Every Tuesday, UK Athletics recognizes outstanding performances for our student-athletes. These are the honorees for the week ending Sunday, Jan. 15:

Men's basketball: Anthony Davis

Anthony Davis helped lead the Wildcats to a 2-0 mark on the road this week, the only team in the league to win a pair of games on the road this week ... Davis tallied eight blocks on the week moving him to within one block of the UK single-season record after only 18 games ... Leads the league in blocks and field goal percentage ... He did break the UK freshman record for blocks this week ... Davis helped lead the Cats in a come-from-behind wins at Auburn and at Tennessee, scoring game-high 14 points at Auburn and a game-high 18 points at Tennessee ... Scored in double-figures in seven-straight games and eight of the last nine.

Swimming & diving: Greg Ferrucci

Greg Ferrucci led the Wildcats on the diving platforms this weekend, winning three of the four events he competed in. The reigning Southeastern Conference Freshman Diver of the Year scored a 327.98 on the one-meter, leading Kentucky. Ferrucci finished second in the three-meter competition, recording a 334.43, only falling short of fellow teammate John Fox who won the event with a 351.08.

Ferrucci won both the three-meter and the one-meter competitions in Atlanta, Ga., against Emory University, recording a 429.90 on the 3m, and a 405.30 on the 1m.

Women's basketball: A'dia Mathies

• Scored a career-high 34 points vs. No. 6/7 Tennessee, and grabbed nine boards, one shy of tying a career high. Also dished out two assists, blocked two shots and had two steals.
• Hit the game-winning shot vs. Tennessee with 4.2 seconds left to snap Tennessee's 36-game conference winning streak, give UK its first 4-0 start in conference play in program history, and give UK its third win over a top-10 ranked opponent this season, the first time the program has done that since 1982-83.
• Her 34 points vs. Tennessee are the most points scored by a UK player since Dec. 20, 1987, when Bebe Croley scored 40 points vs. Morehead State.
• First player to score 30 points in a game since Dec. 7, 2010 (Victoria Dunlap, 30, vs. Tennessee Tech).
• Tied a career high with three blocks at No. 24/RV South Carolina, while also getting three steals.
• Led UK in minutes played this week.
• Has started in every game she has played this season.
• Has reached double figures in scoring in 14 of 17 games she has played in.
• No. 16 in scoring all-time at UK (1,208), and is just seven points shy of tying Stacy McIntyre at No. 15.
• No. 9 in steals all-time at UK (220), and is just four steals shy of tying Sandy Harding at No. 8.

Track and field: Keffri Neal

• Finished with the second-fastest collegiate time in the men's 800m run at the Kentucky Invitational.
• Has the third fastest freshman time in the SEC in the 800m run.
• Ran the third leg of the 4x800-meter relay, helping lead the team to a second-place finish.

Track and field: Luis Orta

• Ran a career-best time in the one-mile run of 4:09.59.
• Finished in second in the one-mile run.
• Has the fastest time in the mile in the SEC.
• Has the 32nd fastest time in the country in the mile.

Men's tennis: Anthony Rossi

Kentucky men's tennis junior Anthony Rossi claimed the SEC Coaches' Indoor Championships singles title on Monday with an impressive win against No. 10 Sadio Doumbia of Georgia. The win helped Rossi become the first Kentucky player to win the singles title in the annual event since Adam Malik did it back in 1989. The UK star is only the second player in school history to win the event.

Men's basketball

- The Wildcats return home for a pair of league games this week beginning with Arkansas on Tuesday night. UK just completed a two-game road stretch where they posted a 2-0 record, including a 65-62 win over Tennessee in Knoxville on Saturday.

- Kentucky had to come from behind, trailing the Volunteers by as many as eight in the second half, but the Wildcats were up to the challenge, including freshman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who led UK with his third double-double this season. He finished with 17 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

- Fellow freshman Anthony Davis was named the SEC Freshman of the Week after he finished with a game-high 18 points and added eight rebounds and four blocks, while Terrence Jones was the only other Wildcat in double-figures with 10 points.

 

Women's basketball

- Kentucky remains the only undefeated team in the SEC at 5-0 after two hard-fought wins over No. 6/7 Tennessee and No. 24/RV South Carolina last week. The Wildcats captured a one-point 61-60 victory over the Lady Vols on Thursday in Memorial Coliseum, snapping the Lady Vols' 36-game SEC winning streak.

- Junior guard A'dia Mathies turned in one of the most impressive individual performances in UK Hoops history in the win by netting a career-best 34 points to go along with nine rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals. She hit the game winner with 4.2 seconds remaining to give UK its third win over top-10 team this season and first win over Tennessee in five tries. For her efforts she was tabbed the SEC Player of the Week.

- The Cats then defeated South Carolina on the road, 66-58, marking their first win in Columbia, S.C. since 2009. The balanced scoring effort was led by Keyla Snowden who came off the bench for 15 points and three steals. Ten of the 11 players who saw action scored at least two points.

 

Rifle

- Kentucky got strong outings from Emily Holsopple and Ethan Settlemires to lead the defending national champion Kentucky rifle team improved to 8-0 win a win at Army, 4693-4646, on Saturday at the Tronsure Rifle Range.

- Kentucky opened its spring portion of the schedule with the win at West Point, totaling a 2325 total smallbore score and a 2368 total air rifle team tally.

- Holsopple and Settlemires led UK in both guns, with the duo each charting a 585 in smallbore. Settlemires led UK in air rifle with a 594, with Holsopple adding a 593. Also in air rifle, Henri Junghänel finished with a 592, with Heather Greathouse recording a 592 and Stacy Wheatley posting a 589. Katie Fretts finished with a 585 in air rifle. Holsopple and Settlemires led UK with 585's, with Junghänel charting a 576, Greathouse a 579, Wheatley a 572 and Fretts a 569.

 

Gymnastics

- The No. 23 University of Kentucky gymnastics team concluded its first Southeastern Conference meet of the season by falling 196.650-191.975 to No. 11 Arkansas at Barnhill Arena in Fayetteville, Ark.

