Evansville North
1974 – 1977

Standing only 5’ 9” and weighting in at one-hundred and thirty pounds as a senior Cornell Garrett easily stood head and shoulders above the competition and his accomplishments outweighed those of the city’s best. In track “Nell” was virtually unbeatable. Recording Evansville best-ever times in the 100-yard dash (9.7) and the 220-yard dash (21.2) Garrett dominated the area track scene. He was three-time track state finalist in the 100 and 220 and anchored the 1977 state finalist 880-yard relay team. In that race he took the baton and passed four opponents to lead the Huskies to a fifth-place finish, but individually, he was a shine. During his junior year, Garrett placed second in the 100 and prepared to run his specially, the 220. As any one of the thousand onlookers can attest, it was Garrett’s race from the start. As he left the curve and entered the straightaway, he had a ten-yard lead over the state’s best. His time 21.3 tied the existing state record. Head Coach George Alvey stated, “No one ran the curve better than Cornell… he was smooth as silk and a great competitor.”

Along the way, Garrett amassed numerous city and conference titles and was selected as All-State and All-American.

Upon graduating from North, Garrett accepted a track scholarship to attend Louisiana Tech University. Cornell best times in college were 10.25 (100 meters), 20.48 (200 meters) and 46.5 (400 meters). Highlights in college include being a three-time participant in the NCAA Division 1 Track and Field Championships and a national fifth place finisher in the 200 meter as a senior. Cornell was invited to the 1980 Olympic Trails, but the United State boycotted the Moscow Olympics that year. Cornell won five individual conference titles and named the 1981 Conference Championships Track Athlete of the Year. During his four years at Louisiana Tech, Cornell had the honor of running among the great, such as Hershel Walker, Georgia, Willie Gault (Chicago Bears), and Olympic champions Carl Lewis and Al Joyner. “Nell” also was ranked in the top twenty in the world for the 200 meters. He holds a bachelor’s degree and resides in Evansville.

1977 880-yard relay 5th
1976 100 2nd
1976 220 1st