The NKYSHOF will be holding their Monthly induction meeting on February 19th at 1PM in the Gardens of Park Hills.
Below is a list of this month’s inductees.

MATT SHOTWELL CONNER CLASS OF 1985
WRESTLING – FOOTBALL

MATT WAS A TWO TINE KENTUCKY STATE CHAMPION IN WRESTLING AT THE 167 POUND CLASS, IN 1984 AND 1985.
MATT(“I PINNED “EM ALL”) IN 1985 WON EVERY MATCH IN THE DISTRICT REGION AND STATE MEET BY PINNING HIS OPPONENT. MATT WAS ALSO THE STARTING LINEBACKER ON THE 1983 STATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM AT CONNER HIGH SCHOOL.

ARNIE RISEN WILLIAMSTOWN CLASS OF 1946
BASKETBALL
ARNIE HELD THE EIGHTH REGION CAREER SCORING RECORD FOR OVER 75 YEARS. AND WAS NAMED ALL-REGION AND ALL-STATE IN 1946. HE THEN RECEIVED A FULL RIDE TO OHIO STATE WHERE HE WAS NAMED ALL-AMERICAN. ARNIE THEN WAS DRAFTED INTO THE NBA, WHERE HE HAD A 13 YEAR PROFESSIONAL CAREER WITH THE CINCINNATI ROYALS AND THE BOSTON CELTICS. DURING HIS CAREER HE WAS NAMED 4 TIMES TO THE NBA ALL-STAR TEAM. HE PLAYED ON 2 NBA CHAMPIONS, SCORED OVER 7,000 POINTS, HAD OVER 5,OOO REBOUNDS, AND 1000 ASSIST. HE HAS BEEN INDUCTED INTO THE NBA HALL OF FAME.
GARY SIMON JR HIGHLANDS CLASS OF 1992
BASEBALL-BASKETBALL-SOCCER-GOLF
BASKETBALL: GARY WAS PART OF A DISTRICT TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM AND A REGIONAL SEMI-FINALIST. HE WAS NAMED TO THE NKAC ALL-STAR TEAM, AND THE ALL-DISTRICT TOURNAMENT TEAM. HE WAS THE LEADING REBOUNDER AND AVERAGED 13 POINTS AND 9 REBOUNDS A GAME. BASEBALL: HE WAS PART OF A DISTRICT CHAMPION AND REGIONAL FINALS TEAM. HE WAS NAMED TEAM CAPTAIN, NKAC ALL CONFERENCE, ALL REGIONAL TOURNAMENT, TEAM MVP, AND WAS THE LEADING HITTER (.406), AND PITCHER (3.23) ERA. SOCCER: HE WAS PART OF A REGIONAL SEMI-FINALIST TEAM; HE WAS TEAM CAPTAIN. NKAC ALL-STAR, ALL-REGIONAL TOURNAMENT. HE SCORD HIS FIRST VARSITY GOAL WHILE IN THE SEVENTH GRADE. HE ONCE SCORED 3 GOALS IN A GAME AS A DEFENSIVE PLAYER. GOLF: HE WAS THE MEDALIST IN THE DISTRICT TOURNAMENT AND NAMED ALL-DISTRICT. GARY EARNED THE MOST OUTSTANDING STUDENT ATHLETE IN 1992, AND THE PRESIDENTIAL ACADEMIC FITNESS AWARD IN 1992. HE WENT ON TO BE A QUARTERBACK/PUNTER AT WEST VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY. HE WAS THE LEADING PUNTER IN THE MOUNTAIN EAST LEAGUE AND THREW FOR MULTIPLE TOUCHDOWNS DURING HIS CAREER.
IRENE McCRACKEN DIXIE-LLOYD
COACH-VOLUNTEER
IRENE HAS BEEN A FIXTURE AT DIXIE HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAMES SINCE 1952 UNTIL THE PRESENT TIME. SHE HAS ALWAYS DONE WHATEVER WAS NEEDED TO HELP THE SCHOOL, THE COACHES, THE TEACHERS, AND THE STUDENTS. SHE COACHED BOTH THE CHEERLEADERS AND THE MAJORETTES AT BOTH DIXIE AND LLOYD FOR OVER 32 YEARS. SHE THOUGHT SHE WAS GOING TO RETIRE IN IN 1984 BUT SHE STATED THAT SHE KEPT GOING BACK TO HELP. IT HAS BEEN 66 YEARS NOW AND SHE, AT 94, HAS NO INTENTION OF STOPPING. IRENE IS ONE EXAMPLE OF HUMAN KINDNESS AND THE GIVING SPIRIT AT IT”S BEST.
TROY COLE CONNER CLASS OF 1985
WRESTLING-FOOTBALL
TROY WAS THE KENTUCKY HIGH SCHOOL STATE RUNNER-UP IN 1981 IN WRESTLING. HE PLACED FOURTH IN THE STATE IN 1982 AS A FRESHMAN, HE WAS THE STATE CHAMPION IN IN 1983, AND BY WINNING THIS MATCH IT MOVED CONNER’S TEAM INTO FIRST ON POINTS WHERE THEY HUNG ON TO BE THE TEAM STATE CHAMPION. HE WAS STATE CHAMPION AGAIN IN 1984 AND WAS VOTED THE MOST OUTSTANDING WRESTLER IN THE ENTIRE STATE. THEN IN 1985 HE WAS A STATE RUNNER-UP. IN TOTAL TROY QUALIFIED FOR THE STATE TOURNAMENT SIX STRAIGHT YEARS. IN FOOTBAL HE WAS THE LEADING TACKLER ON THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM IN DIVISION 3A. THAT TEAM HAD THE BEST DEFENSE IN THE STATE.
JAMES HAYES HOLMES CLASS OF 1992
FOOTBALL-BASKETBALL-TRACK AND FIELD
FOOTBALL: JAMES WAS NAMED ALL-CONFERENCE IN 1990, 1991, AND 1992. HE INITIALLY EARNED THE HONOR AS A RUNNING BACK, WHERE HE GAINED OVER 2000 CAREER YARDS AND SCORED OVER 30 TOUCHDOWNS. JAMES WAS NAMED TO THE KENTUCKY/TENNESSEE ALL-STAR FOOTBALL GAME. HE WAS A FINALIST FOR THE MR. FOOTBALL AWARD IN 1992. HE EVENTUALLY RECEIVED A FULL RIDE TO EASTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY. BASKETBALL: HE WAS PART OF THE TEAM THAT WON THE NINTH REGION TOURNAMENT IN 1990 AND WENT TO THE SWEET 16. THAT TEAM FINISHED ASTHE RUNNER-UP IN THE STATE. HE ALSO WENT TO 3 CONSECUTIVE REGIONAL FINALS. TRACK AND FIELD: HE PARTICIPATED FOR 3 YEARS IN TRACK. WHERE HE SET THE SCHOOL RECORDS IN THE 100 METER DASH AND WAS ON THE RECORD SETTING 4X400 RELAY TEAM