- In all, Kentucky had 19 of 24 routines performed by freshmen and sophomores in the meet, while five Wildcats made their collegiate debuts on an event in the meet.

- Kentucky's youth shined on vault with freshman Kenzie Hedges leading the way with a 9.775, while sophomore Holly Cunningham was second on the team and tied a career high with a 9.75. Freshman Sara Shipley went second in the lineup and scored a 9.725, while sophomore Audrey Harrison went 9.7. Senior Storey Morris posted a 9.65 followed by freshman Shelby Hilton, who was making her collegiate debut, earning a 9.475. Kentucky scored a 48.6 as a team on the event.

 

Men's tennis

- The Kentucky men's tennis team completed a successful four-day run in the Southeastern Conference Coaches' Indoor Championships with junior Anthony Rossi claiming the singles title at the event. Rossi used a very workmanlike performance Monday to win the final over the No. 10 Sadio Doumbia.

- Rossi becomes the first Kentucky player to win the singles title in the annual event since Adam Malik did it back in 1989. The UK star is only the second player in school history to win the event.

- Kentucky had a good showing at the event overall with three singles players making the quarterfinals in Rossi, Eric Quigley and Tom Jomby. UK also had two doubles tandems in the quarterfinals, while sophomore Panav Jha and Quigley advanced to the doubles semifinals.

 

Track and field

- The Kentucky men's and women's track and field programs began their seasons Friday and Saturday by hosting the Kentucky Invitational at Nutter Field House.

- The Wildcats got strong performances from its men's one-milers, as junior Luis Orta ran a personal-best and SEC-leading time of 4:09.59 to finish in second. Sophomore Adam Kahleifeh finished fourth with a time of 4:12.20.

- Freshman Bradley Szypka finished second in the men's shot put with a throw of 16.28m/53-05.00, while junior Darryl Bradshaw finished third in the 60-meter hurdles finals with a time of 8.18.

- The Wildcats placed in the top three in six different events Saturday.

 

Swimming and diving

- The UK swimming and diving teams combined to go 2-2 over the weekend, with both teams dropping an SEC dual meet to Alabama on Saturday, but quickly rebounding to sweep Emory University on Sunday.

- On Sunday in the women's 100-butterfly, UK had a dominating performance taking first through fifth.

Julia Gerotto led the way, recording a time of 57.49, while Anna Mattox followed up with a 58.47 for second place. Lindsay Lash, Abby Myers, and Diana Norkus rounded out the top-five for Kentucky.

- Overall on the weekend, Kentucky won seven of the contested eight diving events. Sophomore Greg Ferrucci claimed first place in three of the four events he was entered in.

 

Women's tennis

- Women's tennis traveled to Honolulu, Hawaii, for the Rainbow Wahine Spring Invitational.

- The team swept Kansas in doubles play. The 34^th-ranked duo of Khristina Blajkevitch and Jessica Stiles took on the Kansas' 42nd-ranked doubles team of Monica Pezzotti and Paulina Los, defeating them 8-4.

- Freshman Stephanie Fox faced Washington State's 123rd-ranked Elizaveta Luzina and beat her in straight sets with a score of 6-1, 6-3.

 

Upcoming schedule

 

Tuesday, Jan. 17

Men's basketball hosts Arkansas - 9:00 p.m.

 

Thursday, Jan. 19

Women's basketball at Georgia - 7:00 p.m.

 

Friday, Jan. 20

Women's tennis hosts Marshall - Noon

Gymnastics hosts Florida - 7:00 p.m.

 

Saturday, Jan. 21

Men's basketball hosts Alabama - Noon

Rifle at TCU

 

Sunday, Jan. 22

Women's tennis hosts Belmont - 11:00 a.m.

Men's tennis vs. Michigan State - 2:00 p.m. (Indianapolis)

Women's basketball hosts Florida - 2:00 p.m.

Women's tennis hosts Morehead State - 6:00 p.m.

Men's tennis vs. IUPUI - TBA (Indianapolis)

For four years, Megan Broderick was the best player on the Kentucky tennis team. She played No. 1 singles each season, winning 64 matches and ranking as high as No. 55 in the nation before concluding her tennis career in the spring of 2011.

At that point, most athletes would be ready to call it a career, but Broderick just isn't built that way.

Instead, Broderick opted to take advantage of an NCAA rule that allowed student-athletes a fifth year of eligibility in a second sport, joining the cross country and track team for the 2011-12 season. The same competitiveness and determination that propelled her to a decorated tennis are what ultimately drove her to her second Division I career.

"Growing up, I played a lot of different sports and I've always had that competitive spirit in me," Broderick said. "It wasn't really a thought of mine whether I was going to fail or succeed. I just really wanted to do it. I thought that I could help the team in cross country and track."

To say Broderick has helped the team in her first two months as a competitive runner would be an understatement. In four races as a member of the cross country team, she has emerged as one of UK's top runners, finishing no worse than third among her Wildcat teammates.

"It's definitely a little bit of a surprise to me how well I'm doing right off the bat," Broderick said. "I owe a lot of that to the girls. They've really accepted me onto the team and the coaches and trainers have all done a great job working with me to allow me to be comfortable in the new environment."

Don Weber, head cross country and track coach, sees things a bit differently. He learned a great deal about Broderick's willpower and talent before taking her on the team, and had an inkling this kind of success would be on the horizon, but maybe not so quickly.

"I'm not really surprised she's doing well based upon what I know about her," Weber said, "but she's doing better than I thought she would do."

Chance training room meeting starts it all

Broderick was already planning on returning to UK for a fifth year. She had one class to finish up before her planned graduation in December and had heard about and researched the rule that would ultimately allow her to participate in cross country and track. Coaches don't often find themselves recruiting current college seniors, but that's exactly what Weber did when he ran into Broderick.

"Last year, sometime during the school year we bumped into each other in the training room and I knew she was a fourth-year senior," Weber said. "I asked her if she had any school beyond this. She said she did and I said 'Would you consider running in your fifth year?' "

Broderick didn't think too much about the possibility at first, but there were a few classes she knew she would like to take other than the one she needed to graduate. Weber continued to talk to Broderick about joining the team, appealing to the passion for running she had always had even during her tennis career. Ultimately, Broderick gave Weber the "yes" he was looking for.

