Madison County Sports Hall of Fame
2025 Hall of Fame Members
Tony Cox, Class of 2025, Baseball Player, Coach
Tony Cox enjoyed a successful baseball career at Madison Central High School where he starred at shortstop for Coach Don Richardson’s Indians, and helped lead Central to three straight state tournament appearances from 1962 to 1964. After hitting .387 in 1964, Cox signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, and reported to the Western Carolina Rookie League. In 1965, he played for the Miami Marlins, a Phillies affiliate in the Florida State League. Following two years in the Minors, he served two years in the U.S. Army, and then enrolled at Eastern Kentucky University. He graduated in 1973 with a degree in physical education and a minor in history. He enjoyed a 33-year teaching and coaching career that included stops at White Hall Elementary, Estill County, Berea, Mercer County, Madison Central, and Madison Southern High Schools. In 2004, he and friend Benny Roop teamed up as coaches of Model High School’s boys’ basketball team and led the Patriots to an 18-win season. He ended his coaching career at Berea College where he served as assistant baseball and basketball coach for two seasons.
Marquis Estill, Class of 2025, Basketball Player
Marquis Estill was a 6-9 forward/center who played at Madison Central High School and was a consensus Top 100 player in the nation his senior year. He led the Indians to the Kentucky “Sweet 16” State Tournament in 1999 and was named the Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year and a finalist for Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball after averaging 20.5 points and 11.3 rebounds. He signed with the Kentucky Wildcats and after redshirting his freshman year due to a knee injury, Marquis played two years for UK before entering the NBA Draft. He enjoyed his finest season as a Wildcat in 2002-03 when he was selected to the NCAA All-Regional Team, All-SEC Second Team, and the SEC All-Tournament Team. His career field goal percentage of .601 was a UK record until it was broken in 2020. After going undrafted in 2003, Marquis elected to play overseas. He returned to UK in 2012 to complete his degree and served on the Wildcat basketball staff. He earned his undergraduate degree in 2013 and began a coaching career as an assistant boys’ basketball coach at Dunbar High School in Lexington. He has also had coaching stints at Georgetown College and Midway University.
Peg (Saalfeld) Harris, Class of 2025, Swimming
Peggy (Saalfeld) Harris had a remarkable swimming career as a member of the Model High School swimming team from 1975 to 1981, and afterwards at the University of Tennessee. She was a three-time high school All-American and went on to earn collegiate All-American recognition for the Volunteers. She held the Kentucky High School 50-yard Freestyle record of 24.36 seconds for 15 years before it was broken in 1991, ten years after she graduated. She dominated both the 50-yard Freestyle, winning the state championship six straight years from 1975 to 1981, including two years in middle school, and captured the 100-yard Freestyle in 1977 and 1978. She was also a member of Model’s 400-yard Relay state championship team in 1980 and 1981. She was inducted into the Model Athletic Hall of Fame in 2021. She was a member of the Tennessee Vols’ 1981 second place 200-yard medley relay team in the Southeastern Conference Championships. As a result of her 1982 NCAA Championship performances, she was named an Honorable Mention All-American for a 9th place 200- yard medley relay finish, and 11th place 400-yard and 12th place 800-yard freestyle relay finishes.
Rufus Harris , Class of 2025, Horseshoe Pitching, Running
Rufus Harris was an accomplished distance runner and world champion horseshoe pitcher. As a runner, he consistently ranked in the top portion of his age group on the state and local levels, and competed in the U.S. Marine Corps Marathon at age 65. When health issues prevented him from running, he discovered a new passion in the sport of Horseshoes. Within three years of taking up Horseshoe pitching seriously, he entered the 1992 World Horseshoe Pitching Tournament, finishing in the top five for his age division. In 1993, he captured the World Championship Horseshoe Pitcher Senior Class Title at Spearfish, SD when he was 69 years old. He also participated in the Bluegrass State Games winning a medal in each year of participation, and capturing the Gold Medal in 1994. He played competitive Horseshoes for 12 years, and was instrumental in helping form, maintain and grow the Madison County Horseshoe Club, serving as director for 12 years. In 1999, at the age of 75, he was inducted into the Madison County Horseshoe Pitcher Hall of Fame and the Kentucky Horseshoe Hall of Fame. The RO Harris Memorial Tournament is held each year at the shelter built at Gibson Bay that was dedicated to Mr. Harris on May 5, 2007.
