As a talented shooting guard and a two-year starter at Hillsdale College, Charles Woodhams was a force on the court for the Chargers men’s basketball team.

As special as Woodhams was on the hardwood for Hillsdale, however, his achievements in the classroom might be even more impressive.

Woodhams’ incredible balance of athletic and academic success has earned him a major honor from the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, which named him the league’s Male Scholar Athlete of the Year for the 2024-25 campaign.

The G-MAC Male Scholar Athlete of the Year award is presented to the men’s athlete who has compiled the most outstanding record in athletics, scholarship and leadership over the course of the school year across all sports the G-MAC offers. Athletic departments across the G-MAC nominate one individual for the award each year, and the winner is selected based on a vote among all institutions.

Woodhams is the fourth Hillsdale athlete to win the G-MAC Scholar Athlete Award since the Chargers joined the G-MAC in 2017, and the third male athlete from Hillsdale to win in the past five years. He joins softball player and swimmer Victoria Addis (2019-20), football player Joey Brenner (2020-21) and baseball player Lewis Beals (2022-23) as a Hillsdale athlete to win the award.

An excellent student throughout his time at Hillsdale, Woodhams graduated Summa Cum Laude from Hillsdale in May with a 3.93 GPA and a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology. He plans on becoming a doctor and is choosing among the medical schools who’ve accepted him to determine where he’s attending in the year to come.

During his time in college, Woodhams participated in the prestigious LAUREATES program to fund undergraduate research, conducting a study and presenting the results to a Beta Beta Beta National Biology conference in 2025. Along with membership in Beta Beta Beta, Woodhams also was a member of the Sigma Zeta National Science and Math honorary and was named the CRC Outstanding Chemistry Student of the Year during his time at Hillsdale.

Woodhams was named to the NABC Academic Honors Court three times in his collegiate career, was a four time Academic All-G-MAC honoree, a three-time D2ADA All-Academic Honoree and made the CSC Men’s Basketball Academic All-District team twice.

On the court, Woodhams was a key player offensively for the Chargers in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, scoring in double digits in both campaigns and leading Hillsdale in points per game in 2024-25. He earned first-team All-G-MAC honors as a senior, scoring in double figures in 27 of Hillsdale’s 30 games, with a season-high 26 points in a 83-78 road win over Ashland on Jan. 2 highlighting a stellar year.

As a player, Woodhams was known for his offensive efficiency, finishing sixth in the G-MAC in field goal percentage (.495) and fourth in 3-point percentage (.403), rare numbers for a 6-foot-3 guard who spent much of his time on the perimeter. He also made a huge impact defensively for the Chargers, serving as one of the top perimeter stoppers for a team that finished in the top two in the G-MAC in scoring defense in both of his seasons as a starter and led the G-MAC in 2024-25 at 65.4 points conceded per game.

He leaves Hillsdale with a winning legacy, going 105-38 over his collegiate career, including four 20-plus win seasons, and he was a part of the Chargers’ first-ever NCAA DII Midwest Regional championship and Elite Eight appearance in 2022.

 

By Russ Hodges, Sports Editor

Last winter, former Rochelle student-athlete Alivia Henkel found herself fighting to survive.

What started as an ordinary morning at school turned into a life-altering experience for Henkel, who suffered a cardiac arrest and was promptly transported to the Loyola University Medical Center. There, Henkel was placed on an ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) machine, which took over the functions of both her heart and her lungs. Henkel, an outstanding multi-sport athlete at RTHS, thought her opportunity to compete collegiately had vanished.

“I’ve always loved sports and I wanted to do sports for as long as I possibly could,” Henkel said. “That was a huge setback for me and it gave me an idea of how grateful I should be for the little things in life because in the hospital and when I was home, I wasn’t able to do the same daily activities I would normally do. I couldn’t stand up or get dressed on my own. I was in a lot of pain and experienced a lot of things I hadn’t experienced before… I asked my doctors if it would be possible for me to still be an athlete and if it would be possible to try sports in college.”

