BY BOO NEWSOME
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
LEXINGTON — The Kentucky High School Athletic Association celebrated the induction of its Class of 2024 into the Dawahares/KHSAA Hall of Fame, presented by Roberts Insurance. The ceremony took place Sunday at the Central Bank Center Ballroom in Lexington.
With the addition of this 12-member class, the Dawahares/KHSAA Hall of Fame now boasts 517 members since its establishment in 1988.
Among the 12 distinguished inductees was former Sheldon Clark Lady Cardinals basketball standout Ida Bowen.
She selected her former coach, Robin Harmon-Newsome, to present her medal.
Bowen’s high school career was highlighted by her impressive statistics, including 2,385 career points and 1,268 rebounds during her tenure at Sheldon Clark High School.
Her outstanding performance on the court got the attention of coaches across the state. Bowen achieved the highest individual honor a basketball player can achieve in Kentucky. She was voted the 1991 Miss Kentucky Basketball her senior season. Bowen is the sole recipient from Sheldon Clark High School to be named Miss Kentucky Basketball.
Bowen was heavily recruited by D1 colleges across the country. She committed to play for Western Kentucky University. Over the course of four years with the Lady Toppers, Bowen contributed significantly to the team’s success, notably aiding them to an NCAA Division I national runner-up finish during her freshman year.
“Absolute honor. What an event,” Bowen said of being inducted. “I had the privilege of having my coach Robin Harmon-Newsome, who’s a Hall of Fame inductee, give me my metal. It was the completion of my athletic career.”
The 2024 Induction Class includes: Larry “Cotton” Adams (Coach, Corbin), Barry Barnes (Official), Barry Barnes (Official), Ida Bowen (Athlete, Sheldon Clark), Mark Evans (Coach; Mercy Academy, Oldham County), Joe Dan Gold (Benton, Contributor), Larry “Pee Wee” Gumm (Coach, Green County), Debbie Judd (Coach, Assumption), Donna Robinson-Wilson (Coach, Henry Clay), Ty Rogers (Athlete, Lyon County), Brandon Stockton (Athlete, Glasgow), Dan Swartz (Athlete, Owingsville) and Todd Tackett (Athlete, Paintsville).