Time, neglect taking toll on Gormley track

When the synthetic running track was constructed at City Park’s Tad Gormley Stadium in 1992, it and the stadium in which it was installed presented a world-class venue for the U.S. Olympic Trials.

But over the years and decades that followed, the condition of the surface has deteriorated and discolored from the absence of maintenance by City Park officials.

Frankly, Gormley needs a new track and runways.

One of the few key events the stadium hosted had been the annual Sugar Bowl-sponsored high school track meet, which brought outstanding teams and athletes from high schools throughout the southeastern U.S. to match their skills against the fastest and strongest of their peers from local and area schools.

But as time and climate took their toll on the running surface, track and field has seemingly moved on to other metro area venues, starting in 2019 when the Allstate Sugar Bowl canceled its meet, initially due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Almost from the time it was constructed in 1937, City Park’s stadium was the site of the annual Sugar Bowl track and field meet, run  a few days prior to the Jan. 1 football classic. It was part of a mid-winter holiday celebration that also included a four-team college basketball  tournament and a regatta on Lake Pontchartrain.

The original surface of track  was made of “red dog” cinders, replenished many times over the 55 years before the ’92 trials. 

Now just seven meets are scheduled to take place at Gormley,  while others are being run at stadiums at East and West Jefferson, northshore schools, Chalmette, Kenner and New Orleans East.

Of the meets that have already taken place, local prep athletes are working to carve their identity as potential gold-medal winners at the May 8-10  state meet.

And there is a plethora of records to achieve. The Clarion Herald has compiled a list of the best performances accomplished since 1970.

It offers hypothetical goals aspiring state champions in the tri-parish area could reach.

The list of the most outstanding performances is followed by the best among local Catholic school athletes, if the leader is different.

Boys’ records

100: Germaine Smith-Meta, Warren Easton, 10.13 wind-aided (2024); Akieem Jolla, St. Augustine, 10.31 (2002).

200: Rahji Dennis, Karr, 20.89 (2022); Josh Brown, Holy Cross, 21.00 (2024).

400: Desmond Johnson, St. Augustine, 45.99 (1995). Composite record.

800: Karjuan Williams, St. Augustine, 1:50.14 (2005).

1,600: Brady Mullen, Jesuit, 4:11.09 (2024). The state composite record, set in 1982 is 4:12.0 by Keith Iovine of Archbishop Rummel.

3,200: BradyMullen, 8:47.59, composite (2024).

110 hurdles: Justin Horne, Curtis, 13.64 (2023); Harry Jones, St. Augustine, 13.93 (1994).

300 hurdles: Horne,  37.24 (2023); Morgan Cormier, Brother Martin, 37.99 (2012).

4x100 relay: Karr, 40.54 (2013); St. Augustine (Lawrence O’Neal, Willie Bell, Jonathan Stelly, Akieem Jolla), 41.00 (2001).

4x200 relay: St. Augustine (Lawrence O’Neal, Craig Kelly, Willie Bell, Akieem Jolla), 1:25.10 (2001).

4x400 relay: St. Augustine (Shyron  Champagne, Kajuan Williams, Theodore Johnson, Mark Spooner), 3:14.40 (2005).

4x800 relay: The Willow, 7:56.34 (2024); St. Paul’s (Bergeron, Taylor, Albright, Brewster) 7:57.57.

Shotput: Steve Meyer, Jesuit, 63-5 1/4 (1970) composite record. 

Discus: Andrew Pack, Brother Martin, 178-2 (1995).

Javelin: Jack Larriviere, Jesuit, 228-10, composite record (2022).

Long jump: Devin Scott, West Jefferson, 24-11 1/2 (2013); Ja’Marr  Chase, Abp. Rummel, 24-2 1/2 (2017).

Triple Jump: Robert Thomas, East Jefferson, 51-3 1/4 (1991); Brandon Atkinson, St. Augustine, 50-0 (2001).

High jump: Kyron Sumler, Curtis, 7-0 (2024) and Brandon Cooper, Higgins, 7-0 (2010); Lionel Ellison, Abp. Shaw, 6-10 (2012).

Pole vault: Dylan Duvio, Curtis, 17-3 1/2 (2013); Kyle Rose, Jesuit,  15-8 (2007).

Girls’ records

100: Raven Nunnery, Curtis,  11.31 (2021); Hilary Woods, Xavier Prep, 11.57 (2009).

200: Raven Nunnery, Curtis, 23.41 (2021); Shannon Ray, Drexel Prep, 23.89 (2014).

400: Maudeva Jackson, John McDonogh, 54.11 (1980); Alia Armstrong, Drexel Prep, 55.26 (2019).

800: Countess Commadore, Lawless, 2:14.68 (1985); Allison Richardson, St. Mary’s Academy, 2:16.0 (2005). Katerra Harris of St. Mary’s ran a 2:16.23 in 2014.

1,600: Mia Meydrick, Dominican, 5:04.06 (2014).

3,200: Catalina Reichard, Mt. Carmel, 10:58.38 (2023).

100 hurdles: Alia Armstrong, Drexel Prep, 13.33 (2018).

300 hurdles: Alia Armstrong, Drexel Prep, 42.47 (2018).

4x100 relay: Karr, 47.11, (2014); Cabrini (Charlynn Miller, Lisette Hrapmann, Taylor Odom, Janeicia Neely), 48.21 (2011).

4x200 relay: Carver, 1:38.72 (1986); Cabrini (Lisette Hrapmann, Angelina Cardenez, Taylor Odom, Devinn Rolland), 1:40.74 (2011).

4x400 relay: Curtis, 3:38.73 (2021); St. Mary’s (Allison Richardson,  Danielle Keller, Jasmine June, Deanne Powell), 3:57.77 (2005).

4x800 relay: Curtis, 9:44.01; Academy of the Sacred Heart (Elizabeth Stassi, Lily Varisco, Courtney Habetz, Leah Varisco), 9:54.51

(2024).

Shotput: Henrietta Mitchall, Ehret, 44-4 3/4 (1986); Mykhela Coleman, Academy of the Sacred Heart, 40-3 1/2 (2021).

Discus: Judy Szollasi, Andrew Jackson, 135-11 1/2 (1985); Caroline Standley, Abp. Hannan, 134-8 (2017).

Javelin: Samantha Zelden, St. Scholastica, 150-4 (2015).

Long jump: Mitzi Plaeger, Ecole Classique, 19-10 1/2 (1986); Devinn  Rolland, Cabrini, 18-11 1/2 (2009). 

Triple jump: Danielle Brown, McMain, 40-8 1/2 1997); Alysia Terry, Ursuline, 38-4 1/2 (2017).

High jump: Susan Hackett, Riverdale, 5-11 (1974); Ellie  Silvia, Academy of the Sacred Heart, 5-6 (2016).

Pole Vault: Bailee Villavaso, Cabrini, 13-4 (2024)