Kathy Tar Heel Of Week
tdltor'i Notci Tomorrow, No*. 7,
Kathy McMillan will be 18 years
old and ha* already earned the
distinction of being considered the
top teenaged womens long jumper
In the United Statee. The Hoke
High senior was spotlighted by the
Raleigh News and Observer last
Sunday as Tar Heel of the Week.
The article Is reprinted here from
the News and Observer for the
interest of News-Joumal readers.
By David Zucchino
RAEFORD - Kathy McMillan
began her junior year in high school
here in much the same way she had
spent her entire school life. She
oooked breakfasts for her father, a
bricklayer, and worked his tobacco
field after school.
Then, last January, she travelled
outside her home state for the first
time. Last spring she took her first
airplane ride. By summer, she was
spending weeks in Eastern Europe
and Russia.
Alexander McMillan, accustomed
to steamy breakfasts served up by his
ythird youngest child, longed for her
return. Kathy, then 16, at times felt
ready to come home.
For one thing, she got lost in
l LaGuardia Airport. Worse yet, she
had to take a lot of shots to leave the
country. And the plane ride? "No
parachutes," she recalled.
Such is the life of a novice
international athlete. As a world-class
long jumper and Olympic hopeful,
Kathy McMillan has precious little
time to sample the uncluttered life of
a senior at peaceful Hoke High.
'The whole thing," she said, "is
kinda unbelievable."
Unbelievable is perhaps the best
term to describe what happened after
a skinny ninth grader went out for
the girls' track team in an event she
knew nothing about. Three years
later, she owned the second longest
jump ever made by an American
woman.
From New York to Los Angeles to
Canada and Russia and
Czecholovakia, Kathy competed
head-on with the world's finest
long^umpers. Only 17, she left the
house in which she was born, setting
two long jump records and taking
aim on a fistful of others.
"I never expected her to do all
this," admitted her Hoke High coach.
Bill Colston, who said he has never
seen a better athlete in nine years of
high school coaching.
Coition's eye? widened wheifhe
discussed his pupil, for she had
literally come to him out of
nowhere. "Nobody - just nobody -
does this well this soon. She's the
kind of person you only read about."
What Kathy had done was win a
bronze medal in the Pan American
Games two weeks ago, setting two
short-lived Games records. She had
previously won the long jump in
Durham's Pan Africa meet, taken the
Junior Olympics with a record jump,
and finished fifth on only one jump
in a U.S. - U.S.S.R. meet.
Her 21-foot-seven-inch jump
against the Czech and Polish teams in
Prague was the longest this year by
an American woman. She is an even
bet to qualify next spring for one of
three long jump positions on the U.S.
Olympic team.
Kathy McMillan is, in fact, the
world's best teenaged female long
jumper.
"And she still doesn't know how
good she really is," said Colston, who
watches over his young protege like a
fight manager over a budding world
champ.
Kathy doesn't even know how
good other jumpers are. In fact, she
didn't even recognize the names of
UwS. and world record-holders until
she competed against them.
"I don't even take Track and Field
News," she pointed out.
Kathy is equally blase about the
finer points of long jump technique.
She now "hitch kicks," or pumps her
legs in the air, instead of "sailing,"
but only because other jumpers do it.
. V A .
She pays no attention when she
misses her take-off board during
practice, saving her concern for
actual meets.
"I don't think about it," she said.
"I just do it."
She began doing it as a ninth
grader who tried out for girls' track
because it was the only sport open to
girls at the time. Colston was
unimpressed until Kathy beat the
school's top jumper in the state
meet.
She has since won three state
championships in the event. Hoke
High, in its fourth year of girls' track,
has won four.
"Of course, having Kathy didn't
hurt," Colston conceded.
It does not hurt a team for a
jumper to improve from 16-9 as a
freshman to 17-9 as a sophomore and
19-9 as a junior. With a 21-7 leap as a
senior, Kathy is a mere half-inch off
the U.S. women's record.
"I'm going for two more feet
now," Kathy said blithely, as if
discussing two inches to be added to
the hem of a skirt. "There's always
somebody sliopin' up behind you. so
I figure I need 23 feet to close the
door." The world's record is 22-4V4,
or 9Vi inches from her best jump.
Still, she seems more fascinated by
the products of her jumps than the
jumps themselves. She finds travel
"exciting," thinks meeting girls on
the U.S. team is "fun" and was
"surprised" that she was allowed to
keep the sleek blue U.S.A. uniform
from the Pan Am Games.
Yet she is singularly unawed by
the glamor names of women's track.
Of Willye White, a former world's
record holder, Kathy said: "She's
twice my age." Rooming with
Martha Watson, current Outdoor
National Women's champion, Kathy
said: "Wasn't no different to me."
"1 sure don't feel famous," she
said, laughing. "But I guess 1 am
jumping against all these people
everybody has heard of."
