Myers Park Hoofprint

The Myers Park High School Newspaper

Campus News

A New Era For MPB

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Reid Heaton and Dimitri Katsanos

On May 3, a new era began for Myers Park Basketball as the school hired Andrew Glover as the next men’s basketball coach. Coach Glover sat down with the Myers Hoofprint to introduce himself to the student body.

Glover is a Charleston native who “has been in a gym my entire life,” he said. Glover’s love for the game came from his mother, who has served as a basketball and volleyball coach for 42 years. “I’ve been in the athletic scene for forever,” Glover said. After high school, Glover went on to play college basketball at USC Aiken, and after his playing career ended he went into coaching. “I always knew I wanted to coach, it came natural to me and when the playing career ended it was a smooth transition into coaching”. 

Glover may be on the younger side for a head coach, but he is not lacking experience. Right out of college he got his career started by coaching a 17U AAU team, “It was a blast… I got to learn and it was trial by error with everything”. Glover then was hired at Gray Collegiate Academy as an assistant coach where he was part of a powerhouse program in the state of South Carolina. Glover won two state championships as an assistant there and was able to coach high-level players and play a very competitive schedule, Glover added, “Getting exposed to that level of high school basketball was pretty awesome, it  was a level I wanted to get back to”. After his time at Gray, Glover coached at USC Aiken and Eastern Kentucky, but when a new high school opened in Charleston, he knew it was time to go home. Glover built the program at Lucy Beckham High School from the ground up, and he went 1-11 in his first season, but continued to get better as he led the Bengals to the Sweet Sixteen this past season. Even though he had built the program at Lucy Beckham, Glover knew change was coming. 

“I had this weird feeling a couple months ago that there was some sort of change happening… I didn’t really know what that change was”. That sense of change led Glover to send his information to Coach Poore, and a few months later that feeling was right. Glover is now the man in charge of the program at Myers Park. Glover told us that he had always aspired to get to such a high level of competition again and that “being called to Myers Park, I felt like it was natural, it was a decision for me that it was hard to say no to.”

Glover described his vision for success as “putting work in” and he is a community and family-oriented individual. Glover plans on building upon the already strong student and alumni community at Myers Park, he enjoys engaging with individuals from all aspects of the program and wants “everyone to feel welcome and everyone to feel a part of it.” Coach Glover gave much praise to the program and to Coach Scott Taylor and Nick Jones for the success that they had created during their time and hope to continue their success. Glover understands the immense culture and personnel change the program is going through and that, “it might take a little bit of growing pains early” but that the ultimate goal “is to keep that rich tradition of success and winning alive.” Glover plans to achieve this goal through his high-energy coaching style, and “energy, effort, and enthusiasm is something that I do not lack” he added.

Glover is walking into a program that is built on winning. Myers Park won a state championship two years ago and was ranked as high as #4 in the nation last year. This is not just any high school basketball job but if anyone is up to the challenge of sustaining the winning culture of MP Hoops, Coach Glover is. 

Mustang Mothers

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This year, on Sunday, May 12, we will take a day to celebrate the mothers in our lives. Whether by blood or circumstance, the women we call mothers shape our morals and nurture us into the people we become. Similarly, the hours we spend in school with our teachers shape our future success and teach us valuable life lessons. The Hoofprint staff was lucky enough to sit down with three Myers Park teachers who are mothers or grandmothers themselves to gain some insight into the various aspects and overlaps of motherhood and education. 

Mrs. Harris, mother to two girls (five and seven years old) teaches world history. Although she generally teaches seniors she believes that her students are more similar to her young daughters than one might think. Harris stated,  “My students might have different challenges than I face with my girls but the same patience and understanding is needed at the end of the day.” She believes, “Keeping patience with my students and remembering that they’re just kids who are learning how to go through life exactly how my little ones are” is a major overlap between her work and home life. Mrs. Hamm, the school’s security monitor, is the mother to two sons and ten grandchildren aged 2-22. While not a teacher, she believes that, “guiding children, directly or indirectly” is a characteristic of both education and motherhood. Ms. Blackert, an IB math teacher, has a sophomore and a senior here at the park herself. She agreed with Hamm, explaining, “While we aren’t our students’ parents, we see them for a large portion of the day so it’s our responsibility to help them learn some of the things they need to develop as they grow.” Expanding on that, Blackert believes it’s a big responsibility of both mothers and teachers to care for the health of student’s brains. She says, “Especially since COVID, a lot more students struggle with their mental health and as a parent, I want to protect my children and help them, and I try to do the same with my students in the classroom.”

