Inductees

Joshua Holmes

Joshua Holmes, a Jackson native, is honored for his running accomplishments, including the completion of more than 320 marathons and ultra-marathons.

"I have always found running to be the most pure and simplest form of athleticism," Holmes said. "You don't need any fancy gear to get started or for a coach to put you on the team so you can play. It is something you can start very innocently on your own with a very high ceiling and many different avenues on where you can take it."

Holmes took a different road to get to where he is today.

"I grew up with bad asthma as a child, and the doctors told my parents I should not play outside as a kid," he said. "My parents (Jack and Zan Holmes) to their credit said that was no way to live as a child and let me play outside
and play sports growing up.”

He would often pay for it with bad asthma attacks, especially late at night, but his mother would always sit up with him and help him get through the attacks.

"So, for me, there is still some of that boy in me wanting to do the impossible and show others what is possible with a strong drive and indomitable spirit to reach not just goals, but true finish lines," Holmes said. "I never imagined it would turn into what it has, but it's been an incredibly beautiful journey that is about to spill into its third decade for me."

Holmes, 46, lives in Hollywood, Calif. He graduated from Jackson Christian School in 1996 after transferring from Jackson Central-Merry High School. He played basketball and ran track at JCM and played basketball at Jackson Christian.

Holmes earned a degree in finance from Middle Tennessee State University in 3.5 years, and a law degree Juris Doctor and a Bachelor of Civil Law Studies from LSU in 2003. He passed the Tennessee bar and practiced at his father’s firm - Holmes, Rich and Sigler - for about two years.

Holmes soon made himself at home on the road and ran his first full marathon in June 2004. He ran about a dozen marathons before seeking an even bigger challenge.

"I became curious if it was possible to run beyond 26.2 miles,” Holmes said. "I Googled, ‘Can you run beyond 26.2 miles?’ and found the Strolling Jim 40 Miler in Wartrace, Tenn., that had been held since 1977. So,
obviously, it was possible."

Holmes went to the Strolling Jim 40 in May 2010 and completed the distance.

"I then started seeing how far I could push it, doing over 51 miles at a 10-hour race (RUTS) in Kentucky around a half-mile horse track," Holmes said. "The following February (2011) I ran my first 100 miler at the Rocky Racoon 100 Miler in Huntsville, Texas."

He said he finished next to last in the race and “barely” came in under the 30-hour cut-off. The following week he signed up for The Vol State 500k race, a 314-mile race from Missouri to Georgia. He has run the race four times. In
2014 he entered the Badwater 135 in Death Valley National Park after having his entry rejected a couple of times.

"At some point I heard about the Badwater 135, considered by many to be the world's toughest foot race,” he said. "It took many years of working on my resume, but I finally got in. In July 2024, I will be looking to finish Badwater for a 10th consecutive year.”

His best Badwater time was in 2019 when he finished in 29 hours, 35 minutes and 53 seconds, placing 10th overall.

In a way, he was just getting started.

His resume includes 324 marathons and ultramarathons - all finishes - combined with an average distance of 51.3 miles. The breakdown includes 165 marathons – 26.2 miles – and 159 ultramarathons – 76.7-mile average per race. He has a marathon personal best time of 2:56:26, and 100 Miler personal best of 17:13:51.

He is also one of only four people to complete the Grand Slam of 100s and Badwater in the same summer and the fastest to do so. He has accumulated over 17,000 race miles, which includes all races, not just marathons or ultramarathons.

Holmes, who ran the Boston Marathon in 2019, is the father of three - Phoenix (17), Maliyah (13), and Tennessee Jack (8).

“I travel home four to five times a year, spending time with my parents and family and also to host seven running events a year to grow the running community in Jackson and West Tennessee,” Holmes said. "I consider Jackson home, even though I spend most of my year in Hollywood." -30-

Greg Goff

A Beech Bluff native, Greg Goff is honored for his accomplishments as a collegiate baseball coach and as a pitcher at Delta State University, Jackson State Community College and South Side High School.

Goff, 53, is presently head baseball coach at Purdue University. He begins his fifth season as coach of the Boilermakers and 19th season as a collegiate head coach. He has 544 victories as the leader of a program entering this spring. He is averaging more than 30 wins a year, excluding the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. His teams have won 40 or more games six times, and he has a .562 winning percentage.

Raised in Beech Bluff by his parents, James Goff and the late Cora Goff, he is a 1988 graduate of South Side High School, where he was an all-district pitcher and played second base. The righthander helped the Hawks win the district, and he struck out 16 against McKenzie in one game.

“I couldn’t move the next day,” he said, laughing.

