Ky. High School girls down to eight teams

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FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Manual, Butler, Marion County advance in play


-Meet UofL renaissance man -- Jared Stillman


-Michelle Clark-Heard in running for WKU job 


The Houchens Industries Kentucky Girls Basketball state tournament goes into its third day of action this afternoon with eight teams still alive and taking the court for another full slate of games on the Western Kentucky campus at Diddle Arena in Bowling Green. 


From yesterday:


--Hopkinsville 56 - Marshall County 52
--Lincoln County 56 - Clay County 50
--Magoffin County 63 - Ashland Blazer 59
--Marion County 56 - Walton-Verona 49

Louisville 2013 verbals Makayla Epps and Kyvin Goodin-Rogers had big games for MCHS in their seven point triumph over Walton-Verona. Kyvin with 15 points an 12 rebound and Makayla totaling 14 points. The 32-4 Marion County squad advances to face Hopkinsville today. Jason Frakes of The Courier-Journal has an excellent article on the game. View it by clicking the link below.

Marion County advances to quarterfinals

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Meet Jared Stillman, man of many hats down on the UofL campus. One day he might be sitting at the end of the Lady Cards basketball bench, taking care of duties as a student manager. Or, you might find him doing interviews with Cardinal athletes for CARDS TV. 
That's him up in the press box at Ulmer Stadium-- handling the public address announcer duties for Cardinal softball. It wouldn't surprise us if he rakes the infield in between innings and hawks a few programs out by the front gate. 


The senior from Nashville is one of many college students across the nation that combines studies with full time duties assisting the athletic programs on campus. It's prep for the world after college and Jared fully intends of pursuing a career in the sports field upon graduation in May. 


"I think I can do this, and do it well. I listen to a lot of sports commentators and broadcasters out there and say to myself...'That's something I could handle and be good at.'" the affable Stillman told CARDINAL COUPLES Paul Sykes at a recent Louisville softball practice. 

"J-Bone" getting a framed acknowledgement of his
4 years of hard work at the Senior Day
ceremonies for UofL WBB.  (Photo courtesy of
Howie Lindsey. Louisville Sports Report)

To watch him prepping a player for an interview showed Paul that he has a casual, easy-going style and congeniality with the student-athletes. Louisville's Jordan Trimble rates him at "a 101" in a scale of 1-100 when it comes to professionalism and popularity with the players.


"Jared does so many things to help and assist me in my duties." UofL assistant sports information director Lori Korte insists. "He's always ready and willing to do whatever needs to be done." 


Softball star Taner Fowler sees it this way. 'We don't want him to leave us after he graduates. I can't imagine playing softball here and not having him around." 


The future is bright, indeed, for the "J-Bone". Whether it's assisting Coach Walz with duties in Hartford or making off-the-cuff hilarious comments, quips and impersonations between innings at a UofL home softball game, Mr.Stillman has the bases covered.


He's a "solid" fixture around the Belknap Campus and we hope he can stay connected with the UofL sports programs well past receiving his diploma. Wherever he ends up, he'll do well and be successful.


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Mary Taylor Cowles was relieved of her head coaching duties at Western Kentucky University Thursday. She was the Hilltoppers had coach for 10 years and complied a record of 199-119. She headed the team to six straight 20+ win seasons early in her career but reached that plateau only once in the last four years. 


Ross Bjork, AD at Western, says he's "looking to restore confidence, public support and energy back into the women's basketball program and will begin the process of finding a replacement immediately". 


(Sounds like he needs to try some 5 Hour Energy)


One name that has surfaced as a potential candidate is Lady Cards assistant head coach Michelle Clark-Heard. She's no stranger to Hilltoppers hoops, having played there from 1987-1991 for Paul Sanderford and leading the team to four straight NCAA appearances and two Sun Belt titles. Heard also coached with Sanderford and Jeff Walz at Nebraska and was the head women's basketball coach at Kentucky State for two years. 

Michelle leaving Louisville for WKU? 

During her second season at KSU, her 2007 squad was the second most improved team in NCAA D II women's basketball with a record of 19-9. She was named SIAC Coach of the Year honors that year, too. 


She re-joined Jeff Walz as a member of his first coaching staff when Walz took the Louisville job prior to the start of the 2007-08 season. A Louisville Atherton graduate, Michelle earned Kentucky High School State Player of the Year honors in 1986. 


We hate to see good assistants leave. Michelle is definitely one of those and her coaching skills are a valuable part of the Louisville women's basketball program. If chosen, though, Western will be getting one of the best in the business in Michelle. 
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