National High School Track & Field Hall of Fame Class of 2021 announced!

by Steve Underwood

   

PRESS RELEASE

10 new inductees join NHST&FHoF; ceremony coming later this year!

 

  • The new 10-member class includes sprints/jumps Olympic legend Carl Lewis, high jump pioneer Joni Huntley, sub-4 HS miler Marty Liquori, youngest-ever Olympian Barbara Jones and NSAF Co-Founder and Executive Director Jim Spier.
  • The induction of the 2021 National High School Track & Field Hall of Fame will take place at a time and place to be announced, likely in conjunction with the NSAF’s Indoor or Outdoor Nationals.

January 7, 2021 - The National Scholastic Athletics Foundation (NSAF) is proud to announce the fourth class of the National High School Track & Field Hall of Fame, which it created in the summer of 2017.

The Class of 2021 is a diverse group whose achievements span more than 75 years and includes one of the sport’s greatest Olympians: Carl Lewis, whose prep record 26-8 ¼ long jump while a Willingboro, NJ high school senior in 1979 heralded nearly two decades of Olympic and World Championship success. The eight athletes in the group also include barrier-breaking high-jumper Joni Huntley, record-setting sprinters Darrell Robinson, Denean Howard, Kathy Hammond and Barbara Jones; Marty Liquori, the third prep to break 4:00 for the mile; and Lee Talbott, an all-time throws great who competed more than a century ago.

Meanwhile Tim Hickey and Jim Spier will be inducted in the Coach and Contributor category, with Hickey having mentored championship teams and individuals for more than 30 years at William Penn HS and other Philadelphia-area powerhouses, and Spier having co-founded the National Scholastic Athletics Foundation and directed its service of the track & field community for more than three decades.

For the past three years, the Hall of Fame’s induction ceremony has taken place at the New York Athletic Club during the weekend of the NSAF’s Indoor Nationals. However, due to the impact of COVID-19, this year’s ceremony will be scheduled when it can be determined it can be done safely – likely during either the Indoor or Outdoor Nationals weekends – and announced by the NSAF at that time on its website and at NationalHighSchoolTrackandFieldHOF.org.

“We are thrilled to recognize these inductees for their incredible performances and draw attention to their amazing contributions to our sport.” said Josh Rowe, Chairman of the NSAF’s Hall of Fame Committee.

The new members will join the 57 inductees from the previous three years, which have included all-time legends like Jesse Owens, Jim Ryun, Steve Prefontaine, Mary Decker Slaney, Houston McTear and Allyson Felix, pre- and early Title IX pioneers like Margaret Bailes Johnson, Francie Larrieu, Patty van Wolvelaere and Barbara Friedrich; and coaches and contributors like Joe Newton, Don Norford, John Dye and Dr. Norbert Sander Jr. The following is a list of the 2021 inductees, including their year of graduation, high school and hometown:

ATHLETES

Carl Lewis
Class of 1979, Willingboro HS, Willingboro, NJ

Joni Huntley
Class of 1974, Sheridan HS, Sheridan, OR

Denean Howard
Class of 1982, Kennedy HS, Granada Hills, CA

Marty Liquori
Class of 1967, Essex Catholic HS, Newark, NJ

Darrell Robinson
Class of 1982, Wilson HS, Tacoma, WA

Kathy Hammond
Class of 1969, Mira Loma HS, Sacramento, CA

Barbara Jones
Class of 1955, St. Elizabeth’s HS, Chicago, IL

*Lee Talbott (*deceased)
Class of 1907, Mercersburg Academy, Mercersburg, PA


COACHES & CONTRIBUTORS

Tim Hickey
William Penn HS, Philadelphia, PA (and other schools)

Jim Spier
National Scholastic Athletics Foundation, DE
 

The Hall of Fame selection committee includes 12 of the most knowledgeable high school track and field historians in the sport today: Jeff Benjamin, Andy Ferrara, Rich Gonzalez, Bob Jarvis, Dave Johnson, Joe Lanzalotto, Walt Murphy, Jack Pfeifer, Pam Reynolds, Jack Shepard, Jim Spier and Tracy Sundlun.

The National Scholastic Athletics Foundation, a non-profit organization created to support and promote high school-age track and field, launched the Hall of Fame with the intention to honor three categories of inductees: 

  • Athletes: Competitors who have demonstrated exemplary athletic performance while in high school. Athletes must have been out of high school for at least 15 years to be eligible for induction.
  • Coaches: Leaders who have created excellence at the program level, achieving extraordinary results year after year.
  • Contributors: Innovators and game changers. These may include administrators or media members who have elevated high school-age track and field through innovative work and tireless dedication. 

For more information on the National High School Track & Field Hall of Fame or to view detailed biographies and photos of the inductees, visit NationalHighSchoolTrackandFieldHOF.org.

About the National Scholastic Athletics Foundation, Inc.

The National Scholastic Athletics Foundation (NSAF) was founded in 1990. It is a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization with the mission of opening doors to the world for our youth, through athletics, and providing them opportunities to succeed. That includes supporting high school and junior-aged track and field athletes in the US through national high school competitions and other major meets, Team NSAF international competitions and team-building events, clinics and event-specific special projects. Additionally the NSAF provides approximately $250,000 in grants to student athletes and programs annually.  For more information about the NSAF, please visit NationalScholastic.org.

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