrew Burton, soccer, baseball, track; Taitem Harris, cross country, soccer, indoor track, track; Gracie Hoskins, cross country, soccer, indoor track, track; Addison Baker, volleyball, dance, softball; Aaron Kilburn, indoor track, bass fishing, track; Hunter Bundy, football, basketball, baseball; Garrison Brown, football, basketball, baseball; Addison McClure, volleyball, dance, swimming; Rose Stanko, cross country, indoor track, track; Chloe Mastin, cross country, indoor track, track; Logan Wagers, cross country, indoor track, track; Ivy Lewis, cross country, indoor track, track; Brennon Combs, golf, basketball, baseball; Austin White, cross country, indoor track, track; Jay Hoskins, cross country, indoor track, track; Lauren Scheithauser, cross country, indoor track, track; Kyler Witt, cross country, indoor track, track
—Most Outstanding Assistant Coaches — Josh Hamblin, Basketball; Taylor Bowling, Cheer
—#1 Cardinal Crazy (tie): Keaton Smith and Jacob Parman
—Most Outstanding Teams — Boys tennis, Girls soccer
—Mr. Cardinal — Hunter Bundy
—Miss Lady Cardinal — Addison Baker
Sponsors of the event and awards were Kentucky National Guard, BSN Sports, CHI Saint Joseph Health and GRT ProInk.
