In my order, this was article #5. However, Nolan Jez at Milestat.com chose to save this for the unofficial #11 of 10 - the bonus. Admittedly, it wasn't directly related to the track events.
Here's the link on Milestat: http://va.milesplit.com/articles/176731-virginia-track-gold-medal-record-holder-in-attendance-on-friday
Many track fans at Boo Williams may not have realized that
history was in their midst on Friday afternoon.
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| Doug Dickinson jumping in the late 1960's for Newport News High School. The Typhoon, in spite of being closed for over 35 years, still hold many team title records in Virginia, and Dickinson played a large part of their late 60's success. |
And that’s exactly the way Doug Dickinson would prefer it to
be.
Dickinson, a 1969 graduate of the former Newport News High
School, is arguably the single most decorated athlete in state prep track
history. As part of the Typhoon teams that won an unprecedented 14 state
championships in the 1960’s alone, Dickinson was the catalyst of a team that eventually
compiled a 330-4-1 overall dual meet record under legendary coaches Julie Conn,
and later Charlie Nuttycombe. Dickinson won 20 individual gold medals between
indoor and outdoor state meets.
In the 1969 outdoor state meet alone, Dickinson won the triple
jump (49-6.5), long jump (23 feet), 60-yard low and high hurdles, one of two
times that he won four individual events.
He is humble to a fault.
“I’m past history,” said Dickinson.
In spite of his reluctance to talk about himself, coaches
and athletes stopped by to say hello to Dickinson, who sported a long gray
beard and NNHS Typhoon hat.
However, it was stories about others that offered a history
lesson, one, which current athletes could learn from.
For example, the Bumblebee uniform, currently re-introduced
by the Menchville team. According to www.nnhs65.com/TRACK-History.html,
a page started by current outdoor state meet director, and Typhoon alum Al
Dorner (’66), it was no accident that the blue and gold “bumble
bee” track uniforms resembled UVA blue and orange.
There was another reason for going with the bumble
bee.
“Coach Conn wanted to have an advantage when a race
was decided by a photo finish. He wanted something that would stand out, and
the bumble bee was easier to notice in a picture.”
Conn would go to any length to gain a psychological
advantage. Dickinson recalled his high jump career.
“I never trained for the high jump. But, I could
clear 6’2,” as long as I only had to jump once. Sometimes, I’d do as many as
seven events in a meet. So, Coach Conn would enter me in the high jump. The
official would continue to ask him when I was going to enter the competition.
Finally, when the bar got to 6’2”, Conn would have me come in. I’d clear the
bar and be finished.”
Conn’s tactics transcended to the next generation.
When Dorner coached at Denbigh High, he took some of his mentor’s maneuvers to
heart.
“Sometimes, when the team had a meet at Todd
Stadium, we’d get off the bus, and I’d tell the guys to go jog down toward the
restroom area and stay there. So, when the other team got off their bus, they’d
look around and ask where Denbigh was. So, I’d tell them, “They should be here
any minute. They’re running to the stadium. Now, that’s a seven and a half mile
run. Those guys would kind of look at each other, and it made them think.”
Dickinson, who had not attended a state meet in 15
years, was impressed with some of Friday’s sights and sounds. Instinctively, he
noticed the form of one hurdler who breezed to
a semifinal victory.
“You can tell by the way he ran high on the first
hurdle. There’s something special,”
said Dickerson, who coached at Christopher Newport
College and Menchville High after his competitive career. At Menchville, he
succeeded Steve Lewis, who recently passed away, but went from Menchville to
coach at the Division I level for Pitt and Hampton.
The hurdler turned out to be Grant Holloway, who was
introduced to Dickinson shortly after his heat.
Asked if there was one special recollection from his
past at Newport News High, Dickinson was quick to respond.
“In 1934, my father was captain of the team that won
Coach Conn’s first state title. Then, in 1969, I was the captain of the team
that won Conn’s last state title. We kept it in the family.”
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