Mary (Shuber) Parker, Class of 2025, Track and Cross Country
Mary (Shuber) Parker was an accomplished cross country and track distance runner at Berea Community High School before achieving a lifetime career as a physician in the U.S. Army. In 1979 she was named a high school All-American after capturing the Class A State Championship in Cross Country and the State Championship for the 800 meter run. In 1980 she won the State Championship in the 1600 meter run, and repeated her championship in the 800 meter run. She received an athletic scholarship from the Ohio State University where she pursued a medical degree. She became a physician and was given the Board of Regents outstanding medical student award upon graduation. Mary served in the U.S. Army for 25 years, including time as the Chief of Gynecologic Oncology. She served on a recovery team that went to the Pentagon following the 2001 terrorist attacks. After military retirement, she worked as a medical analyst for the Defense Intelligence Agency and Central Intelligence Agency before her final job as a senior director in clinical development within the pharmaceutical industry. She reached the rank of Colonel before retiring, and passed away in 2021 after a long battle with cancer.
Frankie Ray, Class of 2025, Coach, Runner
Frankie Ray coached for 49 years from 1959 to 2008 in the Madison County Schools System. He influenced the lives of perhaps more young men and women than any other educator during his career. He graduated from Madison-Model in 1953 where he played five sports and was a second place finisher in the 1953 Kentucky High School Diving Championships. Was selected during high school by the Richmond Daily Register for its Citizenship, Leadership, Scholarship, and Sportsmanship Award. After serving for two years in the U.S. Army, he graduated from Eastern Kentucky State College in 1959 and began his teaching and coaching career at Kirksville Elementary and Junior High School. Transferred to Madison Central High School in 1964 where he served as an assistant football coach for one year before taking over as head coach for three years. His first team compiled a 9-3 record. His coaching jobs at Central also included track and field, cross country, and girls’ basketball. During the 1960s he was the manager of the Richmond City Pool where he taught untold numbers of children to swim. At age 39, he began competing in various road races around the state, and it is estimated that he covered more than 32,000 miles as he was often seen running along the streets of Richmond.
Eddie Simmons, Class of 2025, Football, Basketball & Track
Eddie Simmons is regarded as one of the finest football players to wear the purple and white for Madison High School, and is considered the top receiver the program ever produced. He was recruited and signed by the University of Kentucky. He was a two-time All-State selection on both offense and defense in 1978 and 1979. In addition to football, Simmons also played basketball for two years and earned All-44th District and All-11th Region honors as a junior and senior as he averaged more than 20 points both seasons. He was a three time All-Central Kentucky Conference selection in football and a one-time pick in basketball. He was a two-time First Team All-State football selection by both the Courier-Journal and Lexington Herald-Leader in 1978 and 1979, and he was selected for the 1979 Kentucky East-West All-Star game. He was named a World Sporting Goods Kentucky First Team Football All-Stater in 1979 and Honorable Mention All-South in 1979. In addition to his football and basketball prowess, Simmons excelled in track and field, and was ranked No. 3 in the state high jump.
Brad Winkler, Class of 2025, Baseball Player
Brad Winkler is a 1980 Madison Central graduate and baseball standout who was selected as a three-time member on the Kentucky All-State Team. He went on to play for Mississippi State University and was in the New York Yankees Baseball system. In his freshmen year at MSU he was selected to the NCAA Atlantic Regional All-Tournament Team. In 1983, he was named an All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association, in addition to being selected on the All-Southeastern Conference Team, and the NCAA Central Regional All-Tournament Team. He completed his collegiate career as the MSU career leader for Games Played (212), Doubles (41), Walks (164), and ranked among the SEC career leaders for Runs (203), At Bats (727), Hits (224), Triples (12), HRs (31), RBI (172), and Stolen Bases (60). He went on to be nominated for the 1984 New York Yankees’ Minor League Rookie of the Year. Following his playing career, Winkler went on to coach four high school teams to the state finals in Mississippi.
