LONDON — North Laurel High School has announced its first-ever Athletic Hall of Fame Class, which will be honored at the Jags Gala on May 9 at The Creek Church. The event is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
The inductees are Becky Abner Osborne, Jason Kennedy, Jon Hooker, and the 2001 North Laurel High School Fastpitch softball team.
“The North Laurel High School Athletic Hall of Fame was created in January 2023 with a goal to recognize and honor the athletic contributions made by those who have attended or had long term associations with the North Laurel High School,” North Laurel Principal Mike Black said. “We wish to acknowledge those who have displayed extraordinary contributions and accomplishments by inducting them as honored members of the North Laurel High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Nominees must exemplify the highest standards of ethical conduct and moral character in addition to documented significant and/or long-term contributions to the North Laurel High School community.”
“Our first ever Hall of Fame portion of the program is to highlight and recognize some of the most outstanding athletes, coaches, and individuals from past teams that have made such an impact on the school,” North Laurel athletic director Haley Ratliff said. “North Laurel High School has had some amazing individuals over the past 30 years, and it is an honor to have some of those people and their families be able to celebrate their induction into the first North Laurel High School Athletic Hall of Fame.”
Listed below are the inductees:
2001 North Laurel Softball Team
KHSAA State Champions
Record 39-7
47th District Champions
12th Region Champions
Ranked #1 in KY
• Becky Abner Osborne
Osborne was a member of the North Laurel Softball Team from 1997-2002.
• Her individual accolades include:
2002 Miss Kentucky Softball
2001 State Tournament Most Valuable Player
6x All-State
2002 Louisville Slugger 1st Team All-American
2001 Louisviile Slugger 2nd Team All-American
2000 Lousiville Slugger 3rd Team All-American
Kentucky All-Time leader in strike-outs, no hitters, wins, and perfect games at the time of graduation.
All-time pitching record of 125-20
.391 career batting average
First Division 1 softball signee from Laurel County
Becky was part of the 2001 State Championship Team and was also a 2000 State Runner-Up.
She won 6 straight 12th Region and 48th District Titles
In 2001 and 2002, she was part of the North Laurel Softball Teams that were ranked in the USA Today National Top 25.
In college, Abner pitched at the University of Kentucky in 2002, but her career was cut short by a head injury that she suffered in a game vs. the University of Florida.
After college, she found her way back to the softball field by coaching her alma mater North Laurel in 2012 and 2013.
In 2012, she led North Laurel to a region championship and the team finished in the top six at the state tournament.
Today, Osborne is currently a staff assistant at UK Extension Office at the Laurel County Branch. She stays involved with softball by giving pitching lessons to young girls in Laurel and surrounding counties for the past 20 years. Becky is married to her husband Jayson and they have two kids; Ashlyn and Kaleb Osborne.
• Jason Kennedy
Kennedy was a four-sport athlete while at North Laurel with Baseball, Football, Basketball, and Cross-Country from 1993-1995.
His athletic highlights from high school include:
Silver medalist winner for Wendy’s High School Heisman for Southeastern United States
Kentucky’s 4th Region Player of the Year 1994 for Football
WYMT Mountain News All-Star 1994 for Football
Nominee for 1995 Mr. Baseball
12th Region All-Stars for Basketball
Laurel County Most Valuable Baseball Player Junior Year
North Laurel High School Male Athlete of the Year Junior Year
Led the state of Kentucky in batting average junior year
All-Region Baseball Junior/Senior Year
All-District Baseball Sophomore/Junior Year
All-District Football Sophomore/Junior/Senior Year
All-District Basketball Sophomore/Junior/Senior Year
8 Player of the week awards
His Individual Collegiate Athletic Honors include:
Rawlings 2nd Team Division 1 All-American 2000
31 game hitting streak (longest in conference at the time)
All-OVC in 1999 & 2000
Team Captain in 1999 & 2000
Top 10 in Batting average in Division 1 in 2000
Bob Laughlin/Len Miller Award 2000 Morehead State University
FCA Kentucky Male Athlete of the Year 2000
Academic Honors
All-American Scholar
4.0 GPA at North Laurel High School
Academic All-OVC 1998, 1999, 2000
Distinguished Oral Surgery Award 2004
Inducted in International College of Dentist
Post Graduate Achievements
Married Miss Kentucky Chera Lyn Cook also of London this is Jason’s highest achievement
Diplomate of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
One of the largest dental implant practices in North America
Owned and currently own multiple business, including two businesses involving Athletics
Daughter Olivia is attending University of Utah as a collegiate gymnast
Son Bleau plays Baseball and Football at Alcoa High School. Bleau will represent Team Tennessee in Florida and in Atlanta in Future Games.
Both children are excellent students
2004 inductee into Laurel County Sports Hall of Fame
Baseball Jersey retired at North Laurel High School
Community Service
Owner of non-profit organization called The League
Board member for Fellowship of Christian Athletes
Lead athletic and medical mission trips to the Dominican Republic through Global Outreach Ministries and Christian Dominican Medical Mission
Attend Sevier Heights Baptist Church
Medical Volunteer for Jose Bautista Family Fund
Subsidize multiple scholarships for kids going to college through non-profits and Miss Kentucky
• Jon Hooker
Jon Hooker was a two-sport athlete at North Laurel High School in Baseball and Basketball from 1993-1997.
Hooker began playing high school baseball for the North Laurel Jaguars in 1993 as an eighth grader. He continued throughout his high school career pitching nearly 200 innings and recording 235 strikeouts. In his senior season, he had a 10-3 record, 1.19 ERA, and batted .369 with 39 RBI. He earned All-District, All-Region, and All-State honors in Baseball and played in the Eastern United States Showcase.
Hooker played baseball at the University of Kentucky from 1997-2001. As a junior, he led the team with 28 appearances. Tying him fourth All-Time in the UK record books.
He was drafted in 2000 by the Cleveland Indians, but returned to UK for his senior year. After his senior year, Jon signed with the Chicago White Sox in 2001. He played with the independent league Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks and the Joliet Jackhammers.
Hooker returned to EKU in 2005 to complete his degree in social work and worked as a drug counselor for comp care. He also coached basketball at North Laurel Middle School and assisted with the High School baseball team.
He departed this life on August 27, 2006, when he and his wife Scarlett Parsley were among the 49 passengers killed in the crash of the Comair Flight 5191 from Lexington to Atlanta, Georgia, on August 27, 2006.
At the University of Kentucky, beyond the right field wall at Kentucky’s baseball stadium, is a tribute to pitcher Jon Hooker called “The Hook.”
