UK Athletics adds six to 2021 Hall of Fame class

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Betty Lou Evans, Kendra Harrison, Nazr Mohammed, Larry Warford, Bob Whelen and Arin Gilliand Wright (left to right) make up the 2021 UK Athletics Hall of Fame class.  

Barkley Truax

Six former members of Kentucky’s athletics family’s names have been immortalized Tuesday night. 

First reported on LEX18’s BBN Tonight, they announced that Betty Lou Evans, Kendra Harrison, Nazr Mohammed, Larry Warford, Bob Whelen and Arin Gilliand Wright will all be honored as UK Athletics’ 2021 Hall of Fame class. 

This year’s class will be joined by the 2020 class – Chanda Bell (softball), Sawyer Carroll (baseball), Ron Mercer (men’s basketball), AJ Reed (baseball), Danny Trevathan (football) and Wayne Turner (men’s basketball), who weren’t able to participate in an enshrinement ceremony because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Betty Lou Evans: Women’s Golf (1980-2001)

Evans led Kentucky to the NCAA Regionals 14 times, including five trips to the NCAA Championships in 23 seasons as head golf coach. With three Coach of the Year (SEC, ‘92, Mid-Atlantic, ‘86 & ‘90) awards under her belt, she coached two All-Americans and six First Team SEC golfers in her time with the program. 

After she retired, Evans spent 17 years as Kentucky’s director of golf operations until the 2017-18 season. Not only is UK’s annual golf tournament named after her, she’s already a two-time Hall of Famer (Sports Hall of Fame of Transylvania University and the Kentucky Golf Hall of Fame) and is a former president of the Women’s Kentucky State Golf Association.

Kendra Harrison: Women’s Track & Field (2014-15)

Harrison only competed in a Kentucky uniform for a couple of seasons (2014-15), but she left quite the mark in her respective sport. She’s the current world record holder in the 100-meter hurdles at 12.20 seconds, was named National Track Athlete of the Year by the USTFCCCA as a senior, a five-time SEC gold medalist and was an All-American in 15 categories.

That same year, she was the NCAA champion in the indoor 60m hurdles and outdoor 100m hurdles while winning silver in the NCAA 400m hurdles as both a junior and senior. To this day she holds the school record in the 60m hurdles event.

Nazr Mohammed: Men’s Basketball (1996-98)

An 18-year NBA veteran, Mohammed won two national championships at Kentucky (‘96, ‘98), was an All-SEC first team selection in ‘98 and All-SEC Tournament First Team that same year. His skills allowed him to be selected in the first round of the ‘98 NBA Draft. 

He played more than 1,000 games, scored nearly 6,000 points and grabbed nearly 5,000 rebounds in his NBA career and was a part of the 2005 NBA Finals-winning San Antonio Spurs team. 

Larry Warford: Football (2009-12)

Considered one of the greatest offensive linemen to wear Kentucky across his chest, Warford didn’t give up a sack during his senior campaign while grading over 90% that season. He helped Kentucky win two bowls games which was enough to tab him All-America Third Team honors as a senior from the Associated Press and Phil Steele’s College Football, First Team All-SEC by ESPN that same year among several other accolades throughout his Wildcat career.

He went on to have a seven-year NFL career with the Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints where he had Pro Bowl selections in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Bob Whelen: Men’s Track & Field/Cross Country (1987-90)

An NCAA Champion (‘90) and a six-time SEC champion, Whelen was the first Wildcat to break the four-minute mark in the mile, his record time of 3:58.77, which stood until 2014 and also set the outdoor record in the 1500-meter run with a time of 3:40.56, also broken in the same year. 

Named an All-American from 1989-91, Whelen was a two-time UK Male Athlete of the Year and represented the USA in the 1991 World University Games.

Arin Gilliard Wright: Women’s Soccer (2011-14)

The second Wildcat to earn NSCAA All-American status (‘14), Wright was a Hermann Award finalist for National Player of the Year in 2013 and ‘14, a 2014 espnW Female Athlete of the Year finalist, a three-time All-SEC First Team selection (2012-14) and the 2014 SEC Defensive Player of the Year.

Wright ranks third at Kentucky in total minutes played, third in goals scored (30), third in assists (25,) and first in shots (210) along with eight game-winning goals, the most in UK history.

She was selected by Chicago Red Stars with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2014 National Women’s Soccer League draft where she continues to thrive to this day, even becoming the first former UK women’s soccer player to be called-up to the ever-popular U.S. Women’s National Team.