The cardiac incident was a significant blow for Henkel, who had battled through various injuries throughout her high school career including a concussion in basketball and a stress fracture during her junior season of track and field. The cardiac episode caused Henkel, an IHSA state track qualifier as a sophomore and a two-time All-Interstate 8 basketball player, to miss a large chunk of her senior basketball season and her entire senior season of track and field.

“I definitely think a lot of my strength has come from my faith,” Henkel said. “God has had my back over these last few years and I have the confidence that I’m doing the right things, whether it’s physical therapy everyday or getting 1 percent better everyday to do what I’m able to do.”

Despite facing an uncertain future, Henkel remained strong in her faith, slowly progressing with her recovery to where she received medical clearance to return to athletics last summer. Guided by her competitive spirit, Henkel still expressed a desire to play sports at the collegiate level. In April of last year, Henkel made the decision to continue her academics at North Central College, where she also aspired to be a member of the women’s track and field team in any capacity.

“Getting the clearance from my doctors was really encouraging,” Henkel said. “I always knew that I wanted to compete in college… After missing my track and field season during my senior year, I really wanted to see where I could go with track and I think I made the best decision I could. I love track so much and I’ve grown to love it so much over these past few years. The coach at North Central was very sweet to me and that connection was really helpful. Seeing the team culture and how competitive everyone was… North Central was the best choice for me.”

As Henkel’s journey continued at North Central this past year, her growth and progress didn’t come without more hurdles to overcome. In addition to suffering an injury during the indoor portion of her freshman season, Henkel admitted that she sustained another health scare this past fall, when she passed out while doing homework before an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, which was put inside her body after last winter’s incident, restored consciousness.

“My defibrillator kicked in and it shocked my heart, which woke me back up,” Henkel said. “I called the hospital and I went in for tests, but everything was working fine when I woke up… It was a little scary, but it was encouraging that my device works and I feel that it motivates me because, as an athlete, I do worry about whether or not something could happen. But I know now that if something does happen, I’m going to be OK because my device is protecting me.”

Despite enduring another cardiac event, Henkel continued on the path toward her return to compete. The former Lady Hub standout made her outdoor debut for the Cardinals at the NCC First Chance Distance Fling on March 28, when she dazzled with a time of 1:00.77 to take fourth out of 33 athletes in the 400-meter dash. It was the fastest 400 time of the season for Henkel, who helped North Central finish second in the 1600-meter relay with a time of 4:13.70.

“North Central has been a really good match for me,” Henkel said. “I’m really close with my teammates and I think that’s a great thing to have in college. I’m a very competitive person and I love the competition. I love the community and it’s been great seeing my teammates on campus and spending time with them at practice. It’s a really great community to be a part of.”

Less than 18 months after suffering her first cardiac incident, Henkel stood atop the podium at the CCIW Outdoor Championships in early May, when she ran a personal-best time of 1:03.13 to claim the conference title in the 400-meter hurdles. It was the highlight of a stellar outdoor season for Henkel, who also took first at the Elmhurst Twilight Invitational on April 25 after placing second in her first collegiate hurdle race at Augustana College’s Meet of Champions.

“That was truly incredible and I didn’t think I would be where I wound up at the conference meet,” Henkel said. “It’s my favorite race and I was so glad that I had the chance to compete in it, especially because I’ve had a few setbacks… I hadn’t run the race too many times, but there was a lot of energy and it was a home meet, so it was great to win and to have my team there.”

Henkel, who switched her academic focus from finance to biochemistry and intends to pursue a career in the medical field after graduating from college, will return for her sophomore season this upcoming school year. The RTHS alum has already set a series of goals, which include obtaining a qualifying time for the NCAA Division III National Championships. Henkel, who will be job shadowing at Rochelle Community Hospital this summer, said that her goals for next season also include competing in the indoor pentathlon and the outdoor heptathlon.

“My parents are in finance and it was really interesting to me at the time,” said Henkel, who plans to enroll in medical school after completing her bachelor’s degree at North Central. “After my experience, I thought medicine would be really cool and I love both biology and chemistry. I was scared to make that shift, but after I saw people working in medicine, I was inspired and when I had the chance to change my major during orientation, my hand shot in the air.”

