LEXINGTON, Ky. (BBN TONIGHT) — The 2023 UK Athletics Hall of Fame class features an NBA great, one of the most-decorated gymnasts to wear blue and white, a former player turned coach, and more.
- Football's Chris Chenault
- Gymnastics Robin Ewing Bodem
- Swimmer Danielle Galyer Day
- Dick Parsons, a two-sport athlete in baseball and basketball
- Men's Basketball’s Rajon Rondo
- Baseball’s Ryan Strieby
Chris Chenault - Football (1985-88)
The second-leading tackler in UK football history joins the hall of fame! Chris Chenault was a four-year standout who totaled 482 tackles as a Wildcat, including 15 tackles for loss. He also had three interceptions and returned one for a touchdown. He was named to Freshman All-America first team and Sophomore All-America team by Football News for collecting 92 and 93 tackles in his first two years.
In Chenault's senior year, he collected 134 stops earning him a spot on the All-SEC Second Team, and his career-best came his junior year with 160 stops.
Robin Ewing Bodem - Gymnastics (1994-97)
One of the most decorated gymnasts in UK's history is Robin Ewing Bodem. Bodem was the second wildcat in program history to earn All-America honors in 1996, All-America Second team, and the third wildcat in UK history to individually qualify for the NCAA National Championships.
She was among the top Cats that helped produce the school's first top-four finish at the SEC Championships in 1996. This feat has only been done twice since in 2018 and 2021. UK also placed third in NCAA Regionals in 1996, further decorating Bodem. The only teams to surpass '96 were in 2018 and the latest team of 2023 with a second-place finish.
Danielle Galyer Day - Women’s Swimming and Diving (2014-17)
Danielle Gayler Day is the first and only Wildcat swimmer to win a National Championship. Her performance in 2016 in the 200-meter backstroke was the sixth fastest time in American swimming history! Day is a four-time first-team All-American and an NCAA championship qualifier!
Not only was she one of the best in her sport she was also one of the best in the classroom, earning the Elite 90 Award twice! The Elite 90 is for the highest grade-point average of any competitor at the National Championships.
Day was also a two-time SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2015 and 2016. In 2015 she was also SEC Champion in the 200m backstroke and made All-SEC First Team that year. She was a member of the 2015-26 USA Swimming National Team.
To this day, she still ranks second in program history in both the 100m and 200m backstroke.
Dick Parsons - Baseball 1958-61; Men’s Basketball 1958-61; Baseball Head Coach 1970-72; Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach 1970-80
Dick Parsons -a jack of all trades - as a player, Parsons was an all-American shortstop and a three-year letterman in basketball. In baseball, he earned the honor by batting .400 his senior year. He was a two-year First-Team All-SEC Honoree and helped the team to a three-year record of 53-24.
In basketball, he scored 511 points and finished with a record of 61-19 with two NCAA Tournament appearances. He was a trusted leader in both sports taking on the role of team captain.
During his time as baseball head coach (1970-72), he posted two winning seasons, and as for basketball, he was part of the coveted 1978 championship-winning team! After he finished his 11 seasons there, Parsons was a longtime high school coach and is now in the KHSAA Hall of Fame!
Rajon Rondo - Men’s Basketball (2005-06)
Rajon Rondo played for the Wildcats from 2004-06, leading the Cats to the 2005 SEC regular-season championship with a school-record 87 steals as a freshman.. leaving his mark in the SEC with an SEC All-Freshman Team honor.
In his sophomore season, he led the Cats in assists with 167, total rebounds with 209, points scored with 380, and steals with 69.
He went on to be the 21st pick overall in the 2006 NBA Draft to the Phoenix Suns. Rondo's career lasted for 16 years and he won championships with the Boston Celtics and LA Lakers.
In the NBA, he has quite the resume: four-time NBA All-Star, four-time NBA All-Defensive Team, 2012 All-NBA Team, and led the league in assists for three years and steals for one.
Rondo is still around in the community, hosting his “Camp Rondo” basketball camp every summer in Louisville.
Ryan Strieby - Baseball (2006)
Kentucky Baseball's Ryan Strieby enters the class of 2023 after leading the Bat Cats to their first SEC Championship in 2006 and becoming the first SEC Player of the Year in program history.
Strieby led the team in doubles with 22, homers with 20, and an RBI of 77.
He also led total bases with 164 and slugging percentage of .704 with an on-base percentage of 473.
He was named First Team All-America by college baseball's top institutions and went on to become a fourth-round draft pick in 2006, by the Detroit Tigers. Strieby played 10 seasons of minor-league baseball.
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