Age is just a number. KHSAA Assistant Commissioner Sarah (Van Horn) Bridenbaugh is proof of that. In the opposite direction of what most people think when hearing this phrase, she never lets her young age stop her from being the leader she was destined to be.

Early in her high school career, her coaches recognized her skills and leadership abilities, placing heavy responsibilities on her shoulders to guide the team through a difficult division. She rose to the occasion, getting her first varsity minutes in the postseason as a freshman. From there, she was a presence on the floor for Morgan High School and earned all-state honors in her junior and senior seasons.

Bridenbaugh garnered the attention of several colleges, including West Virginia Wesleyan College, where she signed and shined.

In her freshman season, she was named to the All-WVIAC Freshman Team and was First Team All-WVIAC the remaining three seasons. In her senior season, she was WVIAC Player of the Year.

She averaged 20 points and more than 10 rebounds per game for her career. Bridenbaugh graduated as the all-time leading scorer for WVWC with 2,087 points, was a finalist for the State Farm All-American team and was a two-time Honorable Mention on the NCAA II All-American team. These accomplishments made her a natural selection for the 2023 WVWC Hall of Fame Class, barely 15 years removed from her playing days.

At 24, she was tabbed as Paul Laurence Dunbar’s girls’ basketball head coach (Kentucky), after starting her career coaching two seasons at Lewis County, WV. At Paul Laurence Dunbar, she guided the Lady Bulldogs to the KHSAA Girls’ Sweet 16® semifinals and compiled a four-year record of 92-37. She was hired by KHSAA as assistant commissioner in August of 2015.

In her ninth year, she is currently the lead contact for six championships – cross country, competitive cheer, dance, swimming and diving, and outdoor track and field – and was the lead in starting the first-ever indoor track and field state championships.

She also serves as the office's primary contact for state regulations on middle school competitions and handles the administration of various bylaws.

While guiding bowling, she expanded an existing partnership with Special Olympics Kentucky. She is now the primary contact for the championship competition for unified and adapted athletes in bowling and track and field. Her leadership roles do not stop at the state border as she serves or has served on several NFHS committees including middle school and softball rules.

If there were a state association watch list for “30 in their 30s,” Bridenbaugh would undoubtedly be on this list. She continues to lead, and one of her most outstanding leadership qualities is her thirst to learn and be open to being mentored. She’s not afraid to seek out counsel to continue to craft herself into the leader she wants to be, nor does she shy away from being where the buck stops and making difficult decisions on the fly.

She balances it all and is a role model to many females – colleagues, coworkers, and student-athletes – with whom she comes in contact.