The 180 low hurdler

 The low hurdler

John Clare Stokes

“He had started going to parties again, but without the hurdle race to run, the parties of his friends and neighbors seemed to him interminable and stale. He listened to their dirty jokes with an irritability that was hard for him to conceal. Even their countenances discouraged him, and, slumped in a chair, he would regard their skin and their teeth narrowly, as if he were himself a much younger man." from John Cheever's short story, O Youth and Beauty!

It was in the Spring of integration seventh grade that it was apparent I was going to need to find a new event. Up until we merged with East Williston I was a 100 and 220 yard dash speedster, or so I thought. For a white boy, so so, but against my ebony teammates, maybe show, not win or place.

I moved up to middle distance, the 440 and mile relay, but still I lacked the necessary strength and speed to excel.

It was Coach Dean who suggested I try the 180 low hurdle event. It required speed and skill to clear the hurdles. Only problem is the school had no hurdles, not even a track. So Coach had the shop class build a set of wooden hurdles, heavy and painful to hit. I’d set them out on the road between the gym and shop and proceed to try to train.

Time for the first meet in Chiefland came and I drew lane one on the cinder oval around the Indian football field. When the gun started us, I was off and won, or so I thought.

I was disqualified for not going over with both legs, but straddling them with only the lead leg going over. I know this was the result of hitting those ole wooden ones I trained on.

Eventually with the help of our new track coach Tom Honea and Coach Robinson assisting, I was able to excel at the hurdle event, setting school records that will never be beaten, for they eventually cancelled the 180 low hurdle event in high school.

I never made state, as Uncle Rico and I will always lament. Had Coach Honea only stayed for my senior year and had I not quit track to play basketball.…maybe that Jon Perry from PK Young and that guy with glasses from Lake Butler would have graduated and I’d take state, as I line up the furniture in the living room and prepare for another hurdle race, Melanie with gun in hand.

At Florida Relays with teammate Lorenzo Law on the 180 low hurdles