Mothers are full of life experience and wisdom that goes way beyond their children’s years. Surprisingly enough, they had to learn it from somewhere too. These teachers were each guided through life by their mothers and various other strong female figures, the advice which they carry into their motherhood as well as the classroom. Harris specifically shouted out Mrs. Allison, an English teacher at the Park, whom she’s known for the past 20 years. Harris said, “I watched her kids grow up and she’s watched my kids grow so I’ve always gone to her for advice. She always says that [childhood] goes by so fast, they’re only going to need you and want you for a few more years until they just want to see their friends or not need you anymore so you need to cherish every moment now.” Blackert was advised not to expect perfection out of anyone, especially yourself. She expressed, “All we can do is our best. We know that we’re making decisions and doing things that we think at the time we think are the right thing to do and then we learn that maybe it wasn’t working or whatever but we just learn from it and not punish ourselves.” Alternatively, Hamm believes the one thing that is perfection is showing compassion. In her closing statement, she said “ Always let your children know that you love them.  Be patient and kind as they learn and grow.”

This Mother’s Day, and the rest, make sure to show the mothers in your life how much you appreciate them. We owe so much (if not our whole lives) to them so take some time to give back!

CIS at MPHS

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If you walked into the library a few weeks ago, you may have noticed the large stack of board games that filled the room. The Myers Park community came together and donated 1,000 games to a local organization called “Furnish For Good.” The games will go to families who are going through housing transitions. This successful drive was run by the MPHS Furnish For Good Club and the Myers Park Chapter of Communities in Schools (CIS), and the board game drive is just one example of the impact CIS has had here as a key part of Myers Park. 

Communities in Schools is a national organization all over the United States. The purpose of CIS is to provide one-on-one relationships and support students who might not have access to certain resources and support.  CIS has aimed to bring together the school and outside communities by bringing in resources to aid and help students on their education journey. 

At Myers Park, we are lucky to have two great site coordinators, Olivia Hughes who specializes in youth development, and Stacey Weinstein, who focuses on education and career development. Mrs. Weinstein and Ms. Hughes sat down with the Myers Park Hoofprint to give an inside look into CIS here at Myers Park. Currently, CIS at Myers Park supports over 200 students as “resources for students and staff across campus,” said Hughes. CIS works directly with a portion of our students at MPHS, but CIS is continuing to leave an impact on the Myers Park Community as a whole. CIS is an outside organization not directly related to CMS which has allowed Weinstein and Hughes to “have a ton of creativity and bring a lot of things to this school that you can’t get if you’re a teacher or a counselor,” said Weinstein. CIS has the freedom to do so much more from supporting staff to bringing in outside resources or doing things such as the board game drive. Weinstein added, “We are an added layer they otherwise would not have for support or to bring in opportunities to the kids, we are here to enhance and support”. 

This creative freedom has allowed CIS to step up and play a role in different service initiatives and support initiatives seen around the Park.  This year, CIS was responsible for the successful board game drive, and last year, CIS ran a book drive. They partnered with “She Built This City,” which is an outside non-profit organization, along with communities on campus such as the National Honor Society and Swim and Dive. CIS collected the books and then built six community libraries in neighborhoods surrounding MPHS that have low reading scores. They also donated some books to Bruns Elementary, which led to a reunion for Mrs. Weinstein, “When I went to Bruns Elementary, their librarian was a former CIS student at Myers Park High School who worked with me.” The drive also inspired one former CIS student to do a similar drive with his Fraternity at NC A&T. Weinstein describes it as “a total ripple effect.” This drive represents everything CIS does here at MPHS. CIS makes a direct impact on students’ education,  brings different communities together and it leaves lasting impacts on the students for the rest of their lives.   CIS is also responsible for support initiatives such as the Kindness Cards students write for teachers around Thanksgiving every year. “It’s something I look forward to, and teachers look forward to, it helps to build that community,” added Hughes. 

