Thom Smith graduated from Manchester High School in 1974, where he ran track and cross country for fellow Hall of Famer Richard “Dick” Miller.

After graduating from Ball State University in 1978, he started his teaching and coaching career at New Prairie Schools.  He began his career at the junior high school, where he was the assistant cross country coach to another fellow Hall of Famer, Doug Snyder, head boys and girls track and cross country.  He ultimately dedicated 43 amazing years to education and coaching at New Prairie before his retirement.

Roy Conrad grew up participating in all the sports around town.  His main sport was track and field, as it was the only IHSAA sport at the time, even before basketball on a state level.  However, basketball was very popular in and round the west central part of Indiana.  Conrad won the 1907 IHSAA state broad jump with a record jump of 21-4 1/5, that stood as one of two 21-foot jumps for 15 years.

Coach Mark Harsha has been coaching for 32 years, 16 years as an assistant and 16 years as a head coach.  He spent his first four years at Rensselaer Central under the guidance of Indiana Hall of Fame Coach Gene Edmonds and Coach Bill Zimmer.  The remaining years of coaching has been spent at his current school, Portage High.

Jordan Fife grew up in Seymour, Indiana, and, although basketball was his first love, his success at a local summer road race near his grandparents’ home in Flora, Indiana, gave him a clue that distance running might be a better option.  Under the coaching of John Chastain at Seymour High School, Jordan earned two trips each to the cross country and track and field state championships, culminating with an All-State finish in cross country his senior year.  He felt there was more to learn about the sport and enthusiastically accepted a walk-on position at Indiana State to run for John McNichols.

At Hammond High School James Harper was a two-time state champion in the high jump, with a best of 6-2 5/8.   Harper attended Indiana University and in 1951 was the Big Ten indoor and outdoor champion.  Because of his amazing talent in basketball and track and field, he was honored by being inducted into the Hammond Sports Hall of Fame in 2008 along with his older brother Estell Harper, who was recognized a short time earlier. 

Jessie Sprinkles, Sarah Wagner, Brittany Neeley and Bethany Neeley

Eastern High School (Greentown) was the first 4x800 relay team in state history to beat the historic 9:00 barrier when they ran 8:53.74 to become the 2013 IHSAA state champions.  This time broke the previous state meet record by 10 seconds and was the fastest time in the nation in 2013, as well as the ninth-best time in U.S. high school history.

David Woods covered track and field for The Indianapolis Star from 1994 through 2022, reporting from six summer Olympic Games. He has written for newspapers in Illinois, California and Indiana, and most recently for the DyeStat track and field website. He is the only four-time winner of Track and Field Writers of America’s Jesse Abramson Award for journalism.

David W. Williams was born December 6, 1962, raised in a stable, supportive and loving family in Evansville, Indiana.  While competing for Evansville North High School, he established himself as one of Indiana’s best long distance runners.  Williams earned four varsity letters in both cross Country and track.  His 1981 Evansville Sectional 3200 winning time of 9:00.7 remains a record to date.  Williams was a three-time state finalist in both cross country and track.

Ed Glover was born April 23, 1885 in Emsworth, Pennsylvania, and moved to Crown Point, Indiana, with his family at an early age and became interested in the pole vault.  After graduation, he entered Purdue University and in 1905 became the Western Conference (Big Ten) champion pole vaulter with a record vault of 11-9 3/8.  He was also the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) champion.  Ed did not return to the university in 1906 and gave up his record to another Indiana high school (Kokomo) vaulter who was attending Indiana University, Leroy Samse (12-4 7/8).

During Brittany’s track and field career, she was a seven-time state medalist, five-time regional champion, 12-time sectional champion and school record holder in six events. Brittany was the 2013 800 state champion during her senior year running a time of 2:07.91 to break the Indiana state meet record.  She was also a part of the 2013 4x800 state champion relay team that ran 8:53.74, breaking the Indiana state meet record as well as becoming the first relay team in state history to break the 9:00 barrier.  This performance was the top time in the nation in 2013 and the ninth-best time ever in U.S. high school history.  Brittany split 2:07 on the 3rd leg before handing the baton off to twin sister Bethany.  As a result of these performances, Brittany was named the 2013 Indiana Gatorade Track and Field Player of the Year.