Watching the 2012 Paralympic Games today left a group of Europe-based wounded warriors inspired, especially after they were able to meet some of the U.S. athletes.

Soldiers assigned to Warrior Transition Units in Germany, Italy and Belgium, and participating in adaptive reconditioning programs, met the U.S. Women’s Sitting Volleyball Paralympic Team at the University of East London during a trip sponsored by the U.S. Paralympic Committee, the Wounded Warrior Project and Red Cross.

Army Master Sgt. Major Luckett, a food supply noncommissioned officer and 25-year veteran, said he was thrilled during the meet and greet with the athletes.

“I was really excited to get a chance to see the team with their experience,” he said. “They explained their training and we had a chance to meet some of the players. I met [Kari] Miller, a former soldier. It was real exciting.”

Motivation and inspiration were often used by the wounded warriors to describe their feelings during and after meeting the paralympians.

“We get great motivation [from meeting them],” Luckett said. “Going through the type of stuff I’ve been through, and then seeing these individuals with these disabilities perform; it [lets] me know I [only] have a limit [right now]. But I know I can go out and make myself better going into the things I do to train for,” he said. “Things I’ve never done or I stopped doing since I had my injuries.”

Luckett was assigned to the WTU after being plagued by persistent knee and back problems and recently underwent a medical review board with results still pending.

“I had an opportunity to visit several events, and it built my confidence inside [for] what I can do with the injuries that I had,” the Petersburg, Va. native said.

“I had chills going through my body,” he added. “It was great, and I enjoyed it. It’s one of three things that I’ll experience in my life. It was a real big motivator for me. Go USA!”

Army Spc. Maurice Walter, an information systems operator-analyst, and native of Huntsville, Ala., also had the chance to meet the U.S. Paralympic volleyball team.

“I actually met quite a few,” he said. “I met Heather [Erickson] and Kari [Miller]. We have similar injuries so it’s motivating to actually see them out here and to talk to them.”

Walter said he reinjured his leg in Iraq during the course of day-to-day activities. He noted it aggravated a previous injury from an assignment in Korea resulting in his assignment to the WTU.

“I got some great insight from them,” Walter said. “They were telling us to push through no matter what it is, don’t hold back and just get it done. It’s really inspiring to see them,” he said. “Number one, they’re not letting their injuries hold them back from what they want to do.”

Walter said one of the volleyball players told him she grew up playing volleyball, and when she injured her leg she didn’t want to stop. “So she didn’t give up, so it inspires me to do anything that I want to do,” he said.

Although he enjoyed the trip, Walter noted the opportunity to meet the Paralympic volleyball team topped his list of activities during the trip.

“The visit to London was amazing,” he said. “But meeting the volleyball team was the best thing that came out of this trip. Of course, the sights and stuff are great, but meeting these individuals and seeing them – it’s really motivating and inspiring,” Walters said.

Story by Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr., American Forces Press Service

Cal Poly’s baseball program, which captured May’s inaugural Big West Championship to qualify for the program’s first NCAA Tournament in 11 years, earned four all-academic selections – including All-Big West second team honoree Jake Torres.

For the fifth time in the last seven seasons, the Cal Poly softball program enjoyed a minimum of seven selections, with the 2025 class including All-Big West selections Julia Barnett and Kate Judy. Senior righthander Paige Maier, meanwhile, completed her career as a three-time Big West all-academic selection. 

Representing the men’s and women’s golf programs, respectively, as NCAA Regional individual qualifiers, seniors Baron Szeto and Jensen Jalufka closed their careers with all-academic praise. They were joined by men’s sophomore Louis Pilod and women’s standouts Kamille Dimayuga and Sarah Yoo. 

Reaching the Big West Championship title match for a fifth straight year, the Cal Poly women’s tennis program saw four of its six academic selections also earn All-Big West recognition in seniors Peyton Dunkle and Romane Mosse, junior Kennedy Buntrock and sophomore Amy Leather. During this past season, Dunkle also broke the program Division I record for victories. 

Men’s tennis senior Bastiaan Weststrate received a third successive Big West all-academic award after also earning All-Big West recognition alongside sophomores Raz Haviv and Sean Kamyshev.