People are beginning to hear about
Kathy McMillan, at least in North
Carolina. She is the first person to be
named "Athlete of the Week" four
times by a Fayettevillc newspaper.
Wire service and local stories have
forced her to start a second
scrap book.
At international meets, her
admirers are increasing. She says her
competitors now classify her as a
"leaper," as opposed to a mere
"jumper." It is an honor shared by
few.
Colleges, too, are taking note of
Kathy's abilities. Coaxes have
approached her from UCLA and
Tennessee State University, schools
with two of the nation's strongest
girls' track programs.
"The guy from UCLA was trying
to impress me with how much he
knew about long jumping," she said.
"He knew a lot more than I did."
Kathy is leaning towards Tennessee
State.
Wherever she goes, she would like
to go as anything but a strict
one-dimensional athlete. Despite
weak ankles, for instance, she wears
fashionable platform heels.
"I like 'em," she said, dismissing
the heels' potential hazards.
Colston is more specific. "You
can't expect her to sacrifice
everything," he said. "We don't want
her to become some kind of freak,
you know."
After a year of travel, Kathy has
already seen her share of unique
characters. She remembers throngs of
autograph seekers - herself included -
swarming around Wilt Chamberlain
during the Pan African Games in
Durham last summer.
She said she was afraid to
approach Chamberlain, particularly
after he gruffly refused to sign for
anyone. But later, the same people
began asking for her autograph.
Kathy signed, not quite certain
why she had been asked. So beside
each signature, in parenthesis, she
scribbled the words "long jumper."
For The Record
Kathy McMillan
BORN: Nov. 7,1957
EDUCATION: Hoke County High
School, Raeford, Senior
PARENTS: Mr. and Mrs. Alexander
McMillan, Raeford
FAMILY: Seven brothers and sisters
Hoke ASCS
By Thomas R. Burgess
Delivery Station Designated For
Carryover Tobacco In Type 13 ?
Mullins Leal" Tobacco Company,
Mullins, S.C., has been designated
by Stabilization Corporation to
handle growers' carryover tobacco
in the South Carolina and North
Carolina ? Border Belt, according
to Fred G. Bond. General man
ager. The facilities at Mullins Leaf
Tobacco Company will be open for
handling carry-over tobacco from
November 10 through November
14.
Bond emphasized the following
points for producers who plan to
deliver tobacco: 1. Obtain a mar
keting card or other identifying
documents from the County ASCS
office prior to delivery. 2. Schedule
the delivery by telephoning Stabili
zation's representative at Mullins
Leaf Tobacco Company, Mullins,
S.C. (Telephone 803-464-8651).
beginning Monday. November 10,
1975. between the hours of 8:00
a.m. and 5:00 p.m. 3. The tobacco
should be delivered in standard
tobaccco sheets. At the time of
delivery, sheets will be exchanged.
4. Only tobacco that is graded into
official USDA standard grades will
be accepted. 5. All participating
producers must be members of
Stabilization.
There will be an official Govern
ment Grader to grade the tobacco.
A receipt will be given to each
producer listing the weight and
grade of each sheet of tobacco
delivered. Also, the producer will
be asked to sign an agreement
making Stabilization agent for the
producer Iter the handling, serv
icing and sale of such tobacco.
The tobacco will be received,
processed, and redried in the usual
manner and offered for sale as soon
as possible after July I, 1976. That
tobacco which does not sell for a
satisfactory price will be tendered
to Commodity Credit Corporation
lor loan under the 1976 program.
Proceeds from sales or loans
advanced, less expenses incurred
(storage, insurance, fumigation -
anticipated not to exceed $0.01 per
pound) during the carryover
period, will be distributed to
participating growers after July 1.
1976.
Bethel Ingathering
Bethel Presbyterian Church is
having an Ingathering on Thurs
day. Nov. 13.
Barbecue and chicken salad
plates will be served from 11 A.M.
until 2 P.M. Plates will be $2.50
each.
Everyone is cordially invited to
attend.
Walter Coley
and Mike Wood's
Pharmacy
Phlashes
Order free shot
chart from us.
It's enough that nearly
five million children go
unimmunizcd against
certain disease*, but when
their lack of immunization
endangers our communities
then wc must take action.
The facts arc these: 407? in
the four and under age
group are not fully
protected against either
, polio or red measles; 50ft
of this group had no
W vaccination for German
measles: 65%. none against
mumps; and 28" were not
fully protected against
diptheria. whooping cough
and tetanus.
m . Let's take action. Write
to our Clipping Service to
obtain our Immunization
Checklist. Then ice your
health official. Send a
stamped. ?lf - addressed
? envelope to "Immuni ?
juy zation," c/o our drug store.
fvvr Box 5051. Raleigh. N.C.
27607.