CIS is deeply rooted within our MPHS community and has been for a long time, one of the former MPHS CIS coordinators was our very own Principal Mr. Folk, showing the community and connection CIS creates and brings to Myers Park year after year.

Spring Sports Special

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Photo contributed by Myers Park Softball

As the flowers bloom and the sun shines longer and brighter, spring sports come into the light and shine through the school year. Myers Park is known for our sports team, most notably our basketball team, but this season is for spring sports. Spring sports at the park offer an array of different events that are for everyone. From traditional favorites like baseball and track to sports like girl’s flag football, there’s something for everyone to enjoy! As winter comes to a close and the weather starts to get warmer, more athletes emerge to prepare themselves for the next exciting season ahead and that season is spring sports season. At the crack of a bat, our baseball and softball teams take off to a good start of the season.

Well, let’s take a look at the track, where Senior Ryann Smith takes over the track and dominates her events in every meet. I spoke with her to ask about her excitement and motivation for the spring season. I asked her “ Why did she choose track?”  “I chose track because I’ve always loved running and felt pretty fast. I knew it wasn’t an easy sport but I felt like it was something I could do well in. Maybe even go to college for it.”-Smith.  I followed up the question with “What motivates her to strive on the track and succeed?” “Family and my teammates is what motivates me to strive on the track and succeed. I want to be able to say that my family is proud of me not only for my academic achievements, but also for my ability to balance athletics as well. I would also love to be that person that my teammates can look up to and remember how hard to work once I graduate.”-Smith. Finally, I asked about her opinion on spring sports at the park and how it affects her as an athlete. “Honestly I love all things spring. I think it’s a great time to play any sport. For me, I feel happier and more energized in during the time of spring sports. Like it’s literally just a whole new atmosphere that I would hope most athletes, including myself, can thrive in.”-Smith. Let us take a sprint from the track and onto the field, where senior Chassidy Long will take over the field as she prepares to take on the flag football season on our most recently added girl’s flag football team. I spoke with her about this upcoming season, what motivates her, and how she feels about spring sports at the Park. I started off the interview with asking about her thoughts on the spring season of flag football: “As a senior, this season is a little nostalgic for me because this is my second year participating and I’m really enjoying the bonding and new experiences but a little sad I’m going to be leaving my teammates behind.”-Long After this I asked her why she chose flag football? 

“I chose women’s flag football because it piqued my interest as a male sport, but specifically for women, and I wanted to try something new to jump out of my comfort zone.” I followed up with asking her about what motivates her,  what keeps her going and striving on the field, “Knowing that I have a whole team and supportive coaches that have my back on and off the field motivates me.” Long.  Track, flag football, baseball, and softball are not the only spring sports this season; at the park, we also have golf, girls’ and boys’ lacrosse, soccer, and tennis. Sports and opportunities for students to strive and break through traditional sports like baseball and soccer and persevere through sports like flag football and golf. There is something for everyone here at the park!

Winter Sports Recap

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Photo contributed by Dimitri Katsanos

After an impressive fall sports season, the Mustangs backed it up with a jaw-dropping winter season. Multiple sports made the State playoffs, led by the Women’s swim team, who won the state championship, and the Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams who both made it to the 4th round of the State Playoffs. Additionally, Mary Bonner Dalton helped lead the women’s track and field team to a 10th-place finish at States.

The Myers Park Seastangs Swim and Dive team had an excellent season under first-year head coach Ben Sharrer. The win by the Women’s team was the third consecutive State Title for the program. The Men’s swim team also had a solid, 6th-place finish. The Dive team also had an outstanding performance led by Sophomore Nate Robinson who won 4th place overall. Seastang Kayman Neal also received the NCHSAA Sportsmanship Award at States.

The Men’s Basketball team had a dominant season and was nationally ranked, being as high as the number 3 team in the country. They lost to North Meck in the 4th round of the State playoffs, but went undefeated in conference play and won the conference tournament, finishing the season with a 27-3 record and were the highest seed in the 4A West. The team won their first-ever John Wall Holiday Invitational Championship and won both of their games at the City of Jasper Holiday Classic. Also, the players were not short of individual accolades, with Seniors Sir Mohammed and Bishop Boswell, accumulating over 1000 points. Junior Sadiq White also accomplished the feat this season, achieving it in just 3 years. White’s dominant play also earned him the honors of SoMeck Conference Player of the Year. He made 1st team all district along with Mohammed and Boswell, who both received the honor for the second year in a row.

