NFHS National Records Preserve Rich History of High School Sports
INDIANAPOLIS, IN -On any given day, there are hundreds (or even thousands) of athletic contests being played in high schools across the country. And, with more than 8 million participants in education-based athletics, there are undoubtedly countless athletes and teams competing at an exceptional level.
The National High School Sports Record Book, first published by the NFHS in 1979 and now housed online at www.nfhs.org, attempts to catalog those amazing performances in its listings across 16 sports. As one might expect, there are hundreds of examples of outstanding feats and unique stories to be found among the record lists.
National records are broken each year in every sport as high school athletes grow faster, stronger and more skilled in their respective sports. However, there are a few records that have remained unbreakable over the years.
While U.S. Olympians like Marion Jones and Michelle Carter have seen their high school national track and field records fall over the years, the NFHS record for girls long jump has stood since 1976 when Kathy McMillan(Hoke HS in Raeford, N.C.) jumped 22-1¾ that year in California. Similarly, Michael Carter’s (Dallas Jefferson, Texas) national record of 77-0 in the boys shot put has remained atop the record listing since 1979.
Several other athletes have distanced themselves from the pack. A performance unlikely to be bettered is Ryan Orr’s (Bath, Michigan) unbelievable baseball streak of pitching three consecutive perfect games in 2013. Not to be outdone, Candice Carnahan, a softball pitcher from Barbe High School in Lake Charles, Louisiana, recorded 393 1/3 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run, 100 innings more than the second-place performance on the list. In girls volleyball, Alisha Glass from Leland, Michigan, recorded 937 service aces in her four-year career, 113 more than the second-place performer.
The Record Book also chronicles team accomplishments, including arguably one of the most impressive state championship streaks from Carmel (Indiana) High School’s girls swimming program, which has won 38 consecutive state titles. However, did you know that the boys ice hockey program from Mt. St. Charles Academy won 26 consecutive state championships in hockey-crazed Rhode Island? Or, that De La Salle High School won 151 consecutive football games over 11 years in talent-rich California?
Oddities abound in the Record Book as well. The longest-ever boys soccer match lasted 350 minutes when St. Louis Parkway West outlasted St. Louis Lafayette, 3-2, in a game that spanned four days in 1981. The longest girls basketball game saw Chattanooga East Ridge High School edge Ooltewah High School, 38-37, in 16 overtimes in 1969. And, while several basketball players have scored more than 100 points in a game, only one, Lisa Leslie, of Inglewood (California) Morningside, has eclipsed the century mark in one half of basketball.
Notable athletes who continued after high school to play professionally or have Olympic success dot the record lists. Outstanding athletes like Allyson Felix in track, Missy Franklin in swimming, Tim Couch in football and Shaquille O’Neal in basketball have recorded their names in the Record Book.
However, some athletes are listed for feats for which they are not necessarily known. Jason Kidd is second among the NBA all-time leaders with more than 12,000 career assists. However, when he starred at St. Joseph Notre Dame High School in Alameda, California, in the early ’90s, he set the national record for most steals in a career with 719. Similarly, former Major League Baseball MVP Don Mattingly had only 20 triples in his 14-year career with the New York Yankees. But he finds himself in the Record Book with 25 career triples while at Evansville (Indiana) Memorial High School.
As new entries are entered each year, the statistics are as impressive as the stories that accompany them. Behind each record-setting performance are hours of practice, hard-working coaches and encouraging teammates. It all contributes to the rich history of high school sports.
About the NFHS
The NFHS, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the national leadership organization for high school sports and performing arts activities. Since 1920, the NFHS has led the development of education-based interscholastic sports and performing arts activities that help students succeed in their lives. The NFHS sets direction for the future by building awareness and support, improving the participation experience, establishing consistent standards and rules for competition, and helping those who oversee high school sports and activities. The NFHS writes playing rules for 17 sports for boys and girls at the high school level. Through its 50 member state associations and the District of Columbia, the NFHS reaches more than 19,800 high schools and 12 million participants in high school activity programs, including more than 7.8 million in high school sports. As the recognized national authority on interscholastic activity programs, the NFHS conducts national meetings; sanctions interstate events; offers online publications and services for high school coaches and officials; sponsors professional organizations for high school coaches, officials, speech and debate coaches, and music adjudicators; offers online education courses for coaches, administrators, students, officials, performing arts educators, parents and others; and serves as a national information resource of interscholastic athletics and activities. For more information, visit the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org.