"Based on how impressed I was with her, how much want-to she had and her very keen interest in doing this, I decided to invest in her and we'll see where it goes," Weber said.

Developing a plan

There was still the small matter of Weber actually seeing his newest runner in action. As soon as she finished the tennis season, Broderick went on a run with Weber looking on. Fortunately, the investment Weber had decided to make in her immediately looked like a good one.

"I was relieved and impressed that she could run pretty well," Weber said. "She looked pretty good and the pace she was running for those three miles was pretty good. After that run, we came into the field house and she did a couple of 200's to get a sense of her speed and how she might run on the track. That was impressive too."

The next step was to begin training. Broderick wasn't in Lexington for much of the summer, but she stayed in close contact with Weber throughout. He assigned her specific workouts with one preeminent concern in mind.

"I didn't have a whole lot of concerns because I was so impressed with her, but the biggest concern was regarding training," Weber said. "Since she had a relatively limited background in running, I didn't want to have her do too much too soon and her body not be ready for that."

The first race

When the season opening race, the Belmont-VU Opener, rolled around, Broderick expected her nerves to be jangling. She had participated in "one or two" races on the cross country team in high school, but this was another level. To her surprise, she was relatively calm on the course, mostly thanks to all her experience on the tennis court.

"I really thought I was going to be more nervous than I was," Broderick said. "Playing a tennis match, you're out there by yourself and everyone's watching you while in a cross country meet, you're running in a pack so eyes are not directly on you as much."

Her debut was an unmitigated success. She finished in 16th place overall and third on the team with a time of 14:53.73. In some ways, it's what she doesn't know that allowed her to start so quickly.

"She's not afraid of hills, she's not afraid of distance, she just competes and attacks," Weber said. "Other people who have done cross country longer, they know those things are additional challenges and, instead of freely accepting them, there's a measure of intimidation. She doesn't have any of that."

As the season has progressed, Broderick has only gotten better. In the team's last race, she turned in her best performance. The Panorama Farms Invitational two weeks ago was UK's longest race of the season so far (6K) and, for the first time in her career, Broderick was the first Wildcat to finish. With a time of 22:28.51, she finished 23rd overall in a strong field.

Broderick's precociousness would suggest it all comes easily for her, but she's gotten a firsthand education in what makes running competitively so different from running to stay in shape.

"I think the biggest difference is the amount of mental toughness it takes," Broderick said. "During my four years of playing tennis at UK, I became a better athlete, not only physically, but also mentally. When you're running races, it's painful and what gets you through is the ability to overcome that pain and be mentally tough."

Cross country season has 'flown by', track on the horizon

With all regular season races completed, UK's focus now turns to the postseason, which begins with the SEC Championships on Oct. 31 in Maryville, Tenn. The brief season has gone by very quickly for Broderick, though she knows there is a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks.

"It's flown by," Broderick said. "Every race, there's a lot of pressure to compete as best you can because there aren't many. We have SEC's and regionals coming up so hopefully we can perform well."

Broderick is optimistic about her and her team's prospects in the postseason, but she admits she doesn't know quite what to expect. Whenever the season does end, though, she'll jump right into training for track. Weber said he expects Broderick to focus on middle distances races such as the 800-meter and mile and he looks forward to seeing her compete in the more intimate atmosphere of track. Weber, though, called every day a "discovery" with Broderick, but there's one thing he knows he can always expect.

 "I expect it to be a whole lot of fun working with her and it will be inspiring to see what she can do," Weber said. "The one thing I know for certain is we'll get her best, because that's the way she is."

'You run the way you do because of the way you are'


Broderick may not go on to set any records or win any national titles during her one year as a runner, but she has come to represent everything Weber looks for in an athlete.

"I've done this for a long time and in terms of attitude, enthusiasm and personal stake in it, she's one of the best we've ever had in that respect," Weber said. "We have a saying around here: 'You run the way you do because of the way you are.' I think she's a pretty good example of that."

She isn't ready to start thinking too much about her legacy or just how unique she is for participating in two Division I sports at such a high level, but Broderick expects to feel graciousness more than anything else when she does reflect on her time at UK.

"I'm really thankful that (head tennis) coach (Carlos) Drada and (assistant tennis) coach (Kevin) Calhoun were able to develop me as a tennis player and to have the success I did in that," Broderick said. "Then, to run across Coach Weber and to have this awesome opportunity is amazing. I'll just really be thankful for all the people, all the experiences and all the competition I was able to enjoy."

Continuing with our periodical updates of Kentucky's facilities updates, I decided to take another photo tour of some of the projects taking place around the UK Athletics campus.

Check out a full photo gallery of all the shots here and watch the progress of what the facilities looked like before and where they're at now. We'll continue to post pictures of the facilities as their completion nears.

To read about all the changes going on at UK this summer, read the following story here.

Wildcat Coal Lodge



Track facility


Commonwealth Stadium


UK Softball Complex



UK Soccer Complex

Updated photo gallery of UK's facility progress

Russ Pear needs a clone. At the very least, he could use another two or three hours in a day.

Pear, senior associate athletics director for facilities and operations at Kentucky, unofficially owns the title as the busiest man in the UK Athletics Department this summer. Pear and Scott Clark, as the two officials heading UK's numerous facility projects this summer, haven't had much time to enjoy the offseason.

"The schedule has been really hectic," Pear said. "Every year Scott Clark and I say, 'If we can just get through this year, there is no way it can be this busy next year.' "

But few - if any - summers have been as busy as this one for Pear and Clark as they march through the heart of their most important season to date.

In an ongoing effort to upgrade and renovate UK's facility infrastructure, Pear and Clark are leading five major facility projects this summer, in addition to planning for future developments and maintaining the current foundation.