The Women’s Basketball team had an equally impressive season, also going 27-3, earning the 4th seed in the 4A West division of the Conference. The team made it to the 4th round of the playoffs before losing to Watauga, who was the number one seed. The team went undefeated in conference play during the regular season and made it to the championship game of the conference tournament, narrowly losing 53-51 to Ardrey Kell. The team had many high-performing players, led by Senior Jerin Truesdale, who won her second consecutive SoMeck 4A Conference Player of the Year and received 2nd team all-district honors. She also scored her 1000th point and gathered her 500th rebound this year. On top of that, Freshman Amani Barner and Junior Chayla McDaniel were both selected for the SoMeck All-Conference team. Coach Barbra Nelson was named the SoMeck 4A Women’s Coach of the Year for the team’s outstanding season.

The Myers Park Indoor Track also had an excellent performance this year with Senior Mary Bonner Dalton leading the way. At States, she placed 1st in the 3200 Meter Race and 2nd in the 1600 Meter. In the Shot Put competition, Solomon Young finished 5th, and Mariama Hunt placed  6th in the Triple Jump. The women’s team had a standout performance, finishing 10th at the State Championship.

The impressive winter season will go a long way for the Mustangs as we compete for the Wells Fargo Cup in the 4A classification and for the Conference Cup. Both awards are given to the top overall performing school in their respective classification and conference. Points are earned based on the performance of each of the school’s eligible teams throughout the year. The top-ranked team in the State will receive a Silver Cup and Banner. The top team in each conference will receive a Silver Cup as well. After the winter season, the Mustangs are in. Congratulations to all of our athletes and coaching staff on a tremendous winter season.

Keep Pounding High School Kickoff

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The 2024 high school football season will be kicked off in fashion. The Carolina Panthers are hosting a two-game Friday night event for the second straight year at Bank of America Stadium.  The Myers Park Mustangs, Independence Patriots, Weddington Warriors, and the Providence Day Chargers will all have the opportunity to duel underneath the brightest lights in town at the Keep Pounding classic on August 22 2024.. Tickets are already available for fans to purchase as the clock ticks down till the official kickoff for high school football.

At the Keep Pounding Classic press conference that took place on Feb 13, 2024 players, coaches, and former alumni came together to celebrate the exciting return of high school football. NFL athletes Thomas Davis Senior, Captain Muunerlyn, Ikem Ekonwu, and Hakeem Nicks were in attendance supporting their respective schools. Panthers offensive tackle Ikem Ekonwu, a tackle for the Panthers, played his high school ball at Providence Day. Super Bowl champ Hakeem Nicks got his start playing at Independence. Captain Munnerlyn, a former standout defensive back for the Panthers, currently works as the defensive backs coach for Myers Park. Lastly, Panthers legend Thomas Davis Senior is a Weddington supporter as his son is a sophomore phenom for the Warriors. These icons of the game were selected as honorary captains for the games in August.   Panthers Director of Community Relations Riley Fields stated, “Anticipation will be high for this year’s Keep Pounding High School Classic, and we are excited about the new double-header format.”Fields is expecting a “memorable experience for the high school football community”. Mecklenburg County Athletes have dreamt to play under the same lights as NFL stars such as Cam Newton, Luke Kuechly, and Christian McCaffrey, and now this dream is going to be a reality. Between the four teams, the talent is deep, and each school is loaded with stars at every position. 

The four o’clock undercard game is the Myers Park Mustangs versus the Independence Patriots. Seven-time state champions, the “Big I” Independence Patriots are led by head coach DJ McFadden. His offensive expertise was once at Myers Park, where he called the plays for future first-round draft pick Drake Maye. Now his powerhouse offense is led by rising senior quarterback Justin Little and sophomore All-American running back Jayden Jones, a combo that makes the offense a threat. The Patriots made a deep playoff run, losing to the state-champion Weddington Warriors. Independence is a physical, strong, well-coached team looking for another deep playoff run in 2024. The Myers Park Mustangs offense returns with their most dangerous weapons. Rising Junior Brody Keefe is due for another monstrous season, and last season, the wide receiver caught a dozen touchdown passes and for over 600 yards. Rising senior running back RJ Alexander will lead the ground game for the Mustangs. Second-year head coach Chris James looks to lead the team to another conference championship and another playoff appearance.

