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LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2025 was inducted Friday night, with Abbey Cheek-Ramsey (softball), Makayla Epps (women’s basketball), Doug Flynn (baseball/men’s basketball/broadcaster), Sonia Hahn (women’s tennis), Josh Hines-Allen (football) and Karl-Anthony Towns (men’s basketball) honored during a ceremony at the Central Bank Center.
Here are the biographies of the new inductees. They will be introduced during halftime of Saturday’s football game, with the exception of Allen, who must return to Jacksonville in order to resume preparations for his NFL game Sunday.
Abbey Cheek-Ramsey, Softball, 2016-19
2019 National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association National Player of the Year … 2019 NFCA First Team Unanimous All-American … 2019 SEC Player of the Year, the first UK softball player to win that honor … Second in the NCAA in on-base percentage and No. 1 in slugging percentage in 2019 … Currently sits second in UK history in RBI (202), runs scored (189), home runs (61), slugging percentage (.678) and third in total bases (454) … 2019 SEC First Team All-SEC, All-SEC Tournament and All-Defensive Team … Three years NFCA All-Region … Academic All-America … Led UK to three NCAA Regional Championships and four NCAA Tournament appearances … Selected in the National Pro Fastpitch Draft by Chicago … Currently serves as assistant director of athletics and softball coach at a prep school … Also coaches volleyball at a middle school.
Makayla Epps, Women’s Basketball, 2014-17
First-team All-America by College Sports Madness (2016) … Three-time All-America honorable mention by the Associated Press … Three-year first-team All-SEC … Currently sixth in UK history with 1,790 points … Currently sixth in UK history in career games played (133), sixth in field goals made (668), eighth in assists (408), eighth in free throws made (353) and 10th in scoring average (13.5) … Recorded the second triple-double in UK history with 21 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds vs. Morehead State … Single-game high of 42 points ranked as the 10th-highest scoring performance in NCAA history at the time and tied the Memorial Coliseum record … Helped lead UK to a four-year record of 97-38 and advance to four straight NCAA Tournaments … Played one year in the WNBA.
Doug Flynn, Baseball, 1970; Men’s Basketball, 1970; Broadcaster 2004-present
Played baseball and basketball at UK before going on to an 11-year career in major league baseball … Reached the majors with the Cincinnati Reds in 1975 and was a member of the 1975-76 “Big Red Machine” that won back-to-back World Series and is one of the most dominant teams of all time … Also played for the New York Mets, Montreal, Texas and Detroit … Won the Gold Glove fielding award for second basemen in 1980 … Set a major-league record by hitting three triples in one game … Now a member of four halls of fame, including the (State of) Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame … Since 2004, has served as an analyst for television broadcasts of Kentucky baseball and also has called games for the Cincinnati Reds … Won an Ohio Valley Regional Emmy Award for his work on the television show “Kentucky Life” … Has served with numerous nonprofit/charitable organizations and has helped raise millions of dollars for them.
Sonia Hahn, Women’s Tennis, 1986-89
Named a two-time singles All-American and a two-time doubles All-American … Won the 1987 ITA National Indoor Singles championship … Won the SEC No. 1 singles title in 1987 … Four years All-SEC and advanced to the NCAA Singles Championship all four years … Compiled a career singles/doubles record of 148-45, usually playing at the No. 1 position … Team had a four-year record of 79-29, including a pair of runner-up finishes at the SEC Championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances … Won the doubles gold medal at the 1987 Pan American Games … 1987 World University Games bronze medalist … Co-Head Coach at Tennessee for 19 seasons, named National Co-Coach of the Year in 2002 … Currently serves as the deputy director of athletics at California State University at Northridge.
Josh Hines-Allen, Football, 2015-18
National Defensive Player of the Year as winner of the Bednarik Award, Nagurski Award and Lott Trophy as a senior … Unanimous First-Team All-America and SEC Defensive Player of the Year … Totaled 88 tackles that season, with 21.5 tackles for loss, including 17 quarterback sacks, while helping lead UK to a 10-win season and victory over Penn State in the VRBO Citrus Bowl … Set UK career record for sacks with 31.5 … Tied UK career record for fumbles caused with 11 … Second in UK history in TFL with 41 … Second-team All-SEC as a junior … No. 7 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft by Jacksonville and earned a spot on the NFL All-Rookie Team … Has played six seasons with the Jaguars and twice has been named to the Pro Bowl … Set Jacksonville records for most sacks in a season and most sacks by in a season by a rookie.
Karl-Anthony Towns, Men’s Basketball, 2015
Helped guide UK to a 38-1 season, a Final Four appearance and a No. 1 national ranking … Second-leading scorer and leading rebounder and shotblocker on the first team in NCAA history to start a season 38-0 and tied the NCAA Division I record for the most wins … Consensus Second-Team All-American … SEC Freshman of the Year … NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Player … All-SEC First Team … Helped UK to the SEC regular season and tournament titles … First overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft … 10-year NBA veteran … Had a nine-year stint with Minnesota and is the leading scorer in franchise history … Has played one season with New York and helped lead the Knicks to the Eastern Conference finals, the team’s best playoff run in 26 years … Named to the All-NBA Team three times … Five-time NBA All-Star … Consensus 2016 Rookie of the Year … Career average of 23.1 points per game and has started every game in which he has played.
The UK Athletics Hall of Fame was started in 2005 to recognize and honor persons whose participation and achievements enriched and strengthened the University’s athletics program. A committee consisting of Hall of Famers, media members, campus representatives and current coaches and administrators elects new inductees each year.
