The annual meeting of the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame is set for August 19 from 5-9 p.m. at the Ludlow Veterans Hall at 830 Elm Street in Ludlow.
“This is the event that supports the scholarship program,” Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame President Joe Brennan said. “The Hall of Fame tries to give seniors of members a $1,000 scholarship for a semester.”
Also on tap for the evening will be the recognition of former Major League Baseball umpire, Randy Marsh.
Randy Marsh
“We will honor Randy by using the event by hosting a retirement celebration as well,” Brennan said.
The 72-year-old Marsh is a native of Covington and a graduate of Covington Holmes High School and the University of Kentucky. He is a member of the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame.
Marsh umpired in the World Series in 1990, 1997, 1999, 2003 and 2006, serving as crew chief for the last three Series, and in the All-Star Game in 1985, 1988, 1996 and 2006 calling balls and strikes for the 1996 game. He is the tenth umpire in history to serve as crew chief for three World Series.
Marsh retired from umpiring following the 2009 season. He served as Director of Umpires for Major League Baseball through 2019. He worked in the National League from 1981 to 1999 and wore uniform number 30.
The award presentations set for the event are as follows:
The Bill Cappel Volunteer Award – Named for Bill Cappel for his significant contributions for over 50 years in sports, schools and in the community. The 2021 winners are:
Bill Brauns – Bill served on the Board of Directors of the Big Steff Foundation that raised over a million dollars during 30 years to distribute food and cash to those less fortunate in Campbell County. He served the Bellevue Vets for over 50 years and was involved in their youth programs.
Tom Berns – He coached the Covington Turners in basketball as well as knothole baseball. Berns also served on the Board of Directors for the Boys Club of America in Kenton, Campbell and in Greater Cincinnati. He’s officiated college basketball for 33 years and 32 years in college football.
Tom Fricke Service Award – Named for Tom for his love of sports and its heritage and preservation. He was on the Board of the Behringer Crawford Museum and was an advocate of starting sports exhibits at the Museum.
2021 winner: Jason French – Since becoming the Curator of Collections at the Behringer Crawford Museum, French as been promoting the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame. He has maintained the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame Sports Collection.
The Pat Scott Achievement Award – Pat was a member of the Ft. Wayne (Ind.) Daisies in the All-American Baseball League from 1951-1953. In 1952, she was a film consultant on the movie, A League of their Own. She was elected to the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame in 2006 and became a member of the Board of Directors in 2008.
The 2021 winner: Donna Murphy – She played basketball at Newport High School (1972-76) and was named an All American. In 1976 she was named Kentucky Miss Basketball and won Most Valuable Player in the 1975 State Tournament. She was a two-time all-Ohio Valley Conference performer at Morehead State and in 1980 was named Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year. She graduated Magna Cum Laude and received the prestigious President’s Cup as the top senior female graduate. She was drafted to play pro basketball for the WPBA by the St. Louis Streak. Murphy later coached at the University of Kentucky, University of Florida, Memphis and the University of Cincinnati.
She later started the women’s basketball program at Asbury College and is a member of 11 Hall of Fames. Currently, she serves as a professor at Bluegrass Community and Technical College in Lexington.
The James ‘Tiny’ Steffen Humanitarian Award – “Tiny” was inducted in the Covington Catholic High School Hall of Fame and the NKSHOF in 1994. In 1995 he was named to the Hall’s Board of Directors and handled scheduling guest speakers. He was a major factor in acquiring sponsors, and door prizes for events.
2021 winners: Carrie Judd-Dylan Judd-Laura Steffen – Carrie created the website for the NKSHOF and currently updates the Hall’s computer operations along with Dylan and Laura. They all work at the annual golf outing, summer reunions and scholarship drives. The trio have supported the NKSHOF for the past 25 years.
Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame
