The school year of 1939-1940 is the earliest recorded Track and Field participation for our school. (Beneath The Towering Oil Wells)Through 1985

The team was made up of six athletes. Fred Smith, Kenneth McGee, Hebert Woods, Marvin Harry, Howard Miller, Marion Hawthorn. They won the County Championship. They broke records in the 880, Javelin, Mile Relay.

1944-1945  We won the District Track Title with a 63-43 margin over Pine Tree. Roy Miller, Billy Rogers, Max Hollingsworth, Charles Nixon, _____ Webster all had first place finishes.

1946-1947  Finished runner up in the District Meet. Randal McGee, John Paul Dowell, Charles Arney, Bobby Rogers, J. D. Modisette, Dale Rhodes all had first place finishes. White Oak won the two relays at that time which were the 440 and mile.

1948-1949  State Champions  Coach Lee Mitchell led the Roughnecks. Sonny Mitchell won the 180 low hurdles, placed second in the long jump, 4th in the pole vault and ran on the first place 440 relay team. Max McGee won the high jump and was on the 440 relay. White Oak won every meet they ran in that year. They also won the Regional Meet that year outscoring Frankston 42-19.

1949-1950 DISTRICT CHAMPIONS Max McGee led the team by scoring 21 1/4 points. While he won the High Jump, Discus, 220 yard dash, and Shot Put. Booggie Modisette won the long jump and the 100 yard dash. Bubba Mitchell was first in the pole vault and 440 dash. Jimmy Smith won the 120 high hurdles. The team won both relays in typical fassion. At the state meet McGee set a state meet record in the shot of 49’4,1/4 inches, but was beeten in the final round.

1949-1950 DISTRICT RUNNER -UP Deer was high point for the team, scoring 16 3/4 points. Richard Emberlin won the high jump and the discus was won by Holly. The 440 Relay team with , Thomas, Crump, Deer, Fergeson.

1951-1952 DISTRICT RUNNER-UP Individual District Champions were Richard Emberlin in the High Hurdles, Ray Crump in the 100, Doyle Perkinson 220, and the 440 Relay team of, Jimmy Thomas, Dean Morrison, Perkinson , and Crump. At the Regional Meet Thomas upset Crump to win the 100.

1952-1953 DISTRICT CHAMPIONS / REGIONAL RUNNER UP Coach Mullins led the track team. White Oak outscored rival Pine Tree 71-54. Pole Vaulter Marvin Pettyjohn, High Hurdler Richard Emberlin, 880 runner Jimmy Cobb, and Sprinter Jimmy Thomas 100, 220, and the 440 relay all won their events. Thomas won the 100 at Regionals along with the 440 Relay Team. White Oak finished second to Leverette’s Chapel in the Regional Team Standings.

1953-1954 District Champions / Regional Champions Richard Emberlin Paced the team at Regionals in both hurdle races. Jimmy Cobb set a meet record in the 880 (2:06.8). Cobb, Larry Bates, Jimmy Thomas, Don Wood set a record of 3:37.4 in the mile relay.

1954-1955 District Champions Coach E. H. Mullins led to outscore Spring Hill 86-46. 440 and mile relays were first place winners. Bill Trent won the Pole Vault. David Alexander was the winner of the 220. Larry Bates won the 100. Bobby Greene won the high hurdles. Bobby Maynard won the mile run. And King won the 440. At the Regional Meet the 440 relay team of Alexander, Greene, Bates, Roberson. As well as the mile relay team of Alexander, Doug Acuff, King and Bates.

1955-1956 Sophomore David Alexander was the only event champion, running 10.4 in the 100 at District and 10.3 at the Regional Meet and winning that meet as well.

1956- 1957 District Champion Of course, the duo led White Oak to the district track championship. Cobb captured the shot put and Alexander won the 100 and each ran on two winning relay teams. Wayt, high jump; Jerry Starr, pole vault; and Vernon Griffin, 880- yard dash, were other champions as the Roughnecks piled up a whopping 70 1/2 to 39 1/2 margin over runner-up Hawkins. The roughnecks placed third in the regional meet. Alexander won the 100- yard dash and anchored two championship relay teams.

