ALL ACCESS PASS: Realities Behind the Records
- kentuckysportsmemo
- Feb 26
- 2 min read
Emily Gaines:
Emily Gaines, is a name synonymous with excellence in Kentucky girls' high school softball. She has left a lasting mark on the sport with her remarkable records. Holding the records for most consecutive games with a hit and most career doubles in softball or baseball, Emily's achievements are a testament to her dedication and love for the game.
Emily's approach to hitting, focusing on the line drives in the gap, underscores the strategy behind her success. Her father's guidance played a pivotal role in shaping her approach. And along with all of Emily's success, her humility still shines through. She tells Fogle, "...records are meant to be broken... hopefully somebody will come along, and break both of them. I'm just proud to have held them for a little while."
Dana Johnson & Morgan McElroy:
Dana Johnson's record-setting experience reveals a different facet of the sporting world—resilience during physical challenges. Holding the state record for being hit by a pitch 24 times in a single season, Dana's story is one of grit. Her experience even led her parents to buy her football pads to attempt to soften the blows.
But despite the hits, Dana's humor and spirit remain intact. She jokingly comments on how she might prep her daughter for similar challenges if she decides to join the sport one day: "We're gonna just go ahead and start throwing the balls at you, and you're gonna get used to it!"
Dana's mother reflects on her experience during her daughter's time in the sport, showing both pride and concern. When she watched her daughter play, she said, "I'd have to put my head down, face down in my hands, and it wasn't all that easy."
Morgan McElroy, like Dana, also faced quite a few hard hitting moments in the sport. She holds the career record for being hit by pitches. Fogle reflected on a previous conversation he had with her, asking about what her then fiancé, now husband's, knowledge about her impressive record was.
Fogle: So he knows how tough you are not to mess with you. Is that what I'm understanding here?
McElroy: Yes.
Yared Nuguse:
The story of Yared Nuguse is a tale of accidental success. Known for his bronze medal achievement in the 1500 meters at the Olympic Games and his recent world record in the indoor mile, Yared's entry into athletics was actually pretty coincidental. Initially he was more interested in academics, a self-proclaimed "science fair nerd," but his running potential was eventually noticed by his PE teacher.
The lure of a treat from McDonald's that his PE teacher offered the class after completing the mile was the catalyst for his athletic career. He recalls thinking, "Well, I guess I'm going to run the fastest so I beat the line to the McDonald's."
Yared's story shows that talent may surface in the least expected ways. Sometimes taking you from a competitive treat line to world-class races.
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