Former Sumner High track and cross country legend Ron Gregory was honored last weekend at the University of Notre Dame, his collegiate alma mater. Gregory was the recipient of the William D. Reynolds Award, which goes to a Notre Dame alum annually for his or her outstanding service to the youth in their communities.
Gregory was presented with his award during halftime of Saturday’s Notre Dame Blue-and-White spring football game. Gregory has been an exemplary teacher, mentor and positive role model for St. Louis area youths for the past five decades. He has been cited locally and nationally for his work with several organizations that try to improve the quality of life for young St. Louisans.
As an athlete, Gregory was one of the best distance runners to ever come out of the St. Louis area. He was a three-time state cross country champion at Sumner from 1954 to 1956. Gregory is only one of two athletes in the state to ever win three individual state titles. He was also the holder of the national high school record in the mile run in 1956. Gregory set a new national high school mark on May 25, 1956 when he turned in a time of four minutes 19.2 seconds.
Gregory went on to have a stellar career at Notre Dame where he was an All-American in cross country and track. He is still listed in the school’s record books in 13 different categories.
Ron Gregory’s excellence was emblematic of an era in the 1950s when African Americans from the Public High League dominated the cross country scene statewide. His older brother, Dick Gregory, was a former state champion at Sumner an All-American at Southern Illinois before becoming a famous comedian and civil rights activist.
In 1955, Sumner, Hadley Tech and Vashon swept the top three places at the state cross country meet. Vashon won state championships in 1956, ’58 and ’60 behind its individual star Louis Virdure.
Yes folks, at one time, we had some brothers on this side of the world who could get it done in the long distance events.
Ron Gregory was at the top of the list.
Signing in
Former Vashon High basketball standout Leon Powell signed a letter of intent to attend Southeast Missouri State last week. Powell spent the past two seasons at national junior college power Indian Hills C.C. in Iowa. As a sophomore, Powell averaged 11 points and seven rebounds in leading Indian Hills to a 30-3 season. Powell was a four-year starter for the Wolverines.
Also signing last week was former East St. Louis standout Anthony Mitchell, who is headed to Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. The 6’4” Mitchell spent his first year at Saint Louis University, but transferred to Highland Junior College in Illinois, where he sat out the season with a knee injury. He will have three years of eligibility remaining at SIUE.
Eagles of summer
The St. Louis Eagles Basketball Club is off to a good start on the summer basketball circuit.
The Eagles 15-and-under team recently won the NY2LA Swish-and-Dish Invitational in Milwaukee. Vashon High’s Antonio “Flip” Hopkins enjoyed an excellent tournament for the Eagles.
The Eagles 16-and-under team finished second at the prestigious Boo Williams Invitational in Hampton Roads, Va. last weekend. The Eagles advanced all the way to the championship game of the star-studded tournament before being defeated by a talented team from Philadelphia.
Sophomore guards Bradley Beal of Chaminade and Shaquille Boga of McCluer were selected to the All-Tournament team. Beal averaged 22 points a game in the tournament, including 30 points in the championship game. The Eagles’ 16s came back to win the Old School Basketball Classic in Conway, Ark. last weekend.
Two tourneys
There are a couple of local basketball tournaments on tap. The 10th annual Midwest Basketball Showdown will be held this weekend at Lewis & Clark Community College in Alton, Ill. The tournament is presented by Rameybasketball.com. It will feature teams from Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Tennessee. The action gets underway on Friday with the championship games to be held on Sunday in the 15, 16 and 17-and under divisions.
Earl Austin Jr. is now blogging online at earlonsports.blogspot.com, earlsbasketballhistory.blogspot.com and straitjacketparents.blogspot.com.