1957-58 DISTRICT CHAMPIONS / REGIONAL CHAMPIONS / STATE CHAMPIONS Under the guidance of Coach Bailey Marshall. White Oak dominated the District meet by winning 10 of the 14 events.Bob Wayt scored 14 points by winning the long jump, 220 and running on both relay teams. David Alexander won the 100, Bill Trent won the pole vault and the mile. Vernon Griffin won the 880 and Guy Arney won the High Jump, while Billy Rex Parker took gold in both hurdles. Alexander won the 100 for the 3rd straight year with a time of 10.1. Griffin won the 440 and both relays took first. White Oak won both relays again at the state meet. Wayt, Griffin, Bruce, and Alexander set a class “B” record with a 3:26.6 in the mile relay. Freddie Sutton, Jerry Davis, Wayt and Alexander won the 440 relay. Alexander finished second in the 100 and Griffin placed 6th in the 440. That crown capped a great year for young Bailey Marshall, who coached two state championship teams in the same year in his first year at White Oak.

1958-1959 DISTRICT CHAMPIONS The Roughnecks won both relays with Acuff, Arney,Athey, Bruce, Sutton, and Don Hunter. Butch Davis was the winner of the mile, while Skelton tied for first in the pole vault and Athey won the 440.

1959-1960 Russell Wayt won 3 individual events – low hurdles, shot put, and discus. Guy Arney finished first in the high jump and Butch Davis won the mile run.

1960-1961 Russell Wayt finished an outstanding season with an all-time state meet record fling of 175’01” – for all classifications – to win the class A discus event. This still stands as the school record in White Oak as of 2009. He also took third in the shot put to score all 16 of White Oak’s Points. Wayt was the only athlete that year to win District and Regional crowns.

1961-1962 The best any White Oak athletes could finish was third place. Sprinter James Wood and middle distance men Jimmy Davis and Terry Barber.

1962-1963 Terry Barber won the discus and the 880. Gary Bost won the discus to beat out Terry Barber at the Regional Meet.

1963-1964 Barber piled up 22 points to help the Roughnecks finish 2nd at the district meet. Freshman Robert Proctor won the 880.

1964-1965 Coach Tommy Atkins’ thinclads finished 3rd at district. Despite wins in both hurdle races by Danny Linder and Robert Proctor winning the mile.

1965-1966 DISTRICT CHAMPIONS Under second year Coach Tommy Atkins, the Roughnecks nabbed their first District Title in seven years by scoring 200 points. Marcus Pruitt won the 100 and the 220 and Carl Stephens won the low hurdles and the broad jump. The 440 relay was won by Pruitt, Stephens, Arthur Taylor and Winston Allen. Jimmy Gentry was a winner in the discus, Doug Taylor in the high hurdles, Robert Proctor in the 880 and the mile relay team of Rubert Mosley, Curtis Modisette, Taylor and Proctor. Proctor was White Oak’s only Regional Champion. He had a record run of 2:01.2 and finished 6th at the State Meet.

1966-67 DISTRICT CHAMPIONS A regional and state track power for two decades, sports fans outside the region must have thought that White Oak’s riches and facilities made the difference in the school’s outstanding program. Wrong! All this time, the thinclads either worked out on the Roughneck Stadium grass or bussed to Gladewater or Kilgore to practice on the cinders. Finally, in 1967, White Oak got its own facility. Of course, it was the most modern available at the time, a Grass Tex track. Whether it hepled or not coach Tommy Atkins’ Roughnecks raced to their second consecutive district championship.  The Roughnecks got victories from discus ace Jimmy Gentry, quarter miler Robert Proctor, half-  miler Larry Yarbrough and two relay units to race past Troup 150-99. Proctor, Jerry Hardwick and Arthur Taylor made up the two relay teams with Winston Allen joining the tri on the 440 outfit and Darryl Denton leading off the mile relay quartet. Although White Oak did not win a first prize, the roughnecks piled up enough points to finish second in the regional meet behind speedy Bartlett. White Oak placed in two events at the state meet, getting a sixth spot from Arthur Taylor in the 440- yard dash and taking third place in the 440- yard relay with Jerry Hardwick, Proctor, Taylor, and Winston Allen.