Goff was a walk-on player at Jackson State Community College but was eventually awarded a scholarship as a pitcher. He had a 5-2 record his second season which led to a scholarship at Delta State University in Mississippi. He played two seasons there, earned his bachelor’s degree in 1994, and became a graduate assistant. He earned his master’s degree in administration at DSU in 1996 and became the Statesmen’s pitching coach in 1997. He spent two seasons at Southeast Missouri and four seasons at Kentucky as a pitching coach.

“I kind of made my living doing that at first, and I was really fortunate at Kentucky because we had some really good arms,” Goff said. “That gave me a chance to get noticed nationally.”

At Kentucky, he coached eventual Cy Young Award winner Brandon Webb and eventual Phillies 2008 World Series winner Joe Blanton. Goff was the pitching coach at Kentucky when he landed his first head job on the collegiate level in 2004 at Montevallo (Ala.), where his teams compiled a 152-84 record in four seasons. His 2006 Montevallo team won the Southeast Region and finished third at the Division II College World Series.

After Montevallo he has been head coach at Campbell University in North Carolina, Louisiana Tech, Alabama, and Purdue. His teams have had a losing record only seven times, and four of those seasons were his first at a respective university.

Goff’s Campbell team was 49-10 in 2013, and in his final season there (2014), the Camels qualified for their first NCAA Regional in 24 years. At Campbell, Goff signed Ryan Thompson, who is presently a reliever for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Goff has coached 12 players who made it to the major leagues and has had 59 players drafted by Major League Baseball.

After seven seasons at Campbell, Goff led Louisiana Tech two years and took the team to its first regional appearance in 29 years. That led to his hiring at Alabama. But he was fired after one season when the Tide won only five conference games and finished 19-34-1 in 2017.

“That hurt me and humbled me,” Goff said. “It taught me to communicate better and changed my relationships with players and my family. My job consumed me so much, and that helped me realize what’s really important in life. I wouldn’t be who I am today if I hadn’t been through that experience.”

Goff went to Purdue as an assistant coach in 2018 and became the Boilermakers head coach two years later. He has an 82-85 record entering this season.

Goff and his wife Tina will be married 30 years in June. They have four daughters – Kara, Kiley, Kolby and Kenzie. Asked about the preference for names beginning with K, Goff laughed and said, “I was a pitching coach and pitcher, so I just like Ks, for strikeouts.”

“Baseball has been such a blessing for me, and I thank the good Lord for it,” Goff said. “I wouldn’t trade anything for being raised in Jackson where manners and respect mean something. I was surrounded by good people and good coaches, and that helped shape who I am today.”

Audrey Hazlehurst

Audrey Hazlehurst Davis is honored for her running accomplishments in cross country, track, middle distance, and marathons.

“I started running at age six,” Davis said. “My mom was and still is an inspiration. My family traveled to different cities to watch her run marathons when I was growing up, and it was always fun to watch and cheer her on.

“I watched her run the Boston Marathon when I was eight years old, and we went back to run it together after we both qualified in 2015.”

Davis is the daughter of Theodore and Jacqueline Hazlehurst. She has two older siblings, Claire and Hayne. Her first road race was in Chicago in 1999.

“My mom signed me up for my first race, a half-mile youth run at the Chicago Marathon,” Davis said. “Even though I technically wasn't old enough to enter the race, I ended up tying for first place.”

Crossing the finish line first has been something of a habit for Davis.

She took first place in the women’s division of the Andrew Jackson (26.2 mile) Marathon in 2015, the 2017 and 2018 Jackson Cup Half-Marathon (13.1 miles), the 2018 Rhythm Run Half-Marathon, the 2020 Asphalt Jackal Marathon, and the 2021 Jackal Trail Marathon.

Davis has qualified for the Boston Marathon six times. She not only qualified for Boston at the Memphis St. Jude Marathon in 2021, where she won the women’s race, but she had second thoughts during the event.

“I was in second place until about mile 22 when I passed the leader,” she said. “But I was never sure that I would take first overall. I actually finished the race thinking that I placed second because I finished before they had time to put up the finish-line tape.

“I had hoped for first place but was more concerned with running my time goal of sub three hours and was incredibly happy and relieved when I found out that I got first.”

Davis graduated from the University School of Jackson in 2011 after completing her elementary school education at St. Mary’s. She and her family are active members of St. Mary's Catholic Church.

She was a member of USJ’s 4x800m relay team that won state in 2009, the same year her cross-country team was state runner-up. She was named The Jackson Sun’s Runner of the Year four straight years in high school. She was also a three-time all-state runner after finishing runner-up in the state individual standings three years.

