Athletic Directors Add 2 Graduations to State Track Meet

By Jeanne Acton | Thursday, June 04, 2009 10:54 AM

At the State Track Meet this year, about 80 Texas students did more than just compete in their event.

They also graduated.

Because of the H1N1, formerly known as Swine Flu, the State Track was rescheduled from May 15-16 to June 5-6. With the postponement came conflicts. Big conflicts.

Some students had to choose between graduation and competing at the State Track Meet.

But the two new UIL assistant athletic directors, Sheila Henderson and Traci Neely, who are in charge of the meet, were not happy that students had to make that choice.

It just didn’t seem fair to them.

But Henderson and Neely couldn’t move the State Track Meet again.

So instead, the two assistant athletic directors decided to bring graduation to those 80 students during the State Track Meet on the University of Texas campus.

“We wanted to give back to them a small piece of what they were missing,” Henderson said. “We wanted to give them the opportunity to have the best of both worlds even though it’s not the best situation.”

The graduation ceremonies took place 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 5 and 6 on the very track that the athletes competed on.

In fact, some students even graduated in their school-issued track uniform.

“We pulled some students right before and right after their events,” Henderson said.

Henderson said while planning a graduation in the middle of the State Meet was extra work, it was well-worth it.
“It was very satisfying work,” Henderson said.

The students who graduated at the Meet, selected a presenter to give them their diploma or certificate.

Charles Breithaupt, the executive director of UIL, will give the opening speech at both graduations.