FOURTH CLASS TO BE INDUCTED INTO THE NORTH CAROLINA
HIGH SCHOOL TRACK & FIELD AND CROSS COUNTRY HALL OF FAME
WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA, DEC. 30, 2022 - The fourth class of the North Carolina High School Track & Field and Cross Country Hall of Fame will honor athletes, coaches and officials who have significantly impacted the sports on the high school level.
Elected to the fourth class: Olympian and 3-time World Championships medalist, Keni Harrison (Clayton High); 2005 Track & Field News High School Athlete of the Year, J-Mee Samuels (Mount Tabor High, Winston-Salem); 4-time All-American, 2-time Pan Am gold medalist, national indoor 60-meter hurdle champion and 9-time state champion, Johnny Dutch (Clayton High); 17-time state champion and 2-time All-American, Latasha Pharr (North Rowan), and 1984 Pan Am Junior bronze medalist and 8-time state champion, Pam Doggett (Dudley High, Greensboro).
Also inducted were coaches, E.V. Patterson, the "Father of North Carolina Track & Field" who advocated for the first state meet and came up with rules for the first state meet in 1913, and who coached North Carolina's first dynasty at now-defunct Friendship High in Burlington, where he led the school to 7-straight state titles (1914-1920); Greensboro legend Charlie Brown, who has coached individual national champions, multiple state championship teams, two U.S. national cross country teams, and served as meet director for U.S. national meets and two of the state's longest running high school invitationals; Alan Peoples (Polk County), a coach who began his career in 1972, has coached 63 individual state champions, a state championship team, and served as the state meet director for nearly a quarter of a century, as well as meet director for other regional and large invitationals for many years, as well as winning multiple NCHSAA coaching awards; and Roy Cooper (Apex High), the longtime meet director of the prestigious Apex Relays, 20 years as staff at Outdoor Nationals, 30 times as state track or cross country meet director, 17 years as Nike Southeast Cross Country Regional Team manager, as well as coaching Apex to 51 conference championships (cross country and track) and 62 top-10 (and 106 top-20) state finishes between both gender teams for cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field.
A statewide committee of 21 track and field and cross country coaches, officials and media representatives who cover the sport extensively nominated and elected the class.
The induction ceremony will be Jan. 28, 2023, in Winston-Salem during the Mondo Elite High School Invitational at the JDL Fast Track, which will house the Hall of Fame. Each elected class has been honored at the meet, which is the premier indoor meet in North Carolina each season.
"High school track and field has existed in North Carolina for more than 100 years, with the first outdoor state championship held in 1913, the first indoor track meet held in 1922, and the first high school cross country meet held in 1929, and North Carolinas has a strong history of national success, dating to the 1930s when High Point High competed at cross country nationals. It's our goal to honor those who have helped make this sport so great in our state, and these first four classes are a great start at letting people know how much talent has come through North Carolina." Brett Honeycutt, N.C. High School Track & Field and Cross Country Hall of Fame Founder.
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL TRACK & FIELD
AND CROSS COUNTRY HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2023
PAM DOGGETT, DUDLEY HIGH SCHOOL (GREENSBORO)
* NCHSAA Female Athlete of the Year, 1986 (for all sports)
*North Carolina Gatorade Track & Field Girls' Athlete of the Year (1986)
*3A/4A state meet MVP, 1986
*8-time state outdoor track champion (5 individual, 3 relay), setting 6 state meet records (there was no indoor meet when Doggett competed)
---won the 100-meter hurdles twice (1985 and 1986, setting an all-class record in 1986); 200-meter hurdles (1984, setting a state meet record); 300-meter hurdles (1985 and 1986, setting an all-class record of 42.00 in 1986 that stood for 25 years); 4x100-meter relay (1984); 4x200-meter relay (1984, setting a state meet record) and 4x400-meter relay (1986, setting a state meet record).
