Tribute To Haines City High School's All-Star Track Athletes

HAINES CITY, FL — Haines City High School has honored its record holders for track and field with a new display board that lists their names and records, a news release said.

It serves as a tribute to several decades' worth of outstanding HCHS student-athletes, school staff said. HCHS welcomed back its alumni athletes for a special dinner and ribbon cutting Friday night to commemorate the new record board. The guest list included multiple state champions and a Bartow two-time Olympian Arthur Blake. The alumni were honored on the track during the Hornets’ football game.

The record board and celebration were the result of five months’ worth of research, planning and volunteer work led by current HCHS student-athletes Payson Keown, Sim DeJesus, Sanjana Nihilani and Nicholas Tanyag. Cross Country Coach Adam Summeralls sponsored the community service project.

Keown, a junior in HCHS’ International Baccalaureate program, said the record board was a worthwhile initiative to mark the school’s 100th anniversary this year.

“With 100 years of history, it’s good to look back on these achievements and bring inspiration for current and future teams to carry on the positive legacy of Haines City High School’s athletic programs,” he said.