The five projects include:

• The installation of two Daktronics high definition video boards, light-emitting diode ribbon boards and a new sound system at Commonwealth Stadium
• A brand new $12 million track facility 
• The Wildcat Coal Lodge, which will house the Kentucky men's basketball team, in addition to other students
• A new playing surface at the UK Soccer Complex
• An interior renovation of the Shively Training Facility
  

The new video and audio system being installed at Commonwealth Stadium has been covered in detail. Demolition of the old displays is already underway, and the installation of the new displays, along with the ribbon boards and sound system, will begin in early August.

The Commonwealth Stadium upgrades, which will include new sod, are expected to be ready for the home opener against Central Michigan on Sept. 10.

With the addition of the video and sound system, which is expected to cost close to $6 million (demolition and installation included), UK Athletics has invested more than $14 million in renovations and upgrades to football facilities at Commonwealth Stadium, Nutter Training Center and Nutter Field House over the last six years.

Last year, Pear and his crew renovated the Nutter Training Facility, revamping the football team's weight room, locker room and meeting rooms. Where folding chairs used to sit in small rooms, expanded meeting rooms, similar to miniature theaters, have been refurbished.

"When you've got six or eight offensive linemen in a room that's smaller than this office, it's just not very functional," Pear said of the previous meeting rooms.

Also, a main meeting room, equipped with projection screens and "smart" technology, has replaced old racquetball courts in Nutter. The room can be used for team-wide film sessions, presentations or recruiting purposes.

Even if the upgrades aren't just a case of keeping up with the Joneses of the Southeastern Conference, the additions were imperative for a program that's trying to rise in the nation's strongest league.

"I don't see us engaging as much in the arms race as much as I see us getting things functional and up to date for today's athletes," Pear said. "That doesn't mean we weren't paying attention before, but if someone builds one for $2 million, that doesn't mean you go build one for $3 million."

Outside of football, the most noticeable addition occurring at UK Athletics is the formation of the Wildcat Coal Lodge, which is being erected next to the Joe Craft Center.

Steel beams are the only things arising from a pit right now, but Pear said the new lodge could be operational in the spring and will definitely be open by fall 2012. Fans can take a virtual tour of the new lodge here.

As for the old lodge, Pear said UK Athletics is working with the university to determine the best use of that space once its vacated next spring.
 
One might raise an eyebrow at the upgrades to men's basketball and football if they were the only additions going on, but Pear has had his hands full with plenty of other sports and facilities.
 
"We know what keeps the overall ship afloat, but every sport is important," Pear said. "Mitch (Barnhart) started that attitude from an overall operations standpoint. We place just as much importance in our softball program, our baseball program and our gymnastics program, just like we do with our football program." 

Case in point: Pear's biggest project this summer is the $12 million track facility being constructed between the old Shively Track and baseball's Cliff Hagan Stadium. As Pear termed it, it's a "complete redo" of the facility.

Nothing more than a smoothed dirt field at the moment, the new track facility is expected to be operational for the spring 2012 season. Without an outdoor track facility for the next few months, the track and field and cross country teams will use the Nutter Field House as its practice facility. Other designated areas around UK's campus will be set up for track and field's throwers.

The construction is an inconvenience for the teams during the building process, but the previous facility was bordering on unusable. Last year, Barnhart tabbed the existing track's conditions as "unacceptable."

"We've basically had a track that's been non-functional from a collegiate competitive standpoint," Pear said.

Pear is hopeful the foundation of the actual track will be completed before winter arrives, allowing the team a means of outdoor practice while the stadium seating, concourse and other structures are built around it.

The hope is to host six to eight collegiate and high school meets a year, including the Southeastern Conference Championships and the state high school track meet, but no events have been scheduled for the 2012 spring season as a precaution for potential construction delays. 

"It brings people to campus both from a competitive standpoint for recruiting but also just to our campus," Pear said of the advantage of a new track. "A lot of the things we've done over the years with state high school tournaments, there are probably only a select few that may be SEC-caliber athletes, but the bottom line is you get people on campus who say this is a nice place and they want to come to school at the University of Kentucky."

Just down the street, Pear and his crew are about to embark on a $950,000 interior facelift of the Shively Training Facility,  which houses the locker rooms and weight room of several Olympic sports, including the baseball and men's and women's track and field teams.

Pear said the bare basics of the facility - the heating, the ventilation and the structure - are still in good shape, but the complex is in need of some updates. Beginning in about a week, new drywall, new ceilings, new floors - the "whole bit," as Pear described it - will be laid at Shively, specifically in the locker rooms of each team.

By the completion of the project, which should end in November, the goal is to give Shively the look and feel of a modern facility.

"The hallways, we're going to transform those so that when you walk in to Shively, you don't know if you're walking into the Craft Center or into Shively Sports Center," Pear said.

The new field at UK Soccer Complex is perhaps the smallest project that Pear and his crew are managing this summer, but right now it's the most critical to get finished in preparation for the Aug. 23 women's soccer home opener. A construction crew dug up the old field months ago, but a freak weather year has delayed the crew from laying the new sod.

"It's been one of those crazy years for weather," Pear said. "It wasn't like we had rain for two weeks straight, but we would get rain for two days straight and it would be so wet that you'd have to wait. By the time you were about to get back on it, it would rain again. We're just at a critical point right now at trying to be ready for the first game."

Pear said the renovation of the field isn't just new sod. Old drains are being repaired and the base of the field is being reconstructed. Because of the draining problems of the old soil, the new soccer field will be a sand-capped surface with moisture sensors in the field that will allow the Sports Turf department the ability to monitor soil moisture levels and reduce overwatering. Six inches of sand will sit on top of the base of the soil and then Bermuda grass will grow on top of that.

Other minor renovations will be made to the UK Soccer Complex in addition to a permanent tower to shoot film.

Of course, with all these projects going on, many might ask when a new baseball stadium might come or what the update is on a new basketball arena. The city of Lexington is currently studying the feasibility of redesigning and renovating Rupp Arena and the Lexington Center.

Future projects that are on the docket include moving the fences back at the UK Softball Complex and the addition of a new video/scoreboard. Pear also said men's tennis coach Dennis Emery is working hard to get some supporters to the table to fundraise an expansion at Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex. That renovation, which is still in the planning stages, would include an expansion of four courts to six courts in the indoor facility, plus updated locker rooms.