*1986 USATF National Junior Olympic Champion 100 m Hurdles
*1986 USATF National Junior Olympic Champion 4x100 Relay,
*1984, 2nd at USATF Juniors (under 20) in the heptathlon
*1984, 3rd at Pan Am Junior Championships in the heptathlon
*1984 USATF National Junior Olympic Champion 100 m Hurdles and national record in the heptathlon
*1983 USATF National Junior Olympic Champion 100 m Hurdles
*1983 USATF National Junior Olympic Champion Heptathlon
______________________________
JOHNNY DUTCH, CLAYTON HIGH SCHOOL
*4-time Track & Field News All-American
--2005, 2006, 2007, 110 hurdles
--2007, 300/400 hurdles
*National high school record holder in the odd-distanced 50-meter hurdles (6.62, still stands)
*No. 7 all-time in national high school history in the 55-meter hurdles, 7.07
*2-time National Champion
--National indoor champion, 60-meter hurdles (2007)
--National outdoor champion, 110-meter hurdles (2006)
*North Carolina Gatorade Boys' Track & Field Athlete of the Year (2007)
*3-time Pan Am medalist (2007)
--2 gold (110-meter hurdles, 400-meter hurdles)
--1 silver (4x400-meter relay)
*9-time state track champion
--55-meter hurdles, 2005, 2006, 2007, setting state meet records in 2006 and 2007
--110-meter hurdles, 2004, 2005 (3A) and 2006, 2007 (4A), setting state meet records in 2005, 2006, 2007 (still holds N.C. 3A and N.C. 4A state meet records, of 13.88 for 3A and 13.39 for 4A)
--300-meter hurdles, 2005 (3A) and 2006 (4A), setting a 4A state meet record of 36.60
*4A outdoor state meet MVP, 2006
--COLLEGE (at South Carolina)
*3 top-10 World Rankings in 400-meter hurdles (2008, 2009, 2010)
*NCAA Champion (400-meter hurdles, 2010)
*NCAA runner-up (400-meter hurdles, 2009)
*8-time All-American (60-meter hurdles; 400-meter hurdles, 4x400-meter relay, 2010; 60-meter hurdles, 400-meter hurdles, 4x400-meter relay indoors and outdoors, 2009;
*3-time SEC Champion (400-meter hurdles, 4x400-meter relay, 2009; 400-meter hurdles, 2010)
*2008 World Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships silver medalist (400-meter hurdles)
*2008 U.S. Junior Track & Field Championship silver medalist (400-meter hurdles)
*2009 U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships silver medalist (400-meter hurdles)
*2010 U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships silver medalist (400-meter hurdles)
*2010 NACAC bronze medalist (110-meter hurdles)
*2010 Penn Relays Champion (400-meter hurdles and Shuttle Hurdle Relay)
*Holds 11 all-time top-10 marks in University of South Carolina school history, including the school record in the 400-meter hurdles
--POLST-COLLEGIATE
*3-time Diamond League winner
*2014 U.S. Outdoor Track & Field Champion (400-meter hurdles)
______________________________
KENI HARRISON, CLAYTON HIGH SCHOOL
*Olympian
*Set world outdoor 100-meter hurdles record in 2016, breaking a mark that had stood for 28 years (that has since been broken, but she still ranks)
*6-time World Track & Field Championship qualifier
---Outdoor track (2015, 2017, 2019, 2022)
---Indoor track (2016, 2017)
*Olympic silver medalist (2020), 100-meter hurdles
*World Outdoor Championship silver medalist (2019), 100-meter hurdles
*World Indoor Championship gold medalist (2018), 60-meter hurdles
*NACAC gold medalist (2018), 100-meter hurdles
*Continental Cup silver medalist (2018), 100-meter hurdles
---COLLEGE
(Clemson, 2012, 2013; Kentucky, 2014, 2015)
*2-time NCAA Champion, 60-meter hurdles, 2015; 100-meter hurdles, 2015 (for Kentucky)
*2-time NCAA Runner-up, 400-meter hurdles, 2014; 400-meter hurdles, 2015 (for Kentucky)
*7-time All-American (100-meter hurdles, 400-meter hurdles, 2013 for Clemson; 100-meter hurdles; 400-meter hurdles, 2014 for Kentucky; 60-meter hurdles, 100-meter hurdles; 400-meter hurdles, 2015 for Kentucky)
*4-time ACC Champion (400-meter hurdles, 4x400-meter relay, 2012; 400-meter hurdles, 4x400-meter relay, 2013, at Clemson)
*4-time SEC Champion (100-meter hurdles; 400-meter hurdles, 2014, becoming first athlete to win both at the SEC Championships in 15 years); (60-meter hurdles, 100-meter hurdles, 2015)