As a college freshman in 2011, Union's last cross-country season as a member of the NAIA, she led the school to a TranSouth Conference title and a trip to the NAIA Nationals. She was named first-team all-conference.

As a senior in 2014, Union's first year as postseason eligible for the Gulf South Conference/NCAA, she led Union to the conference title, a South Region third-place finish, and a trip to the NCAA National Championships. It was the first GSC Championship for any sport at Union.

She was named first-team All-GSC, All-South Region, and was named to the GSC Honor Roll for the third straight year.

Davis has set many records, and she continues to hold half-marathon records for 15- and 17-year-old females in Tennessee.

“Running in high school and college was not only a blast but it taught me life skills and disciplines that I use to this day,” she said.

Some of the discipline included running before most made their way to work or school.

“Although 5:30 a.m. practices were tough at times, I cherished those early morning workouts with my teammates, and we witnessed some of the most beautiful sunrises I've ever seen,” she said. “These teams also brought me lasting friendships with runners from all over the country.”

Her talent was not limited to running. She played violin in Union’s first orchestra and was a member of Chi Omega. She graduated from Union’s College of Pharmacy with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2018.

Her husband, Jared Davis, played baseball at Union and USJ. They have a 16-month-old daughter, Catherine (Kit), and live in South Jackson.
“I was and still am excited and feel very blessed to receive this honor from the hall of fame,” she said. “It is extremely special to be recognized for something that I enjoy so much, and I’m thankful to God for blessing me with this gift.”

Drae Bowles

A Jackson native, Drae Bowles is honored for his accomplishments as a football player at Jackson Christian and the University of Tennessee.

From a young age, he was athletic and fast on his feet, playing basketball and football. He played three years of high school basketball, but he knew football was his game by the time he reached middle school.

“I became more passionate about it and was playing on the JV varsity team as a seventh grader,” Bowles said. “They had me at fullback and safety that year and then running back and safety in the eighth grade.”

He was a starter as a high school freshman, playing receiver and returning punts and kickoffs. His speed and talent soon drew the attention of college scouts, and he received his first scholarship offer when he was a sophomore. That was from the Tennessee Volunteers, and it made an impression on the young star.

“Obviously, I remained open-minded about the recruiting, but they were there for me since day one, and I decided Tennessee was the best fit for me.”

Matt Underwood, Bowles’ head coach his last two seasons at Jackson Christian, made a highlight video of Bowles after his sophomore season. He showed it to the Tennessee assistant coach who was the first to visit the JC campus.

“He didn’t say anything as he watched, so I was not sure what he was thinking,” Underwood recalled. “When the video ended, he looked at me and said, ‘Coach, please don’t show this to any other coaches.’ And he stepped outside and called the head coach at Tennessee. It was a really neat moment. Things just kind of took off from there.”

Bowles piled up statistics that triggered scholarship offers from nearly 30 major schools, including Notre Dame, Michigan, Auburn, Oregon, Arkansas, Miami and Vanderbilt.

The 6-foot, 200-pound athlete had 4,550 all-purpose yards and 47 touchdowns at Jackson Christian. Clocked at 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash, he averaged 15 yards per catch while grabbing 171 passes for 2,569 yards and 23 touchdowns.

He added 18 touchdowns and 705 yards on 128 carries as a running back. And he scored five touchdowns and gained 1,276 yards while returning punts and kickoffs. He also had 31 tackles as a linebacker. He said his most exciting moment in high school football was returning the game’s opening kickoff for a touchdown against University School of Jackson.

A two-time all-state selection, he played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas after his senior season in 2011. ESPN had Bowles rated as a 4-star recruit, the nation’s No. 16 prospect at wide receiver, the No. 2 overall prospect in Tennessee and the No. 47 prospect in the Southeast.

“I had great coaches who were really good to me at Jackson Christian,” Bowles said. “And I had great teammates along the way who pushed me to be the best athlete I could be.”

After graduation in 2012, Bowles went to Tennessee and was redshirted his first year. As a redshirt freshman he played in 11 games for Vols head coach Butch Jones but had to have shoulder surgery for a torn labrum. He saw action in only two games in 2014.

Bowles transferred to Tennessee-Chattanooga in the spring of 2015 and had surgery for a torn ligament in his thumb. He played in four games that fall for Mocs head coach Russ Huseman, catching two passes for 20 yards, before reinjuring his shoulder and having a third surgery that ended his college career.

