John Dye recalls "DyeStatters" on Olympic team

By John Dye, Founder of DyeStat

Dyestatters

In 2008 we counted 40 “DyeStatters” making the US Olympic track team.  A DyeStatter is a track athlete that we got to know personally when they emerged as a star in high school and we covered extensively on the DyeStat web site, “the internet home of high school track.”

Watching the Trials this year on TV, we were surprised to see DyeStatters still making a mark. 

ALLYSON FELIX – I remember walking off the track with the skinny high schooler after a win at Arcadia.   A reporter from the Los Angeles Times was trying to get Allyson to talk about the pressure that was building as she emerged as a star.  I said, “Looks to me like you are just having fun.”  Allyson said, “Yes! I am!”

KENDELL WILLIAMS – We remember a beautiful tall prep from Georgia with speed in the hurdles and power in high jump.  A natural heptathlete, except for throws.  We watched her win all over the country for four years. 

MATT CENTROWICZ – “little Matt”, whose effortless stride won the mile at the National Scholastic’s championship in Greensboro and the whole family celebrated in the infield.  I remember building a hangover down the street from The Del in Coronado the night before Foot Locker one year with former Oregon star “big Matt” and Marc Davis, Olympians in their own right.   

BERNARD LAGAT – How can he still be running at championship level?.  We remember the Oregon-Washington BorderClash on the Nike campus one year.  Nike’s Josh Rowe asked us to give Bernard a ride to the restaurant after the races.  On the way to the parking lot, a family group came running up to us asking for a picture.  I am proud but embarrassed to say that they ignored the Olympic star and wanted Donna and me to pose with them. 

CHAUNTE (HOWARD) LOWE – multi event super star in high school.  We watched her shuttle between the high jump and long jump pits at the California state meet. 

MICHELLE CARTER – We watched her massive father, former San Francisco 49er’s star, hold court around the country as Michelle tried to join him as the high school national record holder.  She succeeded. 

GALEN RUPP – We remember the gangly kid from Portland directing cars to the parking lot on the Nike campus for an event.  Alberto Salazar took Galen under his wing and called us from Europe to report his results pursuing the US high school record in the 5000.  The joy of running still shows in Galen’s face.

VASHTI CUNNINGHAM – high jump prodigy we saw in John Dixon’s Las Vegas meet when we were semi-retired.  She was overshadowed then by her older brother, also a high jumper who was also following in his dad’s footsteps as a football quarterback. 

LASHAWN MERRITT – first noticed him at Loucks Games in White Plains NY.  As he crossed the finish line victorious, he pointed to the sky in honor of his brother, who died after a fall from the 8th floor of his dormitory at Shaw University. 

NATASHA HASTINGS – her elegant style graced many a race at the New York Armory.

AJEE WILSON – living up to her potential in the 800. 

JENNY  (BARRINGER) SIMPSON – we were taking pictures at the finish of her win at the Golden South in Orlando when she pulled up in front of me and said, “Oh my God it’s DyeStat!”

MOLLY HUDDLE – we watched her win alone at the Loucks Games in White Plains NY.  Famous announcer Ian Brooks came up from the City just to see Molly run.  

FRANCENA MCORORY – she missed out in the 400 this year but her high school national 400 meter record at the national indoor championships in Landover MD is perhaps the greatest single performance we saw for DyeStat. 

Didn’t make the team for Rio but they are still fondly remembered DyeStatters:

MORGANN LELEUX – just missed at fourth in pole vault.  We followed her big family from Cajun country in Louisiana to meets from Texas to Alabama. 

SARA (BEI) HALL – one of the classiest preps we ever met.  I met her dad, who shared two things in common with me: he was a CPA and he had a pioneering pole vault daughter (Sara’s older sister). 

CURTIS BEACH – lit up the Great Southwest meet in Albuquerque in 2009 with his fabulous joie de vivre in competition.  After two grueling days winning the decathlon, Curtis came back on Saturday morning to anchor the New Mexico team to victory in the 4x800 relay.  Then he came out of the stands to fill an empty spot on an all-star relay team to beat New Bern NC’s championship 4x400 team.   Superstar novelist Nick Sparks, whose son ran for New Bern, flew the team to Albuquerque to try for a national record.

John Dye - living out his golden years in Las Vegas and still travelling the world with Donna On the Side.