By Andy Furman
NKyTribune reporter
Six new members will be inducted into the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame, Wednesday, September 21 at The Garden of Park Hills (1622 Dixie Highway).
Joe Brennan, President of the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame, made the announcement today. George Vogel, Sports Director – and anchor – for Cincinnati’s WLWT TV, Channel 5, will be the guest speaker.
The inductions – and meeting – are free and open to the public and commence at 1 p.m.
Vogel has spent his entire career at WLWT, and his face is one of the most recognized among Cincinnati broadcasters. The native of Georgetown, Ohio attended Southern State Community College and the University of Cincinnati.
The inductees include:
Paul Devoto – A 1970 graduate of Newport Catholic High School, he started coaching at St. Catherine’s while still in high school – that led to a career that spanned six decades and 52 years.
He coached almost 1,300 games – winning over 840. A member of the Newport Catholic Hall of Fame, his number 50 is retired at Catherine’s Grade School to commemorate his 50 years of coaching.
W.J. Danner – A trainer of horses for some 46 years, his career started in 1954 – and he’s won over 700 races – including 16 Stakes Races. He’s trained horses at Keeneland, Churchill Downs, Latonia Race Course, Turfway Park, Beulah Park and Thistledown – he had a horse run in the Arkansas Derby. He was leading trainer over 25 times at various tracks and was top trainer at nine consecutive meetings at Turfway, River Downs and Beulah Park.
He raced Opening Day 1959 at Latonia Race Course – and he holds two World Records with Bea Beauty at two-miles. Danner and Hall of Famer Steve Cauthen were leading trainers at River Downs during Cauthen’s apprentice year.
Margaret Jones – A four-time champion of the Kentucky Amateur, and three-time winner of the Cincinnati Met, in 1962 – she was the youngest champion at the age of 19.
She held course records at seven different courses in five different states at the end of the 1971 season – and she competed in multiple USGA events – including the U.S. Open.
In 1970 she coached boys golf at Dixie Heights High School and later moved to Stetson University and coached the ladies in 1991. She got her start in the game of golf at the Fort Mitchell Country Club.
Jason Yeager – A Dixie Heights High School graduate, Yeager reached a singles ranking in tennis of two in the GCTA under 12 division – by the age of 18 he was Ohio Valley singles Number Two and Doubles, Number One.
At Dixie he was Regional Champion in 1988, 89 and 1990. He won the State Championship in 1989 and 1990 and earned a scholarship to the University of Kentucky.
As a Wildcat he won the Ball State Invitational and was a finalist at the UK Invitational. He qualified for the NCAA indoor and outdoor doubles, MTSU Invitational, and the 1992 Region III Indoor Championship.
Yeager was the Cincinnati Met Singles champ in 1992, 1999, and a finalist in 1995.
Andrew Wesselman – A graduate of St. Henry District High School, Wesselman enters the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame as goalkeeper in soccer and Chess Master. In soccer he was named to the All-District Team in 2003, 04 and 05. He was All Region and All State in 2004 and 2005, and a member of the 2004 State Championship team. He’s been honored by St. Henry with a soccer award named after him.
Drew Harris – A 2007 Campbell County High School graduate, he attended Northern Kentucky University on a Cross-Country scholarship. In 2009 he was named an All-American performer and placed 16th at the NCAA Championships – the highest finish in school history.
Harris was a two-time all-NCAA Midwest Region, two-time All-GLVC and four-time All-GLVC in track.
A three-time Academic All American, Harris was NKU’s first Cross-Country champion – in 2009 he was named the Kentucky Collegiate Runner of the Year. He set school records in the 5K run, 8K run and in the indoor and outdoor 5K in track.
The Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame was born in October, 1983 for the purpose to recognize and honor individuals for outstanding athletic achievements and overall contributions to the sports scene in Northern Kentucky.