McDowell High School (Marion, North Carolina)
Encyclopedia
McDowell High School is a public high school
located in the western North Carolina
town of Marion
. Known for its reputable NJROTC program, successful athletic teams, musical directors, and computer programming classes, the 4A school of roughly 1,600 students is the only high school in McDowell County
. The school has its own student-run newspaper, the Iliad, and literary magazine, The Muses (formerly known as the Aurora). The school's yearbook finishes the trilogy of MHS publications, and is dubbed The Odyssey.
Mcdowell High Athletics is also known for producing world renowned women's wrestler Sara McMann
('02), who was the first American woman in history to receive a silver medal
in women's wrestling at the 2004 Summer Olympics
games in Athens, Greece.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
located in the western North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
town of Marion
Marion, North Carolina
Marion is a city in McDowell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 7,943 at the 2008 estimated census. It is the county seat of McDowell County.-Geography:Marion is located at ....
. Known for its reputable NJROTC program, successful athletic teams, musical directors, and computer programming classes, the 4A school of roughly 1,600 students is the only high school in McDowell County
McDowell County, North Carolina
-Cities and towns:*Marion *Old Fort-Unincorporated places:*West Marion*Little Switzerland*Nebo*Glenwood*Pleasant Gardens*North Cove-Education:The following is a list of schools located in McDowell County:*Marion Elementary School...
. The school has its own student-run newspaper, the Iliad, and literary magazine, The Muses (formerly known as the Aurora). The school's yearbook finishes the trilogy of MHS publications, and is dubbed The Odyssey.
Alma mater
The first official performance of the McDowell High "Alma Mater" was on November 11, 1976, during a McDowell High School Band Concert. The first live performance of the McDowell High "Alma Mater" took place during a football game in the fall of 1976. The words were composed by Mrs. Alice Ostrom, a noted North Carolina poet, and Angela Israel, a student of Captain Ostrom. The musical score was composed by Capt. Ralph K. Ostrom, Ret. In addition to having served as band director at Marion High, Captain Ostrom studied with the United States Army Band and was director of the Tenth Division Band Training School.Athletics
McDowell County is an area that values athletics, and its citizens show large support for their "Fightin' Titans." McDowell High School is well known throughout the state of North Carolina for its consistent success in both men's and women's basketball. In the 2006-07 season, the Men's squad advanced to the final four in the state. The women's team won the NC 4A State Championship in the 1990-91 season, and were runners up in 2003-04.Mcdowell High Athletics is also known for producing world renowned women's wrestler Sara McMann
Sara McMann
Sara McMann is the first American woman in history to receive a silver medal in women's wrestling at the 2004 Summer Olympics games in Athens, Greece. She wrestled in the Women's Freestyle 63 kg or 138.75 lb weight class. Sara was a Silver Medalist in 2003 World Championships and Bronze...
('02), who was the first American woman in history to receive a silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
in women's wrestling at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
games in Athens, Greece.
Notable alumni
- Sara McMannSara McMannSara McMann is the first American woman in history to receive a silver medal in women's wrestling at the 2004 Summer Olympics games in Athens, Greece. She wrestled in the Women's Freestyle 63 kg or 138.75 lb weight class. Sara was a Silver Medalist in 2003 World Championships and Bronze...
, Olympic wrestler, and the first American woman in history to receive a silver medal in women's wrestling at the 2004 Summer Olympics2004 Summer OlympicsThe 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
.
- Dwayne LedfordDwayne LedfordDwayne Ledford is a former center in the National Football League. He is a graduate of McDowell High School in Marion, North Carolina, where he was a two-time All-Conference selection and led the team in sacks three straight years...
, former NFL center, drafted by the San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
in 1999. He led the Titans in sacks his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons, and was a two-time All-Conference selection. He played college football at East Carolina UniversityEast Carolina UniversityEast Carolina University is a public, coeducational, engaged doctoral/research university located in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. Named East Carolina University by statute and commonly known as ECU or East Carolina, the university is the largest institution of higher learning in...
, where he was a four-year letterwinner.
- Orlando MelendezOrlando MelendezOrlando Melendez a.k.a. "El Gato" , is the first Puerto Rican-born basketball player ever to play for the Harlem Globetrotters.-Early years:...
, professional basketball player, currently with the Harlem GlobetrottersHarlem GlobetrottersThe Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...
, who played during his collegiate years for the North Carolina Tar HeelsNorth Carolina Tar HeelsThe North Carolina Tar Heels are the athletic teams for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to individuals from the state of North Carolina, the Tar Heel State...
and reached two NCAA Final Fours.