SIXTH CLASS TO BE INDUCTED INTO THE NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL TRACK & FIELD AND CROSS COUNTRY HALL OF FAME

10 headline the sixth Hall of Fame class

WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA- The sixth 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 and beyond.

Elected to the sixth class: 1969 World Games bronze medalist, 2-time NCAA All-American and 5-time state champion in hurdles. Jeff Howser (Myers Park High, Charlotte); Two-time Track & Field News All-American, 1991 NC Gatorade Track Athlete of the Year and 5-time state champion in jumps, Brian Ellis (North Rowan High, Spencer); 1973 US Junior 100-meter Champion, World Junior record holder, and 6-time state sprint champion, Carter Suggs (Tarboro High School); 21-time state champion and 4-time state meet MVP, Marlene Poole (Grimsley and Dudley High Schools, Greensboro); 2017 US Junior Cross Country team member who helped US win the Great Edinburgh Cross Country International Challenge in Edinburgh, England, 2015 National champion, 3-time All-American and 10-time state champion, Nevada Mareno (Leesville Road, Raleigh); 2-time NC Gatorade Track & Field Athlete of the Year and 16-time state champion and 800-meter state record holder, Mackenzie Pierce Wartenberger (Forsyth Country Day School, Lewisville); High School All-American, 5-time state champion, 3-time NCAA All-American, Big-10 Champion and coach of 7 Paris Olympians, Stephen Haas (North Mecklenburg High School, Huntersville).

Also inducted were coaches, Nick Mangum (Cardinal Gibbons, Raleigh), who has coached 17 state championship teams and 12 runner-ups, 40 individual state champions, has coached two teams to Nike Cross Country Nationals and been named NC Coach of the Year four times; Conrad Hall (Cary Academy), who has coached 8 state championship teams, 72 individuals to state titles and was instrumental in helping start the state indoor meet for private schools; David Shannon and Craig Longhurst (JDL Fast Track owner/manager), both single-handedly saved high school indoor track in North Carolina when JDL opened in 2012 after the sport faced extinction, and since then have provided thousands of high school, college and pro athletes opportunities to thrive in North Carolina. 

A statewide committee of 22 track and field and cross country current and former coaches, officials and media representatives who cover the sport extensively nominated and elected the class.

The induction ceremony will be Feb. 1, 2025, in Winston-Salem during the Mondo Elite High School Invitational at the JDL Fast Track. 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 in 1922, and the first high school cross country meet held in 1929, and North Carolina has a strong history of national success, dating to the 1930s when High Point High competed at cross country nationals in New Jersey. It is our goal to honor those who have helped make this sport so great in our state, and these first six classes are representative of showcasing the talent that has come through North Carolina.” Brett Honeycutt, N.C. High School Track & Field and Cross Country Hall of Fame Founder.