Cal Poly Athletics Big West Spring Academic All-Conference Selections
Baseball
Chris Downs, So. — Business Administration (Santa Clarita, CA)
Jake Torres, Sr. — Business Administration (Fair Oaks, CA)
Erik Kvidahl, Jr. — Interdisciplinary Studies (Napa, CA)
Cam Hoiland, Sr. — Kinesiology (Renton, WA) 

Beach Volleyball
Ella Connor, Sr. — Recreation, Parks & Tourism Admin. (Kihei, HI)
Piper Ferch, Sr. — Graphic Communication (Redmond, WA)
Izzy Martinez, Jr. — English (Winnetka, CA)
Quinn Perry, So. — Psychology (Costa Mesa, CA)
Abbey Reinard, Sr. — Business Administration (Carlsbad, CA)
Lindsey Sparks, Gr. — Nutrition (Huntington Beach, CA)
Logan Walter, So. — Kinesiology (San Mateo, CA) 

Men’s Golf
Louis Pilod, So. — Economics (Lyon, France)
Reese Sato, So. — Business Administration (Folsom, CA) 

Women’s Golf
Kamille Dimayuga, Sr. — Business Administration (Buena Park, CA)
Jensen Jalufka, Gr. — Business Administration (Austin, TX)
Sarah Yoo, So. — Business Administration (Los Angeles, CA) 

Softball
Julia Barnett, Sr. — Recreation, Parks & Tourism Admin. (Brentwood, CA)
A’Niyla Byrd, So. — Interdisciplinary Studies (Fresno, CA)
Mylina Garza, Jr. — Communication Studies (Suisun City, CA)
Kate Judy, Sr. — Sociology (Seattle, WA)
Malia Mah, Sr. — Kinesiology (San Martin, CA)
Paige Maier, Sr. — Kinesiology (Campbell, CA)
Sehren Martinez, So. — Psychology (Ceres, CA) 

Men’s Tennis
Aaron Eliscu, Jr. — Business Administration (Oro Valley, AZ)
Sean Ferguson, So. — Industrial Engineering (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA)
Raz Haviv, So. — Recreation, Parks & Tourism Admin. (Ramat Gan, Israel)
Sean Kamyshev, So. — Business Administration (Nesher, Israel)
Bastiaan Weststrate, Sr. — Business Administration (Voorschoten, Netherlands) 

Women’s Tennis
Kennedy Buntrock, Jr. — Communication Studies (Henderson, NV)
Peyton Dunkle, Sr. — Business Administration (Arroyo Grande, CA)
Amy Leather, Jr. — Psychology (Bath, England)
Sarah MacCallum, Jr. — Business Administration (Laguna Beach, CA)
Romane Mosse, Sr. — Business Administration (Viroflay, France)
Alexandra Ozerets, Jr. — Business Administration (Mission Viejo, CA) 

Men’s Track & Field
Rory Devaney, Jr. — Forest & Fire Sciences (San Luis Obispo, CA)
Tyler Downs, So. — Construction Management (Higlands Ranch, CA)
Ben Lammers, So. — Mechanical Engineering (Portland, OR)
Mateo Malko-Allen, So. — History (Alameda, CA)
Corban Payne, Gr. — Engineering Management (Paso Robles, CA)
Spencer Pickren, Sr. — Anthropology and Geography (Folsom, CA)
Levi Romero, So. — Business Administration (Los Gatos, CA)
Micah Sanchez, So. — Mechanical Engineering (Alpine, CA)
Carson Smith, Jr. — Construction Management (Temecula, CA)
Ryan Teeple, So. — Construction Management (San Jose, CA)
Chase Walter, Gr. — City & Regional Planning (Laguna Niguel, CA)
Lewis Westwood, Jr. — Environmental Engineering (San Luis Obispo, CA)
Jonathan Yu, So. — Mechanical Engineering (Huntington Beach, CA)