Pear has a giant board in his office to organize the numerous projects going on and to help him look to the future. Prioritizing what needs to be done for an aging infrastructure can be a difficult job, but Pear said they have to look at UK's facilities situation as a need-to-need basis.

"We've gone around and looked at everything and said, 'That would be nice, but that's not exactly what we need. What we need is this,' " Pear said. "Mitch has made it a priority now to make sure that when he retires, that part of the department is in good shape to where another AD won't have to worry about it."

Fundraising, of course, also factors into prioritizing the facilities projects, as does the year-to-year fiscal budget. The list can change on a frequent basis, and capital dollars must also be allocated to Kentucky's normal facility operations, like painting and sprucing up UK's current facilities.

"You want a plan of the things we're looking at down the road and try to attack those in order of whatever priority you set them in," Pear said. "Sometimes the priority changes because of certain circumstances. If a donor comes forward and says, 'I'd like to do this and here's what I'd like to do,' you need to listen. Unless we're going to get in a capital campaign, this is how we have to do these things." 

It's made for one busy summer for Pear and his crew.

Although it's been a relatively quiet summer in terms of news, it's been an active summer for UK Athletics facilities.

In an effort to strengthen and improve Kentucky's athletic infrastructure, several of UK's facilities are undergoing renovations or complete overhauls. The facility projects include Commonwealth Stadium, the Wildcat Coal Lodge, a new track facility and the UK Soccer Complex.

I decided to drive around to each facility today to snap a few pictures of the process. For those of you that aren't in Lexington, it should give you a better idea of the kind of activity going on this summer on UK's campus.

New track facility



Commonwealth Stadium

Move over Tonys. Take a backseat Oscars. The Scratchies (again, not a skin disease) are back.

I know it's been an unbearably long and grueling six-month wait since we introduced the Scratchies, but fear no more, it's time to introduce the 2011 spring semester winners.

Not to be confused with ESPN's Herbie Awards or UK's end-of-the-year CATSPY Awards - although I must confess, many award winners will repeat the CATSPYs - the Scratchies offer no actual hardware or glitzy awards show. Instead, these honorees have earned the appreciation of a lowly blogger trying to pass the beginning weeks of a long offseason.

A couple of the award names have changed, but the objective is the same - to look back at another semester of UK Athletics. Remember, these award winners only constitute the spring semester of UK Athletics action. The fall winners can be found here.

Please feel free to disagree and comment on who you think should have won in the comments section below. Keep in mind, this is all for fun.

Without further ado, here are the semiannual Scratchies:

MVW (Most Valuable Wildcat)
Brandon Knight, men's basketball - There were a lot of candidates for this semester's awards. There is Eric Quigley, who guided the men's tennis team to a national quarterfinals berth and finished the season ranked No. 7 in the nation. There is Megan Yocke, the heart and soul of the record-setting softball team. And let's not forget about Ethan Settlemires' clutch performance in the rifle national championship. But it's hard to ignore what Knight did in this year's NCAA Tournament. Knight's dramatic game winners against Princeton and Ohio State were the highlights of a Final Four run that fans will never forget. Stepping into the gargantuan shoes of John Wall and the sensational freshman class of 2009-10, Knight and the 2010-11 team proved it could play a little basketball as well. Next week, Knight is expected to be a top-five pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.
Honorable mention: Megan Yocke (softball), Eric Quigley (men's tennis), Ethan Settlemires (rifle), Victoria Dunlap (women's basketball)

The Dream Team (team of the semester)
Rifle - Much like the previous award, this could have gone to a number of squads, including the men's basketball, men's tennis and softball teams. But the rifle team won a national championship. You know, that ultimate goal that every team sets out for at the beginning of the year that only a select few ever win.  Ethan Settlemires didn't know it at the time, but his last shot in air rifle - the final shot of the match - would determine the national championship. Settlemires needed at least an 8.0 to capture the elusive title. The junior came through in the clutch with a 10.7, winning the program's first national championship.
Honorable mention: Men's basketball, men's tennis, softball

The Adolph Rupp Award (coach of the semester)
Harry Mullins, rifle - As sweet as that rifle national championship was, it was even sweeter for Mullins, the longtime coach and most important figure in program history. Since 1982, Mullins and the UK rifle team have been one in the same. In his journey from a former student-athlete to a part-time coach to the symbol of the program, Mullins has taken the rifle team from its infant stages and built it into one of the nation's top programs. Year after year, Mullins and the rifle team came agonizingly close to winning the whole thing, only to fall short with seven top-three finishes. Whether it was by a string of fate or pure coincidence, Mullins finally won that coveted national title in the same town where his late father served as a sergeant in the military and raised his family.
Honorable mention: Rachel Lawson (softball), John Calipari (men's basketball), Dennis Emery (men's tennis)
 
The Josh Harrellson Award (most improved player)
Josh Harrellson, men's basketball - Harrellson's turnaround his senior year was so significant and so inspiring that we've renamed the award after him. Before this year, Harrellson had played a total of 403 minutes and scored 151 points for Kentucky. By the end of his senior year, Harrellson had transformed himself into the nation's most improved player and one of the best big men in the NCAA Tournament. Transforming his body and work ethic after the legendary tweet about his head coach, Harrellson went on to average 7.6 points and 8.7 rebounds this year, including an 11.0 scoring average in the NCAA Tournament against some of the nation's top post players. Harrellson's spirit and leadership were just as valuable to the team's Final Four run as his presence in the paint and unpredictable production. Harrellson's storybook season will be remembered decades from now.
Honorable mention: Alex Musialek (men's tennis), Meagan Aull (softball), Samantha DeMartine (softball)

The Butler-VCU Award (surprise team)
Women's golf - In her first year as head coach, Golda Johansson Borst wasn't expected to do much with the Kentucky women's golf team. After all, the program had been to just one NCAA Tournament since 2000. But with just one senior on the team and a wealth of midseason injuries, including two to the top two players, Ashleigh Albrecht and Betsie Johnson, UK returned to the NCAA Tournament for the 16th time in school history. With most of the team returning next year, the future is bright for women's golf.
Honorable mention: softball

