Belatedly, I highlight PLAS baseball, a track sensation, a talented and beautiful local tennis athlete, an All-State soccer athlete and two caddies at the U.S. Open.
Troy Citizen subscriber Chuck Ash reminded me in a message that the greatest track athlete to ever live in Troy is James Batie - who was the fastest person in the world for a period of time in the 1970s.
A native of Columbus, Ga., Troy State track coach John “Doc” Anderson recruited Batie out of Columbus’s Baker High School in 1969.
In high school, Batie finished just one-tenth of a second off the world record in the 50-yard dash, a record he would later tie as a freshman at Troy with a time of 5.10 seconds. (This means for the distance of 50 yards, Batie was the world’s fastest human.)
Batie, a five-time NCAA & NAIA All-American, ran for the Trojans from 1970-73. He was inducted into the third class of the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.
Batie, who retired from a career working with the State Prison System, was living in Troy when he was inducted in the Sports Hall of Fame and has several relatives who live(d) in Pike County.
Note: See a longer story on Mr Batie in this afternoon's Troy Citizen dispatch.
Anyone who has more info about James Batie can contact me in the Reader Comments section or by email at: wjricejunior@gmail.com
Quick correction: Bill Hamrick, the father of Hunter, operates a trucking insurance company with offices in Troy and Montgomery. The first version of this story said Troy and Brundidge.
Hunter was a great college golfer who once played in the U.S. Open and is now working as the caddie for one of the game's top young stars.
Note: In the 1995 State 5A Track meet, Cencade Pennington’s teammate James Moultry finished third in the 100-meter dash, just behind Cencade, in a time of 10.98). CHHS finished 2nd in the 4 x 100 relay and fifth in the state competition with 41 points.
It should also be noted that the CHHS boys 4 x 100 relay team finished third in the state this spring. The team consists of Jamal Downing, Briece Baker, Terrance Thomas and Joshuan Daniels.
Troy Citizen subscriber Chuck Ash reminded me in a message that the greatest track athlete to ever live in Troy is James Batie - who was the fastest person in the world for a period of time in the 1970s.
A native of Columbus, Ga., Troy State track coach John “Doc” Anderson recruited Batie out of Columbus’s Baker High School in 1969.
In high school, Batie finished just one-tenth of a second off the world record in the 50-yard dash, a record he would later tie as a freshman at Troy with a time of 5.10 seconds. (This means for the distance of 50 yards, Batie was the world’s fastest human.)
Batie, a five-time NCAA & NAIA All-American, ran for the Trojans from 1970-73. He was inducted into the third class of the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.
Batie, who retired from a career working with the State Prison System, was living in Troy when he was inducted in the Sports Hall of Fame and has several relatives who live(d) in Pike County.
Note: See a longer story on Mr Batie in this afternoon's Troy Citizen dispatch.
Anyone who has more info about James Batie can contact me in the Reader Comments section or by email at: wjricejunior@gmail.com
See Thursday's Troy Citizen (just posted) for a feature story on Mr. Batie. Thanks for the story tip, Chuck!
Quick correction: Bill Hamrick, the father of Hunter, operates a trucking insurance company with offices in Troy and Montgomery. The first version of this story said Troy and Brundidge.
Hunter was a great college golfer who once played in the U.S. Open and is now working as the caddie for one of the game's top young stars.
Bonus Content:
Note: In the 1995 State 5A Track meet, Cencade Pennington’s teammate James Moultry finished third in the 100-meter dash, just behind Cencade, in a time of 10.98). CHHS finished 2nd in the 4 x 100 relay and fifth in the state competition with 41 points.
It should also be noted that the CHHS boys 4 x 100 relay team finished third in the state this spring. The team consists of Jamal Downing, Briece Baker, Terrance Thomas and Joshuan Daniels.