Columbia High School (Decatur, GA)
Encyclopedia
Columbia High School is a four-year public high school located in Decatur
, Georgia
that opened in 1966. The schools motto is "Students are our Business". In 1992, the Mathematics, Science and Technology Magnet Programs was established at Columbia, which gave students in the Metro Atlanta area an opportunity to have a more focused based education in the Math, Science and Technology areas.
Columbia High School neighbors Southwest Dekalb High School, Towers High School and McNair High School. The school's mascot is the Eagles and the colors are orange and blue. The school was given the Georgia School of Excellence award in 1996. Extra curricular activities at the school include Athletics, Band, Color Guard, Future Business Leaders of America, Beta Club, JROTC program.
The boys basketball team has gone to the state championship every year since 2005 and has won four of those state championship games; They are the first team in the history of Dekalb County to win four state basketball championships.
State Champions: 2005-2006 (AAAA State Champion), 2007-2008 (AAAA State Champion), 2009-2010 (AAA State Champion), 2010-2011 (AAA State Champion).
Region Champions: 2005-2006 (Region 5-AAAA), 2006-2007 (Region 6-AAAA), 2007-2008 (Region 6-AAAA), 2008-2009 (5-AAA), 2009-2010 (5-AAA), 2010-2011 (5-AAA).
In the 2009-2010 season, the girls and boys won the AAA State champions in 2009-2010. They were the sixth team in the history of Georgia High School basketball to accomplish this feat. As of March 2011
The boys basketball team has been coached by Dr. Phil McCrary since 1987. As of Feb 2011, he has posted a 502-183 record. He won his 500th career game at the Primetime Shootout in W. Virginia on January 21, 2011 against Jamesville-Dewitt, NY high school. Coach McCrary has sent more than 100 student athletes to Division I basketball programs. Coach McCrary has received numerous coaching accolades including:
. She was the state champion in the 100 and 200 meters between 1980-1983 while running for Columbia.
Decatur, Georgia
Decatur is a city in, and county seat of, DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. With a population of 19,335 in the 2010 census, the city is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple zip codes in unincorporated DeKalb County bear the Decatur name...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
that opened in 1966. The schools motto is "Students are our Business". In 1992, the Mathematics, Science and Technology Magnet Programs was established at Columbia, which gave students in the Metro Atlanta area an opportunity to have a more focused based education in the Math, Science and Technology areas.
Columbia High School neighbors Southwest Dekalb High School, Towers High School and McNair High School. The school's mascot is the Eagles and the colors are orange and blue. The school was given the Georgia School of Excellence award in 1996. Extra curricular activities at the school include Athletics, Band, Color Guard, Future Business Leaders of America, Beta Club, JROTC program.
Boys Basketball
Columbia High School is considered a national powerhouse for High School Basketball.The boys basketball team has gone to the state championship every year since 2005 and has won four of those state championship games; They are the first team in the history of Dekalb County to win four state basketball championships.
State Champions: 2005-2006 (AAAA State Champion), 2007-2008 (AAAA State Champion), 2009-2010 (AAA State Champion), 2010-2011 (AAA State Champion).
Region Champions: 2005-2006 (Region 5-AAAA), 2006-2007 (Region 6-AAAA), 2007-2008 (Region 6-AAAA), 2008-2009 (5-AAA), 2009-2010 (5-AAA), 2010-2011 (5-AAA).
In the 2009-2010 season, the girls and boys won the AAA State champions in 2009-2010. They were the sixth team in the history of Georgia High School basketball to accomplish this feat. As of March 2011
The boys basketball team has been coached by Dr. Phil McCrary since 1987. As of Feb 2011, he has posted a 502-183 record. He won his 500th career game at the Primetime Shootout in W. Virginia on January 21, 2011 against Jamesville-Dewitt, NY high school. Coach McCrary has sent more than 100 student athletes to Division I basketball programs. Coach McCrary has received numerous coaching accolades including:
- 2010 Georgia Naismith Coach of the Year Award.
- Georgia Sports Writers Association Class AAAA Coach of the Year Award - 1990, 2006, 2008, 2010
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution Coach of The Year - 1990, 2006, 2008, 2010
- Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Coach of The Year - 2006, 2010
Girls Basketball
The Girls Basketball team won their first ever state championship in 2010. The 2010 season also marked the first time for a DeKalb County school to win both a boys' and a girls' title in the same season as Columbia swept the Class AAA titles.Girls Track
The Girls Track team has won three state championships in 1983, 1995 and 1996. One of the highlights of the girls track program is in the form of Olympic Gold Medalist Gwen TorrenceGwen Torrence
Gwen Torrence is a retired American sprinter and Olympic gold medalist. She was born in Decatur, GA. She attended Columbia High School and the University of Georgia....
. She was the state champion in the 100 and 200 meters between 1980-1983 while running for Columbia.
Wrestling
Columbia High School has won five state championships in wrestling. In 1972, 1973, 1976, 1977 (all under coach Michael J. Godlewski) and 1988. Columbia has won 26 individual state titles as of March 2011. The wrestling team has finished in the top 10 in the state 19 times.Notable alumni
- Gwen TorrenceGwen TorrenceGwen Torrence is a retired American sprinter and Olympic gold medalist. She was born in Decatur, GA. She attended Columbia High School and the University of Georgia....
, USA Track & Field. Gold Medalist in the 1992 Summer Olympics1992 Summer OlympicsThe 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
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