2011 Kentuckian of the Year: Honorable Mentions

Once again, it is time for the Heath Post to choose its annual Kentuckian of the Year. To be eligible, you must either live in Kentucky, be from Kentucky, or be associated with Kentucky or a Kentucky institution in a very significant way.

Here are the Honorable Mentions:

1. As we mentioned earlier today, Dakota Meyer of Greensburg, Kentucky was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor on September 15, 2011. He risked his life under enemy fire in Afghanistan, in an effort to save the lives of Americans who had been caught in an ambush. He is the first living Marine in 38 years to win the Medal of Honor, and only the third living recipient of the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War. While there is apparently some question as to whether the military exaggerated Sgt Meyer's accomplishments, there is no doubt that his actions were incredibly heroic, and in the very best traditions of how Kentuckians have always seen themselves.

2. In a year where the approval ratings for U.S. politicians are at near-record lows, Kentucky's Governor Steve Beshear cruised to re-election with 55.7 percent of the vote, compared to only 35.3 percent for the Republican candidate (State Senate President David Williams) and 9 percent for independent Gatewood Galbraith. Beshear waited a long time to become governor, and he has proceeded with great caution since taking office. But as David Williams learned this year, caution is pretty much exactly what Kentuckians want in a very troubled world.

3. Meanwhile, in Washington, Senior Senator Mitch McConnell remains the key mastermind of the GOP in Congress. Kentucky didn't want Barack Obama to become president, and the evidence suggests that they want his power to be curbed as much as possible. McConnell is the perfect representative for this mood, as no one in Washington is better at using a Senate minority to frustrate a President. The House Republicans are having all sorts of trouble this week over whether to extend the payroll tax, and it's worth noting that they wouldn't be in this mess if they had followed McConnell's advice.

4. Given the long and rich history of the Kentucky Wildcats' basketball team, it is not easy for anyone to make their mark in only one year. But it's safe to say that none of us who saw the 2011 season will forget Brandon Knight. After a season in the spotlight as the Wildcat point guard -- and after suffering through a whole series of heartbreaking defeats on the road -- Knight hit the game-winning shot to beat Princeton in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Then he scored 30 points in the next game to lead the Cats past West Virginia. Then, after Ohio State had tied the Cats on a huge three-point shot with less than 30 seconds to play, Knight hit the game-winning shot to knock out the nation's number-one team. Two days later, he led the Cats with 22 points (including 5-11 from three-point range) to beat North Carolina and take UK into the Final Four. It was a remarkable performance from a remarkable player, and marks Knight as one of the very greatest Wildcats.

5. Finally, we honor Russ Cochran, formerly of St. Mary's High School and the University of Kentucky. Cochran was our hero when we were at Heath, and we were thrilled when he became the first Kentuckian to win a major golf tournament since Gay Brewer won the 1967 Masters. In July, Cochran shot an amazing 67 in the last round of the Senior British Open to take the title over two guys named Calcavecchia and Watson. By all accounts, Cochran is a great guy with a very close-knit family, and he still has all of that great hair we remember from his Paxton Park days. Many high school heroes disappoint; he has not.