1967-68 DISTRICT CHAMPIONS Hunt’s three victories– in the shot put, discus, and high jump– led White Oak to its third district track championship in a row.

1968-1969 DISTRICT CHAMPIONS / REGIONAL CHAMPIONS / STATE RUNNER UP The mile relay team of Vince Edmondson, Chuck Silvertooth, Wenford Wilborn, and Bill Silvertooth won state with a time of 3:23.8. Sam Hunt took second place in the pole vault and Bowie McMillan finished in the 330 hurdles. That relay team was the only White Oak first place finish at the Regional Meet. Hunt won the shot and discus, while McMillan won the pole vault and the 330 hurdles.Wilburn won the high jump, Billy Silvertooth won the 880, and Tim Davis nabbed the high hurdles.

1969-1970 Fifth Straight DISTRICT CHAMPIONS White Oak relied on Jim Goss’ win in the discus and shot. With Ricky Baker in the pole vault and Wilburn’s high jump golds.

1970-1971 Sixth Straight DISTRICT CHAMPIONS Mike Barber was first in the high jump and the high hurdles. other gold medalists were Ricky Baker in the pole vault, Don Wayt in the shot, Marcus Pruitt in the 100, Richard Smith in the 200, and the 440 Relay team of Pruitt, Wilburn, Stephens, and Smith. Wayt was the only gold medalist for the Necks at the Regional Meet.

1971-1972 DISTRICT CHAMPIONS / REGIONAL CHAMPIONS / STATE CHAMPIONS Coach Tommy Atkins led the Okies to their third State Title Mike Barber zipped to a 14.4 victory in the 120 yard high hurdles and joined Paul Dowell, Marwin Adams, and Richard Smith to post a crucial 42.5 victory in the 440 Relay. Dowell finished third in the pole vault, Barber was sixth in the high jump and Smith ran in the 220.  White Oak scored 198 points to win District. Barber in the high hurdles and the high jump, Danny Birch in the 440, Smith in the 220 Don Wayt in the shot and both relay teams all won gold. Barber , Smith and both relays won gold to win the regional title.

1972-1973 DISTRICT CHAMPIONS / REGIONAL CHAMPIONS Coach Tommy Atkins led White Oak to their eigth consecutive District title and second Regional title in a row. Wendell Pruitt won the 100 and 200. Other gold medal winners were Rokky Mullikan 440, 330 hurdles Kenneth Clark, Mike Peery mile, both relays, vaulter Duane Denton. Denton and the 440 relay team won gold while the Roughnecks won the Regional Meet.

1973-1974 Ninth Straight DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP Kelcy Warren won the district and regional meet in the pole vault. Mike Peery won his second straight mile at district. Kenneth Clark also repeated in the 330 hurdles. The 440 relay team of Mike Browning, Keith Koonce, Mullikan and Clark won gold as the Roughnecks won district again.

1974-1975 Girls DISTRICT CHAMPIONS Coach Shirley Atkins along with State Champion high jumper Sheri Rodenburg led the Lady Roughnecks to their first ever District Title in girls track.

1974-1975 Tenth Straight DISTRICT CHAMPIONS / REGIONAL CHAMPIONS (BOYS) Tommy Atkins Roughnecks continued their domination in track. Despite the advancement to AA. They also pulled a stunning upset by winning the Regional meet led by the mile relay team of Rokky Mullikan, Kerry Williams, Paul Wesley and Kenneth Clark. Darrell Anderson leaped to wins in the high jump, Ronnie Browning took the pole vault, Clark won the 330 hurdles, and the 440 relay team of Wesley, Koonce, Mullikan, and Clark won district.

