A former Todd County track standout and current Crittenden County High School athletic director was among the 13 inductees in the Class of 2018 to the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame announced Sunday at the KHSAA Offices. The 13 members in this year’s class will be the 31st inducted into the Dawahares/KHSAA Hall of Fame during ceremonies in April, and consists of former high school coaches, athletes, officials, administrators, and contributors. The Class of 2018 will also be recognized during the semifinals of the 2018 Boys Sweet 16.
Among the inductees is Angela Payne-Starnes, a stellar track athlete at Todd County Central. Payne-Starnes won seven state titles for the Lady Rebels and set the 1A state record in the 100-meter dash at the 1980 state meet, a mark which still stands 37 years later. As a sophomore in 1978, Payne-Starnes won the 440-yard dash and anchored the 4×100 relay team to a first-place finish. She followed that up as a junior in 1979 by winning the first of two-consecutive state titles in the 400-meter dash and added another victory in the 4×100 relay.
The 1980 state meet saw Payne-Starnes win the 200-meter dash in 25.90, repeat as 400-meter champion with a time of 58.30 and set the state record in the 100-meter dash in 12.20 as Todd County Central repeated as 1A state runner-ups. Payne-Starnes earned a track scholarship to Murray State, before returning to high school athletics where she has coached track and field at Crittenden County for the last 27 years, and became the school’s first female athletic director. Her husband Al Starnes recently completed his 27th and final season as coach of the Crittenden County football team.
Also being inducted is Billy T. Haynes, a licensed official from Henderson for more than 55 years. Haynes has served as an officials assigner, state tournament worker, state officials evaluator, camp clinician, and ambassador for the state for more than 25 years. Haynes refereed his first high school basketball game at South Hopkins High School in 1961, and would later add baseball and football to his repertoire, along with track, volleyball and softball.
He currently serves as the assigning secretary for football in the 2nd and 3rd Region, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Award from the National Federation of High Schools in 2017. An avid bowler, Haynes led his team to a state championship in the Kentucky State Bowling Tournament. He sported an average over 200 for more than 20 years with three perfect games, two 299’s and two 298’s.
Other members of the class are Brian Brohm, Ted Cook & Cook Tire Company, Dave Fraley, Lloyd Gardner, Ron Kordes, Billy Lynch, Bill Miller, Margaret Richards, Rachel Sanford DeJarnatt, Shon Walker, and Dave Weedman.