The primetime matchup at 7:30 between the Weddington Warriors and Providence Day Chargers could be dubbed “game of the year,” as both of these teams are coming off state championship seasons in 2023. The Chargers have won the last three NCISAA titles, and the Warriors had a historic season en route to a state championship. David Sanders is the most highly touted prospect in North Carolina,  as he is ranked as the second-best player in the nation according to 24/7 Sports. Sanders plays offensive tackle and defensive end for the Chargers. Other Chargers include rising senior running back Ian Cline and defensive back Cairo Skanes. The Weddington Warriors rising junior trio, Thomas Davis Junior, Aiden Harris, and Drew Harris, terrorize opposing offenses. Questions remain on who will be the starting quarterback for the Warriors next season. Weddington has been a powerhouse for a decade, and Head Coach Andy Capone is a strong leader with an intelligent sense for the game of football. The primetime matchup will have everyone watching in August.

Meet The New SGA Presidents: Parker and Olivia

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Photo contributed by Reid Heaton

Just recently, Myers Park students gathered outside the doors of the wellness center in anticipation of participating in the yearly Student Government Association elections. Students walk in the doors and are greeted with a smile and then head to a ballot box to cast their votes before walking out with a piece of candy and a classic “I voted” sticker. In one particular race, two members of the junior class would be selected to lead SGA and represent students for the 24-25 school year as Co-Presidents. This year the winners of the race for student body co-presidents are Parker Scrivener and Olivia Crowe. 

Scrivener and Crowe are both very familiar with MPHS since the first time they stepped on campus as freshmen, and over their time they have made a major impact on the MPHS community. Crowe is the Vice President of The Clothes For Change Club, founder of Bagels For a Better Tomorrow, and plays for the field hockey team, and her running mate, Scrivener, plays for both the football and rugby team, is a member of the National Honor Society, and is involved in several clubs. “I try to incorporate different parts of my school in my life,” Scrivener said. The future leaders embody the phrase “Make The Park Your Own ”, They have both been involved in different communities throughout MPHS which has allowed them to have served as key members of SGA, “Personally I love working with other people whether it’s through a leadership position or just working in groups of people and SGA it’s something I wanted to do my whole high school career.” Scrivener said, both of the future presidents have always had their eyes set on SGA, and have had a passion for it. This passion shines through in their goals for the 2024-25 school year, “We want to make it (MP) a happy environment, just happy things throughout the day.” Crowe said. The two want to create and reinforce a positive culture at MPHS and make it a better place for students on a daily basis. One of the most important parts of being a school president is the fact that you have to step up and act in the interest of not just one group or grade but all students in the school. This in itself is a very daunting task, but Crowe and Scrivener are up for the challenge with a plan on how to serve everyone in the MPHS community, “I know a lot of people in different grades and work with people in different grades through my classes, sports, honors society, clubs or just meeting people. I am able to get a grasp on how each grade feels, and I can reflect that into the work we do,” Scrivener said. While Scrivener and Crowe know a lot of people across the school but if you dont know them, they have a message for you,“Olivia and I are two very approachable people, we are very easy going, very nice anyone can come and spark a conversation and we would entertain it. Anyone can come up and provide feedback, ideas, anything like that and we will take that into full consideration.” Said Scrivener. 

Being the school president is a major role. The job is not an easy one as it requires commitment, dedication, and hard work to represent all aspects of the park. While the role is a big one, Olivia and Parker are ready to step up and be the voices for the student body.

Mustang Moms

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Everybody has made the mistake at least once or twice of raising their hand in class meaning to say “Miss (teacher’s name)” but instead “Mom” comes out. While this could be chalked up to a Freudian slip, it’s not hard to imagine that when you are looked after, taught life skills, and cared for by someone for hours at a time,  the title of mom doesn’t seem far-fetched. Being a field ¾ dominated by women it is safe to assume that a lot of overlap consists between those who are teachers and also mothers. Mrs. Osburn, mother to a 27 and 25-year-old and grandmother to a 16-month-old, Mrs. Hoyle, with a 3-year-old, and Mrs. Pittinaro, mother to a 17 and 21-year old all fit that demographic here at the Park and gave insight to their lives with the Hoofprint Staff