1975-1976 DISTRICT CHAMPIONS / REGIONAL CHAMPIONS / STATE RUNNER UP The 1976 track year marked the end of another era at White Oak with Coach Tommy Atkins’ retirement from coaching at the end of the season. But before the remarkable coach hung up his spikes, the Roughnecks presented him with an 11th consecutive district title, another regional title and a near fairy tale ending. After easing to the district title, by which by now was attracting state wide attention, the Roughnecks picked up the regional prize on the strength of winning performances by long jumper Darrell Anderson, pole vaulter Jace Tyner, hurdler Kenneth Clark and the mile relay unit of Kerry Williams, Paul Wesley, Keith Daniels, and Clark. White Oak came within one place in the mile relay of sending Atkins into full-time teaching with a farewell state title. Getting State Championship efforts from Anderson, 23’1 1/4″ leap in the long jump, and Tyner who vaulted 14′ and second place finishes from Browning in the pole vault and Clark in the 330 hurdles, the Roughnecks took the lead over Columbus. Columbus had scored in only one event, a win in the 440 relay, prior to the last race. But the Cardinals delivered a clutch victory in the mile relay and White Oak finished 6th to allow Columbus to nip the Roughnecks 40-38 for the class AA State Title. Atkins compiled an amazing record at White Oak in returning the program not to prominence but to dominance. In 12 seasons, his team won 47 of 58 meets, notched 5 Regional Titles, 2 State Runner-up awards, and the 1972 Class A State Championship in addition to winning 11 District Crowns.

1976-1977 Twelfth consecutive DISTRICT CHAMPIONS Coach James Martin continued the track domination established by Tommy Atkins. White Oak only won three events, but edged Gladewater 137-126. Mark Cloud soared 13 feet to nab the pole vault and ran a 2:02.9 to win the 880. the sprint relay team of Damon Baker, Byron Hunt, Clint Tuel, Marvin Montgomery dashed to a 43.6 clocking in a surprise victory.

1977-1978 13th Straight DISTRICT CHAMPIONS Coach James Martin’s Roughnecks rallied in the last two events to nip Gladewater 126-110. Wins in the mile relay by Joe Stephens, Mike Willbanks, Charles Modisette, and Keith Daniels, and and the mile run by Joe Carrington led the comeback. Modisette also won the 880 and Donnie Griffin won the Pole vault. Two girls were event champions, Susan Bodovsky in the 880, and Pam Stephens in the mile.

1978-1979 14th consecutive DISTRICT CHAMPIONS Bubba Acuff’s pole vault victory, Joel Stephens’ win in the 440 and mile relay championship run by Stephens, Jeff Lynn, William Pruitt and Larry Rice spurred White Oak’s dash to a state record14th consecutive district crown and by a 58 point margin.The team finished second at the regional meet and Bubba Acuff won the regional meet in the pole vault. Individual event champions in the girls sports were Susan Bodovsky in the 880 for the second year in a row and Tina Humphrey won the mile.

1979-1980 15th consecutiveDISTRICT CHAMPIONS The Championship chase came down to the final race when White Oak had to have a 4th place finish to win the title. The Roughnecks delivered a clutch 3rd place finish. White Oak only won two events, an upset over Whitehouse in the 440 relay with Terry Perry, Jeff Lynn, William Pruitt, and Clifford Anderson. Bubba Acuff won the vault again at 14’06”. Susan Bodovsky captured this years mile run title. Teri Vaughn won the 880 this year.

1980-1981 The only wins were from Jeff Barlow in the high jump and Clifford Anderson in the 300 meter hurdles.

1981-1982 Pole Vaulter Ron Bailey and 300 hurdler Clifford Anderson were the only gold medalists in the district meet.

1982-1983 Ron Bailey vaulted 14’06” for gold and Clifford Anderson ran 38.3 in the 300 hurdles, and  Steve Anderson ran 22.2 in the 200 to leave the meet with gold as well. Anderson and Bailey both won silver medals in the state meet and gold at the regional meet.

1983-1984 Steve Anderson was White Oak’s only gold medalist in the district meet. Anderson won both the 200 and 100 in times of 22.78 and 10.85 respectively. Anderson and Doug Adkins both competed at the State Meet.

1984-1985 This year Doug Adkins won the first state tile for White Oak since 1976. He was dominate all year in the 1600 meter. At the district level Adkins won both of the long runs for Coach Bill McDowell and the Roughnecks. Pole vaulter Doug Smith was the only other gold medalist in the district meet. Adkins naturally was the gold medalist at the regional meet.