---HIGH SCHOOL
*2-time Track & Field News All-American (100-meter hurdles & 300/400-meter hurdles, 2011)
*2011 North Carolina Gatorade Track & Field Athlete of the Year
*2-time New Balance national champion
--60-meter hurdles, 100-meter hurdles (2011)
*2-time N.C. 4A State Meet MVP (2010, 2011)
*5-time N.C. 4A State Champion
--2011 N.C. 4A State Indoor Champion (500 meters)
--2010, 2011 N.C. 4A State Outdoor Champion (100-meter hurdles)
--2010, 2011 N.C. 4A State Outdoor Champion (300-meter hurdles), setting a state meet record of 41.41 in 2011 that still stands today
*9 all-time North Carolina top-50 rankings (including 5 events in the top 5)
--Ranked North Carolina No. 4 all-time in the 55-meter hurdles (7.83)
--Ranked North Carolina No. 5 all-time in the 60-meter hurdles (8.42)
--Ranked North Carolina No. 5 all-time in the 100-meter hurdles (13.49)
--Ranked North Carolina No. 3 all-time in the 300-meter hurdles (41.41)
--Ranked North Carolina No. 4 all-time in the 400-meter hurdles (58.34)
--Also ranks all-time top 50 in North Carolina in the indoor 300 meters, 400 meters, 500 meters, and the outdoor 400 meters
______________________________
LATASHA PHARR, NORTH ROWAN HIGH SCHOOL (SPENCER)
*17-time State Champion (12 outdoors, 5 indoors)
*2-time North Carolina Gatorade Track & Field Athlete of the Year (2000, 2001)
*2-time Track & Field News All-American
--triple jump, 2000
--100-meter hurdles, 2000
*Indoor National Champion
--triple jump, 2000
*5-time N.C. State Meet MVP
--4-time N.C. 2A Outdoor State Meet MVP (1998, 1999,2000, 2001)
--1-time N.C. all-class Indoor State Meet MVP (2000)
*Made 2000 U.S. Junior team that competed at World Juniors in Santiago, Chile
*2-time Rowan County Female Athlete of the Year (1999, 2001)
*Inducted into the Rowan County Sports Hall of Fame, 2011
*Led North Rowan to 4 team State titles
*17 State title
--12 Outdoor State Titles
1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 N.C. State Champion (100-meter hurdles),setting a state meet record all 4 times
1999, 2000, 2001, N.C. State Champion (300-meter hurdles), setting a state meet record in 2000
1999 N.C. State Meet Champion (long jump)
1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 N.C. State Champion (triple jump), setting a state meet reord of 40-9 in 2000
--5 Indoor State Titles
1998, 2000, 2001, N.C. Indoor State Champion (55-meter hurdles), setting all-class state meet record of 8.15 in 2001
1999, 2000, N.C. Indoor State Champion (triple jump)
*4 team State titles
--Led North Rowan to 1999 N.C. All-class Indoor State title
--Led North Rowan to 1999, 2000 & 2001 N.C. 2A Outdoor State title
--All-Time State Rankings
*Was ranked No. 1 all-time in the 55-meter hurdles when she graduated (still all-time top 30)
*Was ranked No. 1 all-time in the 60-meter hurdles when she graduated (still all-time top 8)
*Was ranked No. 6 all-time in the long jump when she graduated (still all-time top 20)
*Was ranked No. 4 all-time in the triple jump when she graduated (still all-time top 6)
--COLLEGE:
(Alabama, 2002-2005)
*All-American, triple jump, 2005
*SEC Medalist:
--Silver medalist, indoor triple jump, 2005
--Silver medalist, outdoor triple jump, 2004
--Bronze medalist, outdoor long jump, 2004
--Bronze medalist, indoor triple jump, 2002
*Current Alabama All-Time Top-10 Rankings
--No. 2, outdoor triple jump; No. 2, indoor triple jump; No. 6, 60-meter hurdles; No. 6, 100-meter hurdles; No. 9, indoor long jump
______________________________
J-MEE SAMUELS, MOUNT TABOR HIGH SCHOOL (WINSTON-SALEM)
*2005 Track & Field News High School Athlete of the Year (national award; only two other N.C. boys have ever won the award)
*2005 Track & Field Yearbook Athlete of the Year (national award; only two other N.C. boys have ever won the award)
*4-time Track & Field News All-American (100 meters and 200 meters, 2004 and 2005)
*North Carolina Gatorade Boys' Track & Field Athlete of the Year (2005).
