Congratulations to the Shades Valley High School (SVHS) Track Team on qualifying for the 2016 Alabama High School Track & Field Finals !! The finals will be held May 4 – 8, in Gulf Shores, AL. Out of over 130 athletes Shades Valley had several individual athletes place in the top 24 in the state. They also had relay teams place in the top 24 out of over 60 relay teams competing statewide.
Shades Valley High School’s track program have dominated their region of Jefferson County for over a decade. Under the direction of Coach Gary Ferguson, the men have won the county championship for 11 years in a row and the girls have won the county championship 9 out of the last 11 years. Coach Ferguson has coached multiple state champions over the years and several athletes who have earned collegiate scholarships. Two noted Shades Valley High School track alumni include:
- Morganne Phillips who went on to run for the University of Kentucky. She won 10 state championships while attending Shades Valley and is the current State Record Holder in the 400 meters.
- Elza Allen starred at Wallace State Community College. He was a 7 time state champion in the hurdles while attending Shades Valley High School.
According to Coach Ferguson, “One thing that I have been blessed to do is explore the power of the mind and to help athletes believe that they can achieve. My formula has been to put God first in all we do and let him do the rest.”
Many thanks to Coach Ferguson and the dedicated student-athletes of the Shades Valley High School Track Team for exemplifying sustained excellence over such a long period of time. We’d like to wish all the current SVHS student-athletes competing in the state finals the very best !!!