Women’s Track & Field
Carissa Buchholz, Sr. — Biological Sciences (South Lake Tahoe, CA)
Lexi Evans, Jr. — Aerospace Engineering (San Diego, CA)
Kelli Gaffney, So. — Kinesiology (Temecula, CA)
Maia Garcia, Sr. — Psychology (San Jose, CA)
Logan Hays, So. — Environmental Management & Protection (Phoenix, AZ)
Lariel Henley, Sr. — Architectural Engineering (Fort Collins, CO)
Taylor Hofland, So. — Liberal Studies (Long Beach, CA)
Jordan Jackson, So. — Journalism (Las Vegas, NV)
Avery Karner, Jr. — Nutrition (Laguna Niguel, CA)
Chase Kubinski, Jr. — Animal Science (San Luis Obispo, CA)
Ashlyn Leath, So. — Communication Studies (Fresno, CA)
Ariella Per, So. — Business Administration (Westlake Village, CA)
Cadence Roy-Williams, Sr. — Psychology (Turlock, CA)
Sydney Sundgren, So. — Business Administration (Clovis, CA)

Justin Northwest’s Cooper Lutkenhaus has looked superhuman this summer, breaking the high school national record in the 800 meters twice in two weeks last month.

His national-record time at the Nike Outdoor Nationals on June 21 — 1:45.45 — would have won this year’s NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and beaten 10 of the 24 semifinal times at the 2024 Olympics.

It put Lutkenhaus in the world top 100 for this year, a list that includes Olympians and professional runners.

He has automatically qualified for the USATF Outdoor Championships from July 31 through Aug. 3 in Eugene, Ore., which will serve as the trials for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.

This is a kid who still has two years of high school remaining.

At only 16, is Lutkenhaus already the greatest track and field athlete from a Dallas-area high school?

Based solely on high school accomplishments, his competition would be Thomas Jefferson’s Michael Carter, Red Oak’s Michelle Carter, Rowlett’s Marquise Goodwin, Mansfield Legacy’s Shelbi Vaughan, Roosevelt’s Roy “Robot” Martin and Mansfield Lake Ridge’s Jasmine Moore. All rank in the top four in high school national history in their events.

But to decide the greatest of all time, you have to look beyond high school. The Dallas area has produced world-class superstars Michael Johnson, Jeremy Wariner and Sha’Carri Richardson, all Olympic gold medalists whose careers took off after high school.

Here’s the background on Lutkenhaus, followed by a ranking of the top 15 track and field athletes in Dallas-area history. You be the judge — who has the best résumé?

Cooper Lutkenhaus

Michael Granville’s outdoor national record of 1:46.45 in the 800 had stood since 1996, but Lutkenhaus broke that by winning the Brooks PR Invitational in 1:46.26 on June 8. Thirteen days later, Lutkenhaus became the first high school runner to ever break 1:46 when he ran 1:45.45, a time that ranks him 16th among American men for 2025 and puts him one spot ahead of 2024 Olympian Hobbs Kessler.

Lutkenhaus has won back-to-back state titles in the 800 and has never lost a race at that distance against high school athletes. Josh Hoey broke the American indoor record in the 800 by running 1:43.24 this year, and his outdoor season best of 1:42.43 is the third-best time in the world for 2025, but Lutkenhaus is already faster as a high schooler than Hoey ever was.

Lutkenhaus ran 1:46.86 in February at the Millrose Games in New York to break the high school indoor national record of 1:47.67 that was set by Hoey in 2018.

Lutkenhaus is among four athletes from Dallas-area schools to currently hold a high school national record in an individual event, according to Track & Field News. He joins three Olympians — Goodwin (26-10 in the boys long jump in 2009), Michael Carter (81-3.50 in the boys shot put in 1979) and Vaughan (198-9 in the girls discus in 2012).

The best in Dallas-area history

1. Michael Johnson

You won’t find Johnson’s name anywhere in the high school state record books, but he became one of the greatest sprinters in history after leaving Skyline. He set world records in the 200 and 400 meters, was a four-time Olympic gold medalist and still ranks No. 2 in world history in the 400 with the 43.18 that he ran in 1999.

Johnson won three NCAA titles in the 200 while at Baylor and then won six individual world championships, two in the 200 and four in the 400. He became the first man in history to win the 200 and 400 at the same Olympics in 1996, and he became the first man to repeat as Olympic 400-meter champion when he won the gold in 2000.