Jerry Woolum, Class of 2025, Football Player
Jerry Woolum was the first outstanding quarterback in modern history for Madison-Model High School. He was an outstanding passer and leader who signed with the University of Kentucky, and was a three-year starter at quarterback for Coach Blanton Collier. During two years at Madison-Model, Woolum earned six letters in football, basketball and baseball, but it was in football that he made his mark. As a junior in 1957, he established himself as an elite quarterback while for Coach Roy Kidd. He earned 1957 and 1958 First Team All-Central Kentucky Conference honors, and was voted MVP of the Recreation Bowl. In his senior year of 1958, he was voted to the All-State First Team, becoming the first Madison-Model athlete to earn this award. His senior year was capped by selection to the 1958 All-South Team and he became the first Madison-Model player to have his football jersey retired. He was leading the nation in passing yardage until a broken leg ended his UK junior season, but despite the injury, he was still voted a Third Team All-SEC quarterback. As a senior in 1962, he tied for the SEC pass completion lead with 83 and finished his Kentucky career with 2,759 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and a 53.1 completion percentage.
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2025 Hall of Fame Teams of Distinction
1950 Berea Foundation Boys' Swimming Team
Members of the 1950 Berea Foundation High School boys' swimming team are pictured front: Gunkler; middle row, from left: Reynolds, Van Winkle, Price, Abrams; back row, Capps, McNeil, Harris, Moser, Buckhold, Coach Shrader
The 1950 Berea Foundation captured the first of three Class B Kentucky State Championship titles.
1953 Berea Foundation Boys' Swimming Team
Members of the 1953 Berea Foundation High School boys' swimming team are pictured, front row, from left: B. LeCroy, B. Gunkler, J. Chambers, D. Dungan, K. Thompson; middle row, R. Keith, P. Stewart, D. McGrow, B. Gay, F. Mynheer; back row, F. Hutchins, manager; J. Stacy, C. Noss, C. Davis, F. Perry, Coach Gunkler, absent was C. Rose.
The 1953 Berea Foundation High School boys' swimming team was coached by Oscar Gunkler, and captured the second Class B Kentucky State Championship in the school's history.
1954 Berea Foundation Boys' Swimming Team
Members of the 1954 Berea Foundation High School boys' swimming team are pictured, front row, from left: C. Rose, C. Noss, K. Thom;son, R. Keith, J. Stacy; middle row, Routh, Stephenson, Irvin. F. Hutchins, J. Stacy; back row, Coach Gunkler, Huskinson, Rush, Ross, Padgett.
The 1954 Berea Foundation boys' swimming team captured the school's third straight Kentucky Class B State Championships
1969 Model High School Girls' Swimming Team
Members of the team are pictured, front row, from left: Cathy Combs, Tammy Thompson, Ann Brown, Cheryl Combs, middle row, Valerie Brotherton, Sue Ann Hounchell, Missy Smith, Gail Curry, Nancy Cornelison, Amelia Smith; third row, Janet Bock, Beth Kirkpatrick, Coy Wiggins, Karen Powell.
The 1969 Model Girls' Swimming Team captured the first of three consecutive Kentucky High School Class AA State Championships.
1970 Model High School Girls' Swimming Team
Members of the team are pictured, front row, from left: Betsy Smith, Russie Coy, Mary Mac McKinney, Susan Bladen, Cathy Combs, Valerie Brotherton; second row, Ann Moretz, Tammy Thompson, Ann Brown, Libby Roberts, Margaret Muncy, Julie Powell, Beth Cockerham, Cheryl Combs; back row, Thelma Hume, Nancy Cornelison, Beth Kirkpatrick, Karen Powell, Clara Smith, Pat Metcalf, Missy Smith, Coy Wiggins, Coach Dan Lichty.
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The 1970 Model Girls' Swimming Team captured the first of three consecutive Kentucky High School Class AA State Championships.
1971 Model High School Girls' Swimming Team
Members of the team are pictured, front row, from left: Coach Dan Lichty, Julie Powell, Ann Brown, Mary Mac McKinney, Betsy Smith, Cathy Combs, Libby Hume, Russie Coy, Toosie Smith; middle row, Valerie Brotherton, Ann Moretz, Libby Roberts, Karen Powell, Cheryl Combs, Tammy Thompson, Margie Muncy, Beth Cockerham; back row, Patty Moretz, Leigh Nagle, Missy Smith, Coy Wiggins, Robin Nagle, Beth Kirkpatrick, Nancy Cornelison.
The 1971 Model Girls' Swimming Team captured the third consecutive Kentucky High School Class AA State Championships.