Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2022 to be inducted

STAFF REPORT

BSN

LOUISVILLE — Four individuals with strong in-state connections who have made outstanding contributions to sports have been selected for the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame (KSHOF) Class of 2022.

Comprising the 45th KSHOF class are Mitch Barnhart, nationally renowned athletics director at the University of Kentucky (UK) since 2002; Michael Bush, football star at Louisville Male High School, the University of Louisville and in the NFL in the early 2000s; Sue Feamster, former UK athletic administrator and trailblazer for girls’ and women’s participation in athletic competition starting in the late 1960s; and Dallas Thornton, basketball star at Male, Kentucky Wesleyan and the Harlem Globetrotters in the 60s, 70s and 80s.

A selection committee comprised of 17 sports media professionals from throughout the

Commonwealth, along with the Bygone Era Selection Team, chose this year’s class. All votes by the selection committee were independently tabulated by regional accounting firm Dean Dorton, one of the largest accounting and advisory firms in Kentucky, with offices in Louisville and Lexington.

The 2022 KSHOF class members and their families will be honored on Aug. 22 at the Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville. For ticket information or sponsorship opportunities, contact Julie Howell at jhowell@louisvillesports.org/(502) 587-6742.

The KSHOF is owned and operated by the Louisville Sports Commission, a Kentucky-based non-profit whose mission is to attract, create, host and operate sporting events and activities that enhance the quality of life of the Commonwealth. The KSHOF was founded in 1963 to recognize athletes and sports figures who are Kentucky natives or who participated in their respective sport or made a significant impact in their sport in Kentucky.

“The KSHOF Class of 2022 recognizes four outstanding individuals who represent a broad spectrum of sports and occupations – individuals who had a major impact on sports in the Commonwealth and on the national stage,” said Louisville Sports Commission President and CEO Karl F. Schmitt Jr. “Sue Feamster’s role championing girls’ and women’s sports is compelling and a fitting way for the KSHOF to celebrate the 50th anniversary year of Title IX legislation. The selection of Michael Bush and Dallas Thornton acknowledges the long history of outstanding athletes from Male High School, the University of Louisville and Kentucky Wesleyan. And the selection of Mitch Barnhart celebrates the ongoing success of UK athletics under his tenure dating back more than two decades.”