2. Jeremy Wariner

Wariner, now the boys track coach at Lancaster, won state titles in the 200 (20.48) and 400 (46.52) in the UIL’s top classification (5A at that time) as a senior at Arlington Lamar in 2002, but he doesn’t rank in the top five in state history in either event. His times took off once he got to Baylor, and he finished his spectacular career as a three-time Olympic champion.

Wariner won gold medals in the 400 meters and 4×400 relay at the 2004 Olympics, then added another gold in the 4×400 relay at the 2008 Olympics. He is the sixth-fastest man in world history in the 400, having run 43.45 to win the World Championships in 2007.

3. Michelle Carter

The former Red Oak star is a three-time Olympian and won a gold medal in the shot put at the 2016 Olympics. That year she gave the U.S. its first gold medal ever in the shot put, and she earned bragging rights over her father, the legendary Michael Carter, who was an Olympic silver medalist in the same event in 1984.

Michelle Carter set the high school national record in the shot put with a throw of 54-10.75 in 2003. That record stood until 2014, and even now, only three high school girls have surpassed it.

4. Michael Carter

His high school national record of 81-3.50 in the shot put is seen as untouchable and is just over four feet better than Ryan Crouser, who ranks second in high school national history with a throw of 77-2.75 in 2011. Crouser is now the greatest thrower in the world, winning three straight Olympic gold medals in the shot put and becoming the first man to ever three-peat in the event. That was after Crouser won four NCAA championships at Texas.

Carter’s season for Thomas Jefferson in 1979 might be even better than the incredible year that Lutkenhaus has had in 2025. Carter produced five of the top 10 shot put throws in national history that year, with his record throw of 81-3.50 followed by marks of 77-0, 76-9.50. 76-4 and 75-11.75, according to Track & Field News.

Carter earned a silver medal in the shot put at the 1984 Olympics. He was also a three-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman and three-time Super Bowl champion with the San Francisco 49ers, and he is the only athlete to win an Olympic medal and a Super Bowl ring in the same year.

5. Sha’Carri Richardson

Richardson starred for Carter in high school and broke the Class 4A state-meet record in the 100 as a junior and smashed the state-meet record in the 200 as a senior. She’s not among the all-time state leaders in either event based on her high school times, but she set the collegiate record in the 100 by running 10.75 for LSU in 2019, and she is tied for the third-fastest American woman of all-time in the 100.

Richardson became one of the biggest names in track when she won the world title in the 100 meters in 2023 and ran a meet-record time of 10.65 seconds that is her personal best. Then she won a gold medal in the 4×100 relay and earned a silver medal in the 100 meters at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Richardson attended the Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Collegiate Academy but competed for Carter in high school and won eight state titles. She swept the 4A titles in the 100, 200 and 4×100-meter relay as a junior and senior and won state in the 100 and 4×100 relay as a sophomore.

6. Louise Ritter

The Red Oak product qualified for the Olympics three times and won an Olympic gold medal in the high jump in 1988. She won the event in a jump-off against Stefka Kostadinova of Bulgaria, the world record holder at the time.

Ritter set an American record in the high jump by clearing 6-8 in 1988. That wasn’t broken until 2010, and only two American women have ever jumped higher. She placed third at the 1983 World Outdoor Championships.

7. Chryste Gaines

The former South Oak Cliff star teamed up with Gail Devers, Inger Miller and Gwen Torrence to win an Olympic gold medal in the 4×100 relay in 1996. Gaines also earned a bronze medal in the 4×100 relay and competed in the 100 meters at the 2000 Olympics.

She was a two-time World Championships gold medalist in the 4×100 relay, and at Stanford she won NCAA titles in the indoor 55 meters and the outdoor 100 meters.

While at South Oak Cliff, Gaines won two 5A state titles in the 200 meters, was part of a state champion 4×100 relay team and was named the 1988 Gatorade National Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year.

