A record-setting senior season paved the way for Kentucky kicker Alex Raynor to become the Wildcats’ first SEC Special Teams Player of the Year, the league announced on Wednesday.

The Kennesaw, Ga., native made his first 15 field goal attempts this season and finished 15-of-16, a 93.8% clip, tops in the SEC and the best figure in UK program history. He was also the previous record holder after hitting 10 of 11 during the 2023 season.

Raynor made 25 of 27 field goals during his two seasons at Kentucky, including a school-record 55-yard field goal against Georgia. He also made a 51-yarder against the Bulldogs, marking only the second time in program history that a kicker made two attempts from beyond 50 yards in the same game.

His two field goals in a 20-17 upset of No. 6 Ole Miss earned him the Lou Groza Award Star of the Week honors. He is a finalist for the national award.

Three other Cats joined Raynor on the All-SEC Coaches Team, including wide receiver/return specialist Barion Brown, center Eli Cox, and defensive tackle Deone Walker. Brown was a first-team selection as a return specialist, while Cox and Walker were named to the third team.

Mayfield community members observed the third anniversary of the deadly 2021 tornado on Tuesday, and work continued to put displaced residents back into permanent homes.

Eight more families received keys to new homes as the nonprofit organization, The Hope Initiative, dedicated their 50th home constructed over the three years since the tornado.

Mayfield Mayor Kathy O’Nan remembered the 24 Graves County souls lost in the tragedy, thanked the thousands of people who donated in some way to the community’s restoration, and honored the resilience and love poured out by the community to their neighbors.

Gov. Beshear was scheduled to appear at the event, but staff said that he was unable to attend because of unsafe travel conditions. The governor addressed the crowd via video message.

Later, the governor was able to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Moors Resort in Gilbertsville to celebrate AT&T’s $3 million investment to expand high-speed internet since the tornado outbreak.

He also traveled to Muhlenberg County for dedication of the first Habitat for Humanity home for tornado survivors in that county.

On the Net:

More photos, comments on City of Mayfield Facebook page

Kentucky and Colgate will meet for the first time when the Raiders travel from Hamilton, New York, to Rupp Arena for Wednesday’s non-conference game. However, the game is years in the making, and it will be played in remembrance of a Colgate professor who passed away last year.

Ephraim Woods of Ashland, Kentucky, was a lifelong Kentucky Basketball fan. Even when his career took him to Colgate University in 2003, Woods followed the Wildcats from afar while adding Colgate to his college basketball fandom. Woods grew close to the Colgate program over the years, whether he was attending practices or leading Colgate’s faculty liaison program with student-athletes. Colgate head coach Matt Langel recalled what it was like having Woods, a chemistry professor, around the team in a story remembering Woods on Colgate’s website.

“He came around enough to make sure he knew the team and the team knew him,” Langel said. “With some individual players, he built a more personal relationship. But everybody knew who he was.”

Knowing Woods’ love for two college basketball teams, Langel made “several efforts” to schedule a game with Kentucky in recent years but couldn’t find a date on UK’s schedule until this season. The story says Woods’ family will travel with the team to Lexington in Ephraim Woods’ memory.

“Any time there’s a chance to reflect on all he accomplished, on the impact he had on my life and others’ lives, I like to do that,” Langel added. “In playing Kentucky, I’m sure taking the trip down there will be for me emotional in a good way, just a chance to reflect and remember all the lessons I learned from him.”

Big Blue Nation, I encourage you to head over to ColgateAthletics.com to read the full story on Woods and the game honoring him. And may the Woods family have a special experience in Lexington.

Go Cats, and in this case, Go Raiders, too.

[Colgate Honors Late Professor with Game at Kentucky]

“Remembering Ephraim Woods”

(via Patriot League on ESPN Productions)