We Wi?h To Thank You For Shopping
With Us. Have A Nice Day and Vbit Us
Again!
*?( 875-3720 ' Ro?ford
RESCUE SUPPORT - Julian D. Butler, rice ? president of the Raeford Brunch
of the Southeast Production Credit Association is shown above presenting an
emergency spine board to the Hoke County Rescue Squad. Bobby Smith,
squad treasurer, accepts the donation. The aluminum spine board is used in
extracting and transporting a victim of an accident when back injuries are
suspected.
Superior Court
Pair Draws Prison
Two men linked in the attack on
county health worker Jessie
Nicholson at an isolated McCain
cabin last February in which the
woman was left for dead were
sentenced to prison Monday by
Superior Court Judge Clarence Hall.
John Tracy McNeill, who was
apprehended in late August after
eluding capture for almost six
months, and James Franklin McNair.
(alias) Jack McNair, pleaded guilty to
charges of felonious breaking and
entering and misdemeanor larceny.
Both were sentenced to not less
than three years nor more than four
years with the option of work
release.
Three others of the six linked to
the incident pleaded guilty to similar
charges.
Curtis Hill, Dwight Graham, and
Bruce Leonard King admitted to the
accusations of felonious breaking and
entering and misdemeanor larceny
and were sentenced to not less than
three years nor more than lour years,
suspended for three years and placed
on probation lor three years and
fined SI6.67.
The sixth member of the group.
Robert Lee King, is charged with
breaking and entering and larceny,
assault with intent to commit rape,
assault with a deadly weapon with
intent to kill inflicting serious injury
and kidnapping is Still at large and is
also being sought by the FBI for
interstate flight to avoid prosecution.
McNair was allegedly the last one
in the cabin with Robert King on the
day of the crime, and McNeill
allegedly was contacted by King not
long before his arrest according to
testimony.
In other Superior Court action,
the final juror for the Jerry Shaw
trial was seated early Tuesday
morning. Testimony was expected to
begin Wednesday morning.
Shaw is charged with rape and first
degree burglary.
Dillon School Public
Hearing 10th
A public hearing on C.A. Dillon
Training School will be held at
Butner Town Hall at 7 P.M.
Monday. November 10.
The meeting will be attended by
the recently appointed Commission
on Youth Services and Director of
Y outh Services David Jordan, who
will be attending a meeting of the
commission at the school in the
afternoon.
The hearing is one of a series
planned for each of the state's
training schools since the Division
of Youth Services became a part of
the North Carolina Department of
Human Resources.
Director Jordan and members of
the commission will answer ques
tions and hear problems or griev
ances of former students, school
staff or citizens in the community.
SUPPORT THE BUCKS
*
# *1
Who Said
Mr. Flynn
Was Irish?
Mr. Flynn's
Downtown Southern Pines
Jim Wa/fety^ i announces another big
OPEN ?HOUSE
DIRECTIONS:
From Raeford, take Hwy. 211 east to State Rd. 1458.
Turn left and 90 1 5/10 miles to State Rd. 1456 and turn
left. Go 3/10 miles to the Open House. You'll see the
Opne House signs, it's easy to find.
Register for FREE drawing.
A KODAK "INSTAMATIC 124" camera with film,
flash-cubes and batteries will be given to some
lucky person. Refreshments will be served. Gifts
for the kiddies, and Mom and Dad.
Mr. & Mrs. James E. McC.rae
CORDIALLY INVITE YOU
to attend an open house to celebrate
the completion of their new home.
SATURDAY & SUNDAY
November 8 & 9, 1975
JIM WAITER HOMES
Please tend us your free
catalog of homes. We
would like to have more in
formation about building a
home on our property.
NAME
ADDRfifS
CiTY iTATf- Zip
Telephone (or neighbor's)
I own property in County
You, too, can own a new home, the easy, Jim Walter
way. INSTANT MORTGAGE FINANCING TO QUALI
FIED PROPERTY OWNERS. If you can't attend but
would like information about building on your
property, ptoase mail the coupon or write today.
Who villi """A ()' .1 now homo think ot
Jim WalteifoM&i
FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA 28306
P.O. Box 4153
Highway 301
PH: 919/485-6111
FORECAST
SUNNY?
We hope your days
will all be sunnyl
But in case they
aren't, it's good to
have the protection of our
Health and Accident Plan.
Be prepared for all kinds
of weather in your life,
and enjoy our worthwhile
social and fraternal
benefits as well. Rain or
shine, we're "The FAMILY
Fraternity!"
Thaodora C. Div.i
F.I.C.
Harris Avtn?
(Word, N.C. i
WOODMEN OF THE WORLD
LIFE INSURANCE SOCIETY
HOME OFFICE ? OMAHA. NEBRASKA
"Tl? FAMILY Fnfmlty"? j