*5-time NCHSAA state champion (4 indoors and 1 outdoors)
--55 meters, 2002, 2003, 2005 (indoor track)
--300 meters, 2003 (indoor track)
--200 meters, 2005 (outdoor track; setting a still-standing 4A record of 20.61)
Graduated ranked No. 1 all-time in North Carolina in 5 events:
---indoor 60 meters (6.70, still No. 3 all-time)
---indoor 200 meters (21.22, still No. 3 all-time)
---indoor 300 meters (33.87, still No. 3 all-time)
---outdoor 100 meters (10.05, still no. 2 all-time)
---outdoor 200 meters (20.32, still No. 2 all-time)
(graduated No. 2 all-time in the indoor 55 meters, with a 6.23, which is still No. 4 all-time
--COLLEGE:
(Arkansas, 2006-2009)
*4-time All-American
--100 meters, 2006 (outdoor track)
--60 meters, 2008 (indoor track)
--200 meters, 2008 (indoor track)
--100 meters, 2009 (outdoor track)
*Helped Arkansas to the 2006 NCAA national indoor championship
*Helped Arkansas to 7 SEC team titles
--2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 indoor track
--2006, 2008, 2009 outdoor track)
*Current Arkansas All-Time Top-10 Rankings
--No. 3, indoor 60 meters; No. 5 indoor 200 meters; No. 3 outdoor 100 meters; No. 5 outdoor 200 meters.
______________________________
COACHES/OFFICIALS
CHARLIE BROWN, GREENSBORO
*Inducted into the Greensboro Sports Hall of Fame in 2021
*Coached at least 21 U.S. national Junior Olympic track & field athletes as well as multiple national champions at various high schools
*Coach of the 2005 U.S. cross country team at the IAAF World Championships in France
*Coach of the 2005 U.S. Junior national team at the NCAC (North American, Central American and Caribbean) Cross Country championships
*Meet director for multiple U.S. Track & Field national and world qualifying meets, as well as a variety of high school and college meets
*Founded Greensboro Invitational in 1983; one of the longest running high school cross country meets in North Carolina
*Began Hagan Stone Cross Country Classic, another one of the state's long-running high school meets
*Founded Greensboro Pacesetters track and field club in 1979
*Coached All-Americans and national champions Pam Doggett and Kim Jones in high school
*Coached 4 State Championship team titles
--Coached 1992 NCISAA state championship teams in track & field (boys and girls) and in cross country (1985), coaching at Greensboro Day
--2009 N.C. 3A state indoor championship, coaching at Southwest Guilford
--2002 and 2003, N.C. 3A runner-up, at Southwest Guilford
*Graduated from Grimsley High in 1977, running cross country and track; then ran two years at the University of North Carolina, before graduating in 1981
______________________________
ROY COOPER, APEX HIGH SCHOOL
--Nearly 40 years as a teacher and coach at Apex High School
--20 years as NSAF staff at the Outdoor Nationals (Adidas, Nike, New Balance, Nike)
--37 years as meet director of Apex Relays
--30 separate times as state outdoor track & field meet director or as a regional cross country or outdoor track & field meet director
--Conference meet director for cross country and track more times than he can keep track of (like most other long-term coaches).
--17 years as Southeast Regional Team Manager for the Nike Cross Nationals since their inception in 2004
--62 top-10 (and 106 top-20) state finishes between both gender teams for cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field
--Since he has been coaching, Apex has had either a team or an individual qualified at the state meet in cross country, indoor track & field (the 1987 meet was the first NCHSAA meet), and outdoor track & field since the outdoor state track & field meet in 1986 (103 consecutive seasons).
--51 conference championships (in cross country and track)
______________________________
EARL V. PATTERSON, FRIENDSHIP HIGH SCHOOL (BURLINGTON)
*The "Father of Track & Field" in North Carolina
*Started the NCHSAA state meet, by helping raise money, providing awards and writing the rules
*Coach of North Carolina's first dynasty, now-defunct Friendship High School in Burlington
*Led now-defunct Friendship High School in Burlington to 7 straight state titles, 1914-1920