All three teachers described their favorite aspect of teaching as some variation of seeing and helping their students grow and succeed. Pittinaro explains growing relationships is her favorite, saying “It’s all about learning about them… boosting them up when they struggle and celebrating with them when they succeed.” On a similar note, Osburn admits part of it is also growing with your students, “I am continually shaping and refining them and in the process, they change me”. Hoyle relates it to her classroom, saying “I’m a history teacher and we don’t learn, in my class, about the United States at all. We instead learn about rights and protests around the world and then we can draw comparisons or parallels to our society. Now, in my 18th year of teaching, learning with my students is never boring because they help make meaning of not only the past but their current lives and our current lives together… that journey of learning together is so powerful.”

Referring to her students, Osburn admits they’re less work than real kids, saying “They are like kind of extensions of children but without the financial responsibilities… I can send them home at night, and I’m not responsible for their decisions.” Speaking of her actual children, Osburn said “My children are my greatest achievements…the most satisfying aspect of being a mother is seeing how they’ve turned into interesting, wonderful, enjoyable people to be around.” Similarly, Pittinaro says “…what makes me happiest is seeing my children succeed. Even if that is just having the courage to stand up in front of a class and give a presentation, being an active part of a club or sport, or learning how to order their own Chick-fil-a for the first time, I love to see them make those milestones.” With a younger child, Hoyle says her favorite aspect of motherhood so far is seeing the world through an entirely new lens. She professes “I’m seeing it [the world] from the lens of being a mother but I also get to see it almost through her eyes. It’s almost like reliving the parts of a childhood that I have no memory of.”

While all three educators maintained that both teaching and motherhood are extremely rewarding, Hoyle is not shy in admitting it comes with its drawbacks. She confesses “There is so much that we do, that we’re expected to do, that is not compensated…I don’t know if it’s mostly because it’s women who are teachers that it is this way but regardless, there is something there in the toil of a mother and that of a teacher that a lot gets unseen, unrecognized, and uncompensated.” On that note, use Mother’s Day as a time to show your mom that you appreciate her hard work. For future reference, Osburn and Pittinaro said their favorite Mother’s Day gifts have been handmade and from the heart, whether family members made of clay or DIY spa days, just recognize what she does for you in a thoughtful way.

Get Ready 4 Graduation

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Cue Pomp and Circumstance because it’s time for the senior Mustangs to walk across the stage and get their diplomas! On June 12, 2023, at 7:30 pm the graduation ceremony will begin promptly at Spectrum Center. But before the ceremony begins, there are many things students and parents need to know. A lot goes into putting together this memorable ceremony and getting over 800 seniors their diplomas. This is why the cooperation of students and parents is crucial to preserving the elegance of the ceremony.

Tracy Zornow and Anne Toth have been the graduation co-coordinators for several years. While a graduation memo has been sent out and a senior graduation meeting has been held, students are bound to forget important information about graduation. 

The first is everyone’s favorite: dress code! Students must have a 2023 Myers Park Cap and Gown, a medallion, and a tassel. If any of these items are lost, students are in charge of replacing them in order to participate in the ceremony. Along with the cap and gown, students must adhere to the formal dress code. According to the graduation memo, students must wear “dresses, dress pants (no jeans or shorts), a collared shirt with necktie and appropriate shoes”. Appropriate shoes mean no plastic footwear such as flip-flops or Crocs, and sneakers are not allowed. Sandals are allowed as long as they are leather or not worn down and do not flip when walking. Students are highly encouraged to be thoughtful of their footwear and not wear shoes that are difficult to walk in. Every year, a student in hard-to-manage shoes falls into the arms of Mr. Colson. Don’t let that be you! Finally, students are allowed to wear up to three cords and unlimited school-related pins on their robes. Stoles are prohibited and will be taken away from students and returned after the ceremony. If you have any clothing needs, please see Mr. Jeffus or Ms. Armstrong. If you have any cap and gown issues, reach out to Mrs. Raybon. 

