Parsons, Rondo headline UK’s next Hall of Fame class

Published 4:36 pm Monday, July 3, 2023

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Kentucky unveiled its athletic Hall of Fame class on Thursday night featuring six new inductees.

The newest members include Robin Ewing Bodem (gymnastics), Chris Chenault (football), Danielle Galyer Day (swimming), Dick Parsons (baseball/basketball), Rajon Rondo (basketball) and Ryan Strieby (baseball).

Rondo played for the Wildcats from 2004-06 and won two NBA titles with the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers during a 16-year career in the professional ranks. While at Kentucky, he collected 87 steals his freshman year and dished out 167 assists as a sophomore.

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Parsons was a three-year letter winner in men’s basketball and baseball and later served as head coach of the baseball team from 1970-72. He was an assistant men’s basketball coach for the Wildcats for 11 years. He also was an assistant coach on the 1978 national championship team. He also coached in the high school ranks and is in the KHSAA Hall of Fame.

Chenault is second on the school’s all-time list in tackles with 482 during his career that spanned from 1985-88. He had three interceptions, one for a touchdown and made 92 tackles as a freshman.

Strieby was an SEC Player of the Year, a first for the program in 2006, and played 10 seasons in the Minor Leagues. In his only season at Kentucky, he led the team in doubles with 22, home runs (20) RBI (77) and slugging percentage at .704.

Bodem was an All-American performer in gymmastics and led Kentucky to a third-place finish in the NCAA Regionals in 1996. Day was the first and only Kentucky swimmer to win a national title in 2016 when she won the backstoke.

The newest class will be inducted during Hall of Fame weekend Sept. 29-30.