Graduates of Russellville and Logan County high schools have been active in fall sports and a couple of more are getting started in winter sports.
Freshman Lorraine Vaughn from Logan County High School was an important part of the Mid-Continnent University volleyball team this fall. Playing
in 89 of the team's 90 sets, she finished third on the team in three categories, with 281 digs, 46 service receptions and 20 serving opportunities. She
also had 46 attacks, 5 kills and 7 assists.
Coach Brittany Nicley's team finished with a 5-22 record while playing in NAIA's Trans-South Conference.
The Mid-Conninent Media Guide has this profile of Lorraine Vaughn: Lorraine is a
freshman defensive specialist from Logan County High School in Russellville, Kentucky. Vaughan has played organized volleyball for just five
seasons, including two years of varsity high school competition.
She played for coach Tina Lynch at LCHS and helped the 2008 team to a 37-8 record and region and district championships and an Elite Eight
appearance in the Kentucky State Tournament. She also was a member of the 2007 LCHS squad that went 29-9 and won the district title and second
place in the region.
Vaughan was named the team's Most Improved Player as junior and senior and set the school record with 22 digs in a match during her senior year.
She recorded 220 digs, 9 assisted blocks, and team's highest service percentage as senior.
Becca Grayson
, a 2007 graduate of LCHS, has completed her third season as a member of the Kentucky Wesleyan College volleyball team. Already sixth in team history
with 849 assists after just two seasons, Grayson added 353 more this year, bringing her total to 1,202. She also recorded 118 digs, 17 service
opportunites and 10 kills in 2009.
The Lady Panthers finished 2-31.
The WKC Media Guide has this to say about Rebecca Grayson: 2008:
Academic All-Great Lakes Valley Conference honoree…led the Panthers in assists with 659…third in digs with 259…fourth in service aces with
20…collected 12 total blocks with four solos…recorded 13 kills…started 35 of 36 matches played…participated in 121 sets.
2007:
Academic All-Great Lakes Valley Conference selection…participated in 53 games and 21 matches played…posted a second best 190 assists…produced 14
service aces…had 88 digs.
High School:
Four time all-region selection at Logan County High School…name all-district twice…set 10 school records…helped lead the Cougars to four straight
trips to the regional tournament including a 30-6 record in 2006…also played basketball…graduated with a perfect 4.0 grade point average…member of
the National Honor Roll Society, Beta Club and received the KWC Brown Scholarship.
Nikki Koller
, a sophomore from Russellville, played in two tournaments this fall for the University of Arizona women's golf team, averaging 74.5 strokes per round.
In one tournament she had a top 20 finish with a 222 total for three rounds, which was six over par.
She was the player the Wildcats Sports Information Office featured when Arizona won the Las Vegas Showdown. Despite the Lady Wildcats consistently
being ranked in the Top Twenty in the nation, it was the team's first tournament win since 2003.
Koller shot 1-over 73 on the final day and just missed out on a top 10 finish, ending up tied for 11th place at 6-over par.
“The conditions at Las Vegas were incredibly rough, but the girls hung in there,” said head coach Shelly Haywood, who picked up her first win as head
coach of the Wildcats. “It was 48 degrees when they teed off and the wind was blowing around 40 miles per hour. I’m so proud of this team. They finally
know how good they are and we’re still a very young team.”
Arizona picked up its first win since capturing the 2003 Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational over six years ago as the Cats shot 300 on the day and finished
the tournament at 14-over par 878. Florida finished second at 19-over while Louisville (+22), UC Davis (+25) and Arkansas (+32) rounded out the top
five.
The Arizona Meida Guide's profile of Niki Koller follows: Freshman (2008-09):
Named to the 2009 NGCA All-American Scholar Team after posting first-year scoring average of 76.14 while also maintaining grade point average over
3.50 for the year ... Grabbed a pair of top 20 finishes on the season, including a season-best share of 12th place at the Pac-10
Championships ... Finished conference event with rounds of 72 and 71 to finish 6-over par ... Finished in a tie for 18thplace at the
Wildcat Invitational after carding season-low round of 69 over second 18 holes of play ... Shot 2-under par 70 over final round at NCAA West
Regional to help Wildcats qualify for NCAA Championships ... Tallied low 54-hole total at UCF Challenge with a 5-over total of 221.
High School
: Earned a total of 15 varsity letters (seven golf, five swimming, three marching band) ... 2007-08 female Athlete of the Year, first-team
all-state, outstanding senior athlete in Kentucky ... Competed in 2008 U.S. Women's Amateur and advanced to round 32 ... 2006-07 Kentucky high
school state champion, all-classes, for coach Dennis Pardue ... Academic all-state for four years (2005-08), top five in high school graduating
class with a 4.0 GPA, outstanding senior.
Russellville alum John Michael Starks kicked a field goal in his final collegiate game, hitting on a 23-yarder against Trinity of Texas. His
team lost that road game 27-17, but the Centre Colonels had a great 7-2 season, winning their first six contests of the fall.
A four-year letterman, Starks has handled the kickoffs and placekicking virtually
full-time for three years, Starks, who is also a regular on the baseball team, was third in Centre football scoring this year with 32 points. He was 3
of 8 on field goals and 23 of 27 on conversion kicks.
He connected on a 27-yarder against Maryville and a 22-yarder against Sewanee in addition to the kick against Trinity. Four of the five field goal
attempts he missed were from 32 yards or longer.
Starks did the honors on 41 of the Colonels' 42 kickoffs, booting the ball an average of 53.7 yards each time. Opponents returned the ball an average
of 17.2 yards for a net of 37.3 yards.
Two graduates of RHS played defense for Campbellsville University's 7-4 team this fall.
This was the best record for a CU team since 2003.
One of the former Panthers, Daniel Elliott, completed an excellent career with a super senior season. He was credited with 56 tackles this year,
21 of them unassisted. Nine tackles were for a loss and two of those were sacks. He had 12 tackles against the University of the Cumberlands.
Freshman Donnie Bigbee totaled 23 tackles, 19 of them as assists. He was credited with six tackles for losses and an impressive 4.5 sacks
totaling 38 yards. Bigbee, who graduated in 2008 from RHS, is listed at 6'3", 247 pounds.
Currently playing college basketball is Kara Haley, who is listed as a junior in her fourth season at Kentucky Wesleyan College. The LCHS
graduate has had to sit out the past two seasons with serious injuries. She has twice been operated on by the nation's most famous sports surgeon, Dr.
Jim Andrews, in Birmingham.
It would have been easy for her to give up, but she has perservered. She is now starting about half the time for the Lady Panthers, including an
exhibition game against the University of Cincinnati of the poweful Big East Conference.
The leading scorer for KWC in many of the games has been Kristen Rowe, who was a four-year standout for Cumberland County of the Fourth Region.
Here's what the KWC Media Guide has to say about Kara Haley:
2008-09:
Sat out season…received Lady Panther Award at the postseason banquet.
2007-08:
Sat out season as a redshirt.
2006-07:
Academic All-Great Lakes Valley Conference selection…started four of 22 games played…averaged 8.8 minutes, 2.5 rebounds and 1.6 points per
contest…shot 35.1 percent from the field and 47.4 percent from the charity stripe…had five steals, one block and one assist…scored a season high
six points three times…hauled down a personal-best nine rebounds twice…played 28 minutes at Central State…led the squad in rebounding once.
High School:
Two-time Most Valuable Player at Logan County…four-year starter…averaged 14.8 points and 9.8 rebounds as a senior…scored over 1,000 points…named
All-13th District and All-Fourth Region as a senior…voted Miss Basketball at Logan County…played both center and forward…helped Cougars to the 13th
District championship and a trip to the first round of the Fourth Region tournament…coached by Scott MacAllister…selected Who’s Who Among America’s
High Students and Who’s Who Among America’s High School Athletes…member of National Honor Roll Society.
Anne Chambers
of Russellville is in her third season as a member of the powerful University of Louisville swim team. She specializes in the breaststroke. Her
Lifetime Bests: 100-Breast 1:06.37 and 200-Breast 2:22.59. The Lady Cardinals are in the midst of a long season that culminates in the Big East
Championships at Pittsburgh in mid-February. The NCAA Championships then are in March.
The U of L Media Guide carries this description of Anne Chambers;
Anne added depth to the Cardinal breaststrokers, swimming the 100- and 200-Breast at the 2008 BIG EAST Championships. She also represented UofL
well at the 2007 Purdue Invite, turning in a lifetime best in the 200 IM with a 2:18.69. Anne came to U of L from Russellville, Ky. where she was
coached by Dee Williams at Russellville High School and the Southern Kentucky Swim Club. In 2007, Chambers was the top senior finisher in the
100-breast at the Kentucky High School State Championships, placing fifth. She posted All-American consideration times in the 100 breast in 2006
and 2007. She was also recruited by Western Kentucky.