One Shining Moment (best moment)
Annie Rowlands and Meagan Aull's hits send softball to Supers - The Kentucky softball team went to its third straight regional appearance with bigger expectations and higher hopes. The coaches and players talked about making it to their first Super Regional in program history, but as the third-ranked team in the Ann Arbor Regional and with the second-ranked team in the nation in the same regional, the reality of advancing was pretty slim. And yet, on a sunny Sunday afternoon, with one win over No. 2 Michigan standing in the way of a historic march, Kentucky entered the bottom of the seventh trailing 1-0. With Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Jordan Taylor dealing a gem and the nation watching on ESPN, Meagan Aull belted a changeup over the fence in right field to tie the game. Five batters later, with one out and the bases loaded, senior Annie Rowlands, a sub-.150 hitter, came through with the biggest hit in program history, a game-winning single over the first baseman's head. The RBI bloop advanced UK to its first Super Regional, which the school would go on to host.
Honorable mention: Brandon Knight's game-winning layup vs. Princeton; Knight's game-winning shot vs. Ohio State; Ethan Settlemires' winning shot to capture the national championship; Alex Musialek's match-clinching win vs. Louisville; gymnast Andre Mitchell's 39.550 score in the all-around, UK's highest score in 15 years

The "Band is Out On the Field" Award (best game/match)
Men's tennis vs. Louisville in the NCAA Tournament - What happens when you combine your archrival with postseason play? You get some edge-of-your-seat theater. That's what the Kentucky-Louisville men's tennis match brought in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. After UK grabbed the doubles point, the singles matches went back and forth in front of a raucous crowd at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex. Every 10 minutes it looked like the match was going to go a different way. With Kentucky holding a 3-2 lead and courts No. 1 and No. 2 split in a 1-1 tie, everyone raced to the center courts to watch the decisive matches. Eric Quigley, UK's top player, dropped his match in three thrilling sets to tie the match 3-3. Moments later, though, after dropping the first set 5-7, Alex Musialek won the third set in dominating fashion, 6-0, to clinch the match and send UK to the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive year.
Honorable mention: softball's win over Michigan in the regional finals; men's basketball's upset of No. 1 Ohio State

The Doug Flutie Hail Mary Award (best play)
Brandon Knight's game-winning jumper vs. Ohio State - Once again, there was plenty to choose from, but Knight gets the nod on this one given the magnitude of the situation. Against the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament and with the game tied 60-60, Knight pulled up from just inside the arc and drilled a jumper with five seconds left to send Kentucky to the Elite Eight and eventually the Final Four. For a team that failed to close during the regular season, it was an unforgettable moment in an unbelievable season.
Honorable mention: Brandon Knight's game-winning layup vs. Princeton; Ethan Settlemires' winning shot to capture the national championship; Brittany Henderson's game-winning layup vs. LSU

The Jimmer Fredette Award (breakthrough player)
Alex Meyer, baseball - Alex Meyer's first two years in the at UK were defined by potential and upside. In 2011, Meyer broke through with the type of year that everyone expected years earlier when Boston Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein showed up on his doorstep at the end of Meyer's high school career with a lucrative multi-million dollar contract. Meyer, with big-league stuff, finished the year as the Southeastern Conference leader in strikeouts, complete games and complete-game shutouts. Two weeks ago, Meyer was selected by the Washington Nationals with the 23rd overall pick in the 2011 MLB Draft, UK's highest draft pick since Joe Blanton went No. 24 in 2002.
Honorable mention: Meagan Aull (softball), Greg Ferrucci (swimming and diving)

All-Calipari Team (all-freshman team)
Greg Ferrucci, swimming and diving - Named SEC Male Freshman Diver of the Year and advanced to the NCAA Championships
Terrence Jones, men's basketball - Tabbed SEC Freshmanof the Year after averaging 17.3 points and 8.8 rebounds in his first year
Doron Lamb, men's basketball - Not to be overshadowed by Knight and Jones, Lamb averaged 12.3 points, hit a team-high 38 3-pointers and poured in a then-freshman record 32 points in December
Emily Holsopple, rifle - Appeared on the fall semester's list, but she certainly qualifies again after earning first-team All-America accolades and winning a national championship
Bernisha Pinkett, women's basketball - On a team with talented freshmen, averaged 7.0 points in just 18.7 minutes of action    

All-Up-and-Comers (non-freshmen on the rise)
Jessica Stiles, women's tennis - Led a rebuilding women's tennis program with 11 wins  
Darius Miller, men's basketball - Came on late in the season to win SEC Tournament MVP
Chanda Bell, softball - UK's all-time strikeout leader will enter her senior season as one of the top pitchers in the nation
Thomas McCarthy, baseball - Ranked third in the SEC with .371 batting average, including 19 doubles and 39 RBI
Brittany Cervantes, softball - UK's career home-run leader will be the centerpiece of next year's offense
  
All-Wildcat Team (the Scratchies equivalent of the All-America Team)
Brandon Knight, men's basketball - Replaced No. 1 overall pick John Wall by averaging 17.3 points and leading UK to the Final Four, plus first-team Freshman All-America honors
Victoria Dunlap, women's basketball - Program's No. 2 all-time scorer led the team to its second straight NCAA Tournament appearance and became the highest WNBA draft pick in school history
Eric Quigley, men's tennis - The nation's No. 7 player finished the year with a school-record-tying 45 wins
Megan Yocke, softball - Heart and soul of record-setting softball team became just the second player in school history to earn All-SEC accolades all four years
Colin Boevers, track and field - Won the SEC discus title and was one of nine student-athletes to advance to NCAA Outdoor Championships

All-Rex Ryan Team (when you need a sound bite, these are your go-to guys)
Josh Harrellson, men's basketball
John Calipari, men's basketball
Matthew Mitchell, women's basketball
Harry Mullins, rifle
Amber Smith, women's basketball

The Craig Sager Award (best/worst dressed)
Stacey Eden, track and field - Depending on your taste in style, Stacey Eden of the track and field team was either the best dressed of the year or the worst. One thing is for certain: he caught people's eyes at this year CATSPY Awards. Eden (pictured to the right) attended the annual end-of-the-year awards show with a shiny gold suit, a patterned button-up, blue bowtie and sunglasses. Top that, Craig Sager

The Streak (strangest stat or streak)
Men's basketball in the clutch - Before the NCAA Tournament, the Cats couldn't hit a shot to save their lives. UK entered the tournament 1-6 in games decided by five points or less, which included missed last-second shots that could have won or tied the game against Florida, Arkansas and Ole Miss. But when the season was on the line and the stakes mattered most, Kentucky - particularly Knight - came through with game-winning shots against Princeton and Ohio State.