Bowles, the son of Dexter and Sherry Bowles of Jackson, earned his bachelor’s degree at UT Chattanooga in 2016 and completed his master’s degree in organizational leadership in 2021 at Trevecca Nazarene University.

He and Kellie Bowles, his bride of almost six years, have one son, Greyson, who is 4. They live in Trenton, Ga., on the outskirts of Chattanooga. He works in logistics in the domestic division of Soar Transportation Group.

Joe Holloway

Joe Holloway, a Jackson native, is honored for his contributions as a high school coach, primarily girls basketball, and his on-going radio career as a sports broadcaster and talk-show host.

Born in Jackson, he is a graduate of Jackson High School (1969) and Union University (1973). He played youth baseball and junior high basketball and football, but multiple injuries led him to focus on managing, then coaching.

He was 15 when his first coaching job was with an 8-9 Southern League baseball team for the Jackson Recreation and Parks Department. It won the championship, and Holloway was hooked. “I think I was born to be a coach,” he said. “I would sit in class and draw plays and daydream about sports.”

But his work as a supervisor at the recreation department opened the door for him to become superintendent of the recreation department in Kingsport, TN in 1975. He enjoyed the work, but coaching was in his blood.

“Mr. Thurman Reynolds, principal at North Side, talked me into coming back to Jackson, getting my teaching certificate and coaching in the school system,” Holloway said. He earned teacher certifications in 10 subjects, such as economics, biology and personal finance, and wound up coaching every high school sport except wrestling, soccer and bowling.

“If Mr. Reynolds needed a sport started, I got the call,” Holloway said, laughing. “I started tennis and cross country at North Side.”

He began his coaching career in the Madison County school system in 1978 when he became head girls and boys' basketball coach and assistant football coach at North Side Junior High. He moved over to North Side High in 1982 as head girls' basketball coach.

That’s when North Side and Holloway made headlines on the basketball court. The 1982-83 girls' team was small but talented. It earned the nickname “Smurfs” in reference to a popular television series about “a fictional colony of small, blue, humanoid creatures.” North Side wore powder-blue uniforms, the same color as the Smurfs, and moved quickly on the court.

Led by Angela Godwin, Shea Piercey and point guard Allyson Sikes, the Smurfs put together a 26-5 record and No. 4 state ranking. They beat Chester County three times, including the Class AA district championship, but lost a heartbreaker in six overtimes to McNairy, 87-85, in the region semifinals. The next season they made it to the state tournament for the first time since 1959, beat Springfield but lost in the semifinals of Class AAA.

The winning continued, and North Side made it back to state in 1986-87 behind the talents of Kristen Goehring, who signed with Ole Miss, and Angie Waldon. The sixth-ranked Maidens lost in the state quarterfinals, 28-27, to Shelbyville, the nation’s No. 1 team, and finished 31-4. The next season North Side was ranked No. 25 in the USA Today national rankings and advanced to the state semifinals before losing to Oak Ridge to finish 30-4.

Holloway had a 540-286 record (.654 winning percentage) as a head basketball coach. He was The Jackson Sun Coach of the Year three times. And he was coach of the year in the district 11 times and in the region four times. His teams won three regional championships and eight district titles, and he has received numerous other awards. He is proud of the fact that he received only four technical fouls in his coaching career.

Holloway, 72, also taught and coached at South Side High, Liberty Tech and North Parkway Middle School during his 30-year career in the Madison County school system. He retired in 2007 but has since taught and coached at eight schools in middle and west Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi. He has a state Class A championship ring from Smithville, Miss., where he was assistant softball coach.

All the while he has kept his hand in the broadcasting world, working radio coverage of local high school and basketball games for 50 years. He and Tom Britt broadcast NAIA National Tournament games at Oman Arena for 21 years. Holloway has been a guest speaker numerous times at coaching clinics and receives calls from young coaches wanting advice on a regular basis.

“At least I don’t get technical fouls broadcasting,” Holloway said. “But I still have the coach in me. I think a good coach is a teacher of life. That’s what is important. Athletics is a wonderful way to teach life and business.”

Holloway and his wife Susan will celebrate their 17th wedding anniversary in July. They met when both were teachers at Liberty Tech and married less than three months after their first date. He has a daughter, Megan Holloway, and she has a son, Brad Kelly.

View Past Recipients

2024 Sports Hall of Fame Inductees

Joshua Holmes

Greg Goff

Audrey Hazlehurst

Drae Bowles

Joe Holloway

View Past Recipients

2024​ Sports Hall of Fame Inductees

Joshua Holmes

Greg Goff

Audrey Hazlehurst

Drae Bowles

Joe Holloway

2024 Sports Hall of Fame Inductees