14 Dec. 2010 – Two All-Staters from R.I. track and field have been inducted into the R.I. Interscholastic League’s Hall of Fame in the 2011 Class. They are Tim Walker (Rogers High, ‘75), and Emily (Selvidio) Scharsu Westerly High, ‘96). The RIIL formalized the slate of 11 new inductees yesterday, and a story appears in today’s Journal (though, unfortunately, mention of Walker and Selvidio is noted cursorily).
We at the RIT&FF, however, do take note of this great accomplishment, and congratulate these two standout student/athletes. They join an impressive list of 85 members in the league’s Hall.
* Walker was the first Rhode Island prep athlete to clear the magic 2.13-meter barrier; he achieved that in his senior year at Rogers, both indoors and outdoors. Walker was also the first prep high jumper locally to employ the “Fosbury’’ method of going over the bar; that is clearing the bar head and back-first, instead of the (then) traditional “roll-over’’ style. Indoors, Walker cleared a R.I.-record 2.17 meters (7 feet, 1.50 inches) to win the Eastern States meet at Princeton in 1975. That mark still stands on local record books.
That spring, Walker went 2.13 to set a state standard that stood for 22 years until broken by South Kingstown’s Dave Arundel. (Walker, Arundel and Hope’s Erik Clinton are the only jumpers thus far to clear 2.13). Walker, a member of the Rogers High Athletic Hall of Fame, went to the University of California/Los Angeles.
* Selvidio was a multiple All-State All-New England and All-American in cross country, indoor and outdoor track. She was the state’s cross country champ as a sophomore, and was an All-Stater in both the 1500 and 3000 meters. During her career, she broke state marks in the 1000 and 1500 indoors. Her success as a runner paved the way for successful programs in girls’ cross country and track at Westerly High. Selvidio is a member of the Westerly High Athletic Hall of Fame. Her husband, Alan Scharsu, was a nationally-ranked prep distance runner in Ohio in the late 1970s.
Oval Notes: Walker and Selvidio join an impressive of track people in the RIIL Hall of Fame; they are: Charlie Ajootian, Ray Dwyer, Joyce Harvey, Pam Hughes, Theresa Moore, Al Morro, Kate Nagle, Christina Battastini and Charley Sweeney. Larry Gallogly, the late/great track writer for The Providence Journal, is also a Hall member . . . The RITCA Invitational meet is this Satrurday at the Providence track, beginning at 12 noon.
--Correction-- In this morning's story on the two people from track & field who were elected to the Interscholastic League's Hall of Fame (Tim Walker and Emily Selvidio), I listed the names of those track people already enshrined in the Hall. However, I omitted two very important names: Thom Spann, and Ann (Sullivan) Hird. Coach Spann was elected in 2008, and Hird in 2006.
Also, I neglected to mention the date of the Hall of Fame dinner; it will be held on 11 May, 2011 at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick.
Apologies for the omission of those two names.