She said what? (quote of the semester)
Rachel Lawson, fighting back tears after losing to Cal in the Lexington Super Regional - "I feel really good about the future of the program. But I feel best about the fact that this group was - nobody thought they could win. I love (Samantha) DeMartine and (Meagan) Aull, (Megan) Yocke's OK. I know (Annie) Rowlands, for her to be able to come up with that big hit. I wanted them to go to the World Series. So far I'm the only one who's been there and I'm tired of having the upper hand on them."

The Best Dougie (best dance/celebration)
Jarrod Polson, men's basketball - In 2009-10, the John Wall Dance was the unofficial celebration of the Wildcats. This past year it was, without question, The Dougie, a dance made famous (or infamous) by Matthew Mitchell at Big Blue Madness. Jarrod Polson continued the craze on national TV after Kentucky defeated North Carolina and advanced to the Final Four. Check out his rendition below.

After a fantastic (and much-needed) vacation, I'm back in the saddle for a little bit, at least until I take another vacation in the coming weeks. A big thanks goes to Guy Ramsey for filling in for me while I was gone. It looks like he kept everyone up-to-date on the Southeastern Conference meetings in Destin, Fla., as well as kicked off the "Where are they now" series with a great story on Dicky Lyons Jr.

Here are a few notes that we didn't get around to that should catch you up on everything going on around Big Blue Nation:

- Alex Meyer became Kentucky baseball's highest MLB Draft pick since 2002 when he was chosen by the Washington Nationals with the 23rd overall selection Monday, but the draft is far from over for current Wildcats. Rounds 2-30 will take place Tuesday, starting at noon, followed by rounds 31-50 on Wednesday. Current Wildcats Chad Wright, Thomas McCarthy, Jordan Cooper, Braden Kapteyn, Michael Williams and Taylor Black could all hear their names called over the next couple of days. Wright, McCarthy, Cooper, Kapteyn and Williams are underclassmen and could return to UK next year.

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- One thing that wasn't mentioned on here last week from the SEC meetings was the new oversigning limit for football scholarships. The presidents and chancellors of the league voted unanimously last week to cut the number of scholarship players a school can sign from 28 to 25. It was a pretty fair compromise between the SEC coaches, who didn't want any restrictions on how they manage their rosters, and the critics of the critics of oversigning. Jon Solomon of The Birminghman News has a pretty good recap on the new limit here.

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- Former UK women's golfer Mallory Blackwelder will play in her first U.S. Open on July 7-10 after qualifying for the major tournament this past weekend. Blackwelder, the daughter of former Kentucky coach Myra Blackwelder, finished third out of 69 players in the qualifying event with a 14-over-par 156 total. The U.S. Open will take place at Broadmoor East in Colorado Springs, Colo., the same course where Blackwelder qualified.

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- Men's basketball head coach John Calipari continued his "State of the Cats" series last week on his website, CoachCal.com. In last week's address, he talked about UK's draft-eligible players and gave his opinion on each. You can read his full thoughts here, but the most interesting part, I thought, was that Enes Kanter would be his No. 1 pick if it were his decision. Here is an excerpt of what Calipari had to say:

This one is so hard for me because as more and more people see what we saw all year at the Joe Craft Center with Enes, I can't help but think how much more special last season could have been if our big teenager had been able to join us for our Final Four run! He just turned 19 a few weeks ago. There is a strong possibility that Enes could be the No. 1 overall pick. If it were my decision,  Enes is who I would pick at No. 1. Here's why: he can truly be a dominating kind of player; he can be a Karl Malone-type big man. As the league gets smaller (size-wise) his ability to dominate his position will grow. He's got a position and a true size. If he doesn't go No. 1 he will go shortly thereafter and the teams that passed on him will look back and wince at that decision. I'm biased because I love him, but I'm also talking in pragmatic terms.

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- The final UK Athletics event of the 2010-11 athletics year takes place this week in Des Moines, Iowa, for the NCAA Track and Field Outdoor Championships. Sean Hilen is traveling with the team and should have the full details of the event later Tuesday in a release. The championships begin Wednesday.

Every Tuesday, UK Athletics recognizes outstanding performances for our student-athletes. These are the honorees for the week ending Sunday, May 15:

Track & Field: Colin Boevers

Senior Colin Boevers claimed his second-straight SEC discus title on Sunday at the Spec Towns Track in Athens, Ga. Boevers used a career-best throw of 196-00/59.74m to secure his second-straight discus championship on his opening throw of the competition. The senior eclipsed the field by 12 feet, seven inches, defeating a pair of Auburn freshmen Stephen Saenz (183-05/55.92m) and Marcus Popenfoose (179-11/54.84m). The title extends UK's streak of discus champions to four straight dating back to Chase Madison in 2008 followed by Rashaud Scott in 2009.