8. Jasmine Moore

The two-time Olympian was a nine-time state champion at Mansfield Lake Ridge and a seven-time NCAA champion in the triple jump and long jump at Florida. She set the state record in the triple jump with a mark of 44-10 at the state meet as a senior in 2019, and only Brittany Daniels and three-time Olympian Keturah Orji have jumped farther in high school national history.

Moore broke the collegiate and American record in the triple jump with a mark of 49-7.25 at the NCAA Indoor Championships in 2023. But the highlight of Moore’s extraordinary career came last summer in Paris, when she became the first American woman to medal in the long jump and triple jump at the same Olympics when she earned a bronze in both.

9. Jason Richardson

The former Cedar Hill star was a silver medalist in the 110 hurdles at the 2012 Olympics and won the event at the 2011 World Championships. He is tied for sixth in state history in the 110 hurdles with a high school personal best of 13.38 in 2004.

10. Darvis “Doc” Patton

The Lake Highlands product was a three-time Olympian and two-time world champion sprinter, as well as a 10-time NCAA All-American at TCU. He helped the United States claim a silver medal in the 4×100 relay at the 2004 Olympics, and he finished eighth in the 100 meters at the 2008 Olympics.

He won gold medals in the 4×100 relay at the World Championships in 2003 and 2007 and earned silver in the 200 in 2003. He had a personal best of 9.89 in the 100, and the wind-aided 9.75 that he ran in 2013 makes him the third-fastest American man ever for all conditions.

11. Eddie Southern

The former Sunset standout won a silver medal in the 400 hurdles at the 1956 Olympics and had sensational high school and college careers. The Dallas Morning News reported that in the 1955 Texas Interscholastic League Class 2A state meet, he set a national record in the 440-yard dash (47.2) and tied Jesse Owens’ record in the 220 (20.7). Southern anchored world records at the University of Texas in the 4×100-yard relay in 1957 and 1959 and the 4×200 at the 1957 Texas Relays.

12. Marquise Goodwin

Goodwin is one of the greatest two-sport athletes in Dallas-area history. The former Rowlett star competed in the Olympics in the long jump in 2012 and played 10 seasons as a wide receiver in the NFL from 2013 to 2023.

Goodwin’s high school national record of 26-10 in the long jump — set at the U.S. Championships in 2009 — puts him ahead of Carl Lewis on the all-time list, with Lewis ranking fourth at 26-8.25. Lewis went on to win nine Olympic gold medals, with four of those in the long jump.

13. Roy “Robot” Martin

The legendary sprinter from Roosevelt set the high school national record in the 200 meters when he ran 20.13 in 1985. That time now ranks second in national history behind the 20.09 run in 2016 by Noah Lyles, the 2024 100-meter Olympic gold medalist.

Tied for No. 3 on that list? Eight-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who ran 20.14 in high school in 2012.

Martin also ran 10.18 in the 100 meters in 1985, which now ranks just outside the top five times in state history. As a 17-year-old, Martin finished fourth in the 200 at the 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials, and he ran in the 1988 Olympics and reached the semifinals in the 200.

14. Shelbi Vaughan

The former Mansfield Legacy and Texas A&M star competed in the discus at the 2015 IAAF World Championship and the 2016 Olympics. She had a legendary season in 2012 for Mansfield Legacy, recording eight of the current top 10 discus throws in high school national history, with her marks of 198-9, 197-1 and 196-11 ranking first, second and third.

15. Courtney Okolo

The former Carrollton Newman Smith star won an Olympic gold medal in the 4×400 relay in 2016. She ran 49.71 in the 400 for Texas in 2016, a time that only eight women in NCAA history have surpassed.

Others considered

Plano East’s Erica McLain, Lake Highlands’ Erin Aldrich, Roosevelt’s McClinton Neal, Southlake Carroll’s Reed Brown, Sunset’s Billy Foster, Lincoln’s Gene and Joe Pouncy, Samuell’s Sammy Walker, Flower Mound’s Natalie Cook, South Oak Cliff’s Sheddric Fields, Mansfield Timberview’s Aldrich Bailey, McKinney Boyd’s Aaliyah Miller, DeSoto’s Alexis Duncan, Arlington Seguin’s Tonea Marshall

Find more high school sports coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.

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