Letter to the Sports Editor

Having been the boys coach for 25 years in the Ardmore School system, I’ve had some tremendous athletes pass through this program. Their talents are self evident, winning numerous state championships since 1983.

As with all great accomplishments, there lies a support base behind the scenes. My appreciation for several members of this community for their exceptional service and involvement in the Ardmore athletic department — and specifically in track — goes beyond words.

Glen Burns and Phil Tabor had the vision and the tenacity to get the majority of the community behind supporting the funding for Noble Stadium being built, which hosted the state meet for the sixth time in 11 years.

Several key people have helped coach our athletes through the years. Steve Wright has been instrumental in our athletes’ successes. Former Ardmore athletes Harold Brown (now co-athletic director), Chris Pelton and Carl Fields, as well as Tabor and Robert Sweeten, have given of their time generously on a daily basis.

There’s also all the volunteers who not only helped with the state meet, but other home meets throughout the season. Debra Tibbs helped organize the hospitality room for coaches and meet helpers for all the home meets this season. It’s volunteers such as these who helped make this weekend’s state meet a success.

Chuck Minkley,
Ardmore Tigers track coach