Baseball: Thomas McCarthy

Junior third baseman Thomas McCarthy carried Kentucky to three wins during a four-game week, including a huge series win over Georgia ... McCarthy swung the bat at a blistering pace, batting .684 (13-for-19) with nine RBI during the four-game week and batting .714 (10-for-14) with two doubles, two homers and eight RBI during the three-game series with Georgia ... McCarthy got UK out of the gate strong on Friday night, batting 3-for-4 with his 18th double of the year ... During Saturday's series-clinching win, McCarthy had a career game, launching two homers and charting a career-high four hits, adding four RBI ... In the Sunday game, McCarthy again totaled three hits, adding three RBI and another double, his conference-pacing 19th of 2011 ... The Corvallis, Ore., native extended his hitting streak to a club-best seven games and owns five consecutive three-or-more-hit games ... In a win on Tuesday over Indiana, McCarthy went 3-for-5 with an RBI ... McCarthy's offense put the Wildcats on his shoulders during the week, helping UK to its first series win over Georgia since the 2007 season, falling just shy of sweeping the Bulldogs for the first time since 1993 ... On the year, McCarthy leads UK with a .359 average, totaling 19 doubles, one triple, seven homers and 34 RBI, swiping eight bases ... In SEC play alone, McCarthy has hit a club-best .392 with eight doubles, one triple, five homers and 19 RBI ... The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder leads UK with 27 two-out hits and has added 17 two-out RBI, hitting .403 with two outs ... In addition, McCarthy has charted a team-pacing 17 two-strike hits in 2011.

Softball
- Kentucky has advanced to the NCAA Tournament as an at-large bid for the third consecutive
season.
- The Wildcats are one of just 31 teams in the nation to achieve three straight bids. Seven
teams from the SEC have matched UK's feat.
- Sophomore Kara Dill led the Wildcats in their opening round loss to eventual-champion
Tennessee in the SEC Tournament. Dill was 3-for-4 with a triple and a run driven in.
- Senior Megan Yocke was tabbed to the SEC first team for the second straight season. She is now just the second player in school history to earn All-SEC status in all four seasons.
- Senior Meagan Aull was tabbed the SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year. She is the first UK
player to win the award. Aull and teammate Kara Dill were named to the All-SEC second
team. Emily Jolly was tabbed to the All-SEC Freshman team.

Baseball
- Behind the blistering bat of junior Thomas McCarthy and a red-hot offensive attack, the
Kentucky baseball team posted three wins during a four-game week, including the first series
win over Georgia since the 2007 season, falling just shy of the first UK sweep of the Bulldogs
since the 1993 season.
- The Wildcats rode a dynamic offensive approach during the four-game week, batting
.393 overall with nine homers, 59 hits and 33 runs scored as a team. UK was led by McCarthy throughout the week, with the third baseman batting .684 during the four games and .714 (10-for-14) during the three-game weekend. McCarthy tallied his first career multi-homer game on Saturday, as UK clinched the series with a dominating 12-5 win.
- The Wildcats have been led offensively by McCarthy, who paces UK with a .359 average,
adding an SEC-leading 19 doubles, one triple, seven homers and 34 RBI and eight stolen
bases. Chad Wright has hit .345 with 14 doubles, six homers and 34 RBI, swiping 16 bags.
Shortstop Taylor Black has added a .308 mark with three homers and 37 RBI, while UK's two-man catching tandem of Luke Maile and Michael Williams have combined for 16
homers and 57 RBI.
- On the mound, UK has been led by one of the top starting pitchers in the country, junior
right-hander Alex Meyer (6-5, 3.06 ERA), who leads UK and the SEC with 101 strikeouts in
94 innings. In relief, UK lefty Alex Phillips (1-2, 2.36 ERA) has appeared in a team-high 26
games with two saves and only one walk in 34.1 frames. Freshman Trevor Gott (2-4, 2.73 ERA) has added two saves in 22 relief outings, with 32 strikeouts in 26.1 innings.

Men's tennis
- With the score tied 3-3 and a spot in the NCAA Championships Sweet 16 on the line,
University of Kentucky men's tennis junior Alex Musialek downed Louisville's Viktor
Maksimcuk 6-0 in the third set, giving No. 10 Kentucky a 4-3 victory over No. 24 Louisville
in the second round of the NCAA Championships.
- The win for Musialek advances Kentucky to its second consecutive Sweet 16 of the NCAA
Championships. It is the first time UK has advanced to consecutive Sweet 16s in 19 years
when the 1991 team fell in the round of 16 and the 1992 team fell in the quarterfinals. The
Wildcats are now 42-3-1 all-time against the Cardinals.
- Kentucky continues to add to its school record for wins in a single season, moving the record to 28 wins. The Wildcat are now 6-2 this year against teams ranked 11-25 in the
Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings and 17-8 overall against ranked foes.
- Kentucky finishes the season with an 18-3 record at the Boone Tennis Center and
improves its home record to 46-9 since the start of the 2009 season.

Track and field
- Senior Colin Boevers won his second-straight SEC discus title with a career-best throw of
196-00/59.74m on his opening throw of the competition. The title extends UK's streak of
discus champions to four straight dating back to Chase Madison in 2008 followed by
Rashaud Scott in 2009.
- The leading point scorer for the Wildcats was senior Mary Angell, who, after a career performance on Saturday in the discus, put together a personal-best throw of 53-06.25/16.31m in the shot put to finish third. The senior is now third on both UK's discus and shot put all-time lists.
- Keith Hayes finished third in the 110m hurdles with a career-best time of 13.70, which ranks
second all-time at UK. Hayes continued his streak of personal records in the 400m hurdles with a time of 50.96, improving his place on UK's all-time list to third.
- In two grueling long-distant events, the 3,000m steeplechase and 5,000m run, junior Luis Orta claimed top-five finishes in both. Orta added to his second-place finish in the steeplechase with a fifth-place performance in the 5,000m run with a time of 14:25.68.
- The men's team finished seventh overall with 54 points while the women's team finished
eighth with 42 points.


Upcoming schedule

Tuesday, May 17
Baseball hosts Western Kentucky - 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 19
Men's tennis vs. Florida - 3 p.m. (Stanford, Calif.)
Baseball at Florida - 7 p.m.

Friday, May 20
Softball vs. Notre Dame - 5:30 p.m. (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
Baseball at Florida - 7 p.m.

Saturday, May 21
Softball vs. Michigan/W. Michigan - Noon/2:30/5 p.m. (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
Men's tennis vs. Southern Cal/Ga. Tech - 3 p.m. (Stanford, Calif.)
Baseball at Florida - 4 p.m.

Sunday, May 22
Softball vs. Michigan/W. Michigan/Notre Dame - 1 p.m./3 p.m. (Ann Arbor, Mich.)