Flint Northern, 1969
2010 Greater Flint African American Sports Hall of Fame Inductee
Category: Track & Field
Eugene Lee grew up on the northside of Flint. He attended Roosevelt Elementary, Lowell Junior High and graduated from Northern High School. Lee played football where he made varsity in his sophomore year and played on the 1968 football team that was rated number one in the state. He played split end, safety and placekicker. However, his best accomplishments were in track & field during his high school and college years.
At Northern as a sophomore, Lee earned titles of city champ, regional champ, Valley champ and placed eighth at the state meet. His best pole vault was 12 feet 8 inches. In his junior year, he earned the titles of city champ, Valley champ, regional Champ, and Mott Relays champ, and placed eighth at the state meet. His best pole vault was a school record of 13 feet 10 inches. As a senior, Lee earned the title of city champ with a record 14 feet 2 inches, Valley champ with a record 14 feet 1-inch, Central Michigan Relays champ with a record 14 feet 2 inches, and was the first high school pole vaulter to go over 14 feet indoors in the state of Michigan. Lee earned All-State honors and was part of a relay team in the Mansfield Relays that set a record in the 480-yard Shuttle Hurdle relay of 13.2 seconds.
Lee accepted a full-ride track scholarship to Grambling State University, recruited by Lee Calhoun track coach and gold-medal winner in the 1960 Olympics. In his freshman year, he was SWAC Champ, receiving the Most Outstanding Freshman Award from Grambling. He set a freshman record of 15 feet 2 inches in the Texas Relays, where he placed fourth and placed third in the Pelican Relays.
In his sophomore year, Lee was SWAC champ, Grambling Relays champ, TSU Relays champ and placed eighth in the Drake Relays. In his junior year, he repeated as SWAC champ, TSU Relays Champ and Grambling Relays Champ. He also was the Southern University Relays champ and USTFF (indoors second place) All-American.
In his senior year, Lee was elected co-captain of the 1972 track team with teammate Cornelia Shoaf. He set a Grambling State University pole vault record of 16 feet 6 inches, and was named an Outstanding Track Athlete of America by Grambling, Certificate Award by USTFF (All-American). Lee was a National United States Track & Field Federation indoor pole vault champion in 1972 (college division) All-American with a jump of 15 feet 6 inches. He was SWAC champ (16 feet 1 inch), Grambling Relays champ (16 feet 6 inches), Pelican Relays champ and TSU Relays champ.
Eugene Lee, you are the true definition of being “Flint Strong”! You have made Flint proud, welcome to the GFAASHOF!