Appropriate behavior is also expected from all students and attendees of the ceremony. Students are expected to behave as adults in order to uphold the long history of this classy ceremony. Ms. Zornow adds, “We have been asked to stress that this is an important, serious program, not a sporting event. Appropriate audience behavior is essential to maintaining the dignity of the program. We have talked with all graduates about their behavior and the consequences of misbehavior. We ask that guests show the same respect to the graduates’ families and guests as they will show to their classmates”.  

However, before students are allowed to walk across the stage, they are expected to have completed the following senior tasks. By May 15th, seniors are expected to reread the graduation memo, update Naviance with their post-grad plans and log their earned scholarship money (even if you don’t intend to use it). Students are also expected to pass all courses to ensure their graduation status. By June 9th, students must return their Chromebook and charger to ParkIT and ensure that all their financial obligations are clear. Mark June 5th in your calendars Mustangs! It is important for students to note that their diploma will have the name as seen in PowerSchool. If there is an error, talk to Mr. Unger ASAP to correct the mistake. This is the day of the graduation rehearsal. Those who do not attend will not be allowed to walk on June 12th. Arrive at Spectrum Center by 5:30 pm and expect to be present until 7:30 pm. Finally, on June 12th, students must be standing in line and through security at 6:30 dressed appropriately. 

It has been a long time coming Mustangs! Seniors started high school in 2019 and finished their sophomore years on Zoom. Junior year started with masks and now seniors have finished their senior year. Congratulations Mustangs!

La-Man, La-Myth, Lamont Hayes

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For the past 22 years, the cross country and track and field teams have been overseen by Lamont Hayes, “Coach Hayes” to his athletes. Not only does Hayes lead some of Myers Park’s largest athletic teams, but his commitment is year-round, with workouts for the cross country runners at the Greenway during the summer, coaching over 140 athletes in the fall, and both track seasons in the winter and spring. In addition, he is at every home football and basketball game to support the teams and manage the scoreboards. 

Hayes is married and a father to two daughters, his oldest graduated from Myers Park and was a sprinter on the track and field team and his youngest is a rising freshman who does shotput and discus for the Randolph Middle School team. 

Hayes began his career at Myers Park in 2001 but has been running since 1987. He ran in college at Austin Peay, a Division I school in Clarksville, Tennessee, Hayes’ home state. Anna Gelbach Longwell, now known as “Coach Anna” to the runners, was coached by Hayes when she was a student at Myers Park and has since returned to Myers Park after graduating from The University of North Carolina Asheville in 2016 to join the coaching staff alongside Hayes. Coach Anna was a conference champion sprinter, her main event being the 400m, setting school records, and placing high in regional and state meets. 

Unlike many other athletic coaches at Myers Park, Hayes is neither a teacher nor part of the school’s administration. Hayes runs his own landscape company, as you’ll spot his landscape trailer on the back of “Gus”, the white Chevy named by his daughters, parked by the track after school. 

Over the two decades that Hayes has been leading the running programs here, he has watched the teams’ success grow and the athletes thrive. Myers Park holds county, regional, and state records across the board for each season, with multiple runners making it to national championships each year.

 One thing that distinguishes Myers Park from other schools is its level of involvement from the local community. Hayes is a shining example of someone who supports the school in several roles. His contribution to the school goes beyond coaching, as you’ll spot him keeping score in the booth at football, courtside at basketball games, or occasionally whipping out the mower to keep the stadium in its best shape.

People’s first impressions of Hayes might be that he is intimidating and tough, but his runners learn that he is very supportive and loves to joke around with everyone. He cares deeply for the teams and wants to watch every athlete succeed, no matter your pace or talent. When asked one thing that the student body and his runners would be surprised to learn about him, he shared that he has 5 tattoos!

Katie Zarzour, a graduating senior who has run year-round all four years and knows Hayes well, says, “Coach Hayes is the best because he makes you feel loved when you least expect it. Although he doesn’t show it very much, he loves all the girls so much and texted me almost every day during my concussion. His care, not only for us as runners but as people, is what makes him so special and what I will miss so much next year.”

“I enjoy watching young kids achieve their goals,” Hayes said, which he has been doing a lot recently, as the 2023 spring track season came to another successful close in early May after lots of triumphs at this year’s regular season and conference meets. He is an icon in the Myers Park community, and it is no secret that his runners adore him. He has led his teams to numerous accomplishments over his many years as a coach and will continue to do so as long as he is a part of the coaching staff.