A coach with strong ties to the new Logan County Cougars football regime has earned a high honor in her field, or more specifically in track and field.
The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) has named Ashley Muffet-Duncan Southeast Region Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year. She is the throwers coach for Western Kentucky University track and field.
Muffet-Duncan is the daughter-in-law of new LCHS football coach Steve Duncan and the wife of Cougar assistant coach Zipp Duncan. Ashley and Zipp both were star athletes at the University of Kentucky
WKU Track and Field head coach Erik Jenkins was named the USTFCCCA 2014 Outdoor Men’s Southeast Region Coach of the Year, the organization announced Monday.
Muffet-Duncan’s star pupil, senior thrower Jessica Ramsey ,has been tabbed the Southeast Region Women’s Field Athlete of the Year while fellow senior Elvyonn Bailey has been named the Southeast Region Men’s Track Athlete of the Year.
“I am extremely happy for Elvyonn (Bailey), Jessica (Ramsey) and Coach Duncan,” said Jenkins. “The fact that WKU has garnered four national awards is a testament to the coaches, student athletes and administration. Dr. (Gary) Ransdell and Mr. (Todd) Stewart have given me the opportunity to try to advance WKU into a top tier program. We try very hard as a staff to sell WKU and attract students who believe in our potential for success at the conference and national level.”
Jenkins led the Hilltoppers to their highest USTFCCCA national ranking in school history during the 2014 campaign, reaching as high as No. 26 in the polls. WKU finished fourth in the final Southeast Region index behind only Kentucky, Duke and North Carolina. The Hilltoppers set program records in both the 4x400 and 4X100-meter relays at the NCAA East Prelims to advance to this week’s NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and qualified seven individuals overall. Jenkins’ Men’s Southeast Region Coach of the Year honor is the first of his career. He was named the Women’s Southeast Region Coach of the Year in 2009.
“Personally, I am humbled by the honor bestowed upon me by the outstanding coaches in the sport. I believe in WKU and the award shows that others are noticing our production,” said Jenkins.
WKU’s Sports Information staff wrote, “Ashley Muffet-Duncan receives Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year honors after developing Ramsey into one of the top athletes in the nation. Ramsey is one of three female throwers in the country, advancing to the NCAA Championships in the shot put, hammer and discus throws. Duncan has guided Ramsey to school record performances in the shot put and discus this season and a hammer throw mark that ranks second in program history. She has developed not only Ramsey, but also the entire women’s throws program as the Lady Topper throwers combined to score 53 of WKU’s 173 points in winning the Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships.”
“Coach Duncan continues to get better as a coach,” said Jenkins. “She did a good job of developing a solid group of throwers that competed well throughout the entire season. It is a worthy honor of her hard work.”
A native of North Canton, Ohio, Muffet-Duncan graduated from UK in 2010 and earned her masters degree at Murray State University. Steve and Fonda Duncan and their family lived in Murray before he accepted the LCHS job. Ashley is in her second season as throws coach at WKU.
At UK, she had personal bests as follows: Shot put: 17.57m (57'7), Discus: 57.21m (187'8), Hammer Throw: 58.54m (192'1) and Weight Throw: 18.82m (61'9)
Muffet Duncan came to the Hill after a year of coaching throws at Murray State. During her lone stint with the Racers, Muffet Duncan coached freshman Tonia Pratt to Ohio Valley Conference titles in the weight and hammer throws. Pratt also earned OVC indoor and outdoor Freshman of the Year honors.
"We are very pleased to have Ashley in the Hilltopper family," said head track and field coach Erik Jenkins. "She has an outstanding pedigree which ties her to some of the best throws coaches and athletes in the sport. Her athletic credentials are extremely impressive and she has a great personality that will fit well with the kind of program we have at WKU."
Muffet Duncan is not far removed from an illustrious throwing career at the University of Kentucky. As a Lady Wildcat (2006-2010) she was named all-Southeastern Conference 11 times, All-American four times and finished runner up in the shot put at the 2010 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. Muffet Duncan participated in the U.S Olympic trials in 2008 and 2012 and holds Kentucky's records in the shot put and discus. She competed unattached in three meets during the 2012-13 season, winning the shot put on two occasions and placing fourth at the USA Indoor Track and Field Championships.
At North Canton Hoover High School (2001-2005), Muffet Duncan was the 2005 Nike Outdoor National Champion in the hammer throw and named the Gatorade Ohio Track and Field female athlete of the year. She was a three-time state champion and held Ohio's shot put record until 2013 with a heave of 50-feet-10 inches.
Duncan holds a Master of Science degree in Human Development and Leaderships from Murray State University and completed her USATF level 1 certification in 2013.
Ramsey is the Southeast Region Women’s Field Athlete of the Year after re-writing the Lady Topper record books in 2014. Her shot put mark of 57-‘4.75 (17.49m) at the Hilltopper Relays on April 12 is the longest thrower in school and Sun Belt Conference history while her season-best discus clip of 176’8 (53.84m) is about three feet farther than any toss in program history. She became the first Lady Topper in program history to advance to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in three different events after qualifying in the shot put, hammer and discus throws. Ramsey won individual titles in all three events during the 2014 SBC Outdoor Championships on her way to Most Outstanding Female Field Performer accolades and garnered SBC Female Field Athlete of the Week seven times during the indoor and outdoor seasons.
Bailey is the Southeast Region Men’s Track Athlete of the Year after setting individual school records in the 200 (20.15) and 400-meter (45.52) dashes while anchoring WKU’s record setting 4x100 and 4x400-meter relays. Bailey was the SBC Most Outstanding Men’s Track Performer after winning individual crowns in the 200 and 400 while anchoring the championship 4x400-meter relays. He anchored WKU’s 4x100 and 4x400-meter relays that set school records at the NCAA East Prelims and advanced to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
“Elvyonn and Jessica have done a great job competing for us in some of the biggest competitions in the country,” said Jenkins. They both own multiple school records and have qualified for the First and Final round of the NCAA Championships in multiple events. I'm proud of them. They have earned the opportunity to represent WKU at the highest level of track and field.”