Shadyside Relays

STATUS: Ongoing Annual Event

THE STORY: The Shadyside Relays is a great example of how the Shadyside, Ohio, community comes together to turn a dream into a reality. In 1968, Tom Vichich came to teach and coach at Shadyside with a vision to create a quality track meet for smaller schools.

The First Shadyside Relays

Shortly after Tom Vichich arrived at Shadyside and began his duties as the assistant track coach under the legendary Jack Berger, he and Berger began developing the idea of and plans for the Shadyside Relays. The Shadyside Relays was born and became a major track meet for 1A/2A schools. With Vichich’s vision and leadership, the guidance of Berger and the blessings of school administrators, Donald F. Miller, Superintendent, Floyd Wright, Principal and Lawrence Falbo, Athletic Director, along with the board of education, Jim Donkin, Bill Allietta, Dr. Emmett Millit, Axel Ottoson, and Dr. Jim Antalis, the first Shadyside Relays was held in May of 1972.

Thereafter, it became a staple on the third Saturday of April. Input was requested and received from several track and field coaches and officials throughout the Ohio Valley. Cal Giffin, Joe Gill, Sam Mumley, Bill Thomas, and Ed Davis were just a few of those involved with the first relays. Also part of the planning, development and start of the 1972 Relays were, among others, Lou Postage, John “Gizzle” Ciszewski (a high school student at the time), Steve Montgomery, Jim Bittengle, Butch Joseph, Frank “Slick” Ciszewski, Chuck Vogt, Wilbur Coates, Jack Bonar, Bob Bittengle, Clyde “Kiggy” Kiggins, and several of the Shadyside Boosters Club.

A letter was sent to many of the 1A and 2A schools in the Ohio Valley and surrounding region to seek their participation interest. To make travel as convenient as possible and in a same-day-travel concept, the meet was designed to begin field events at 10:30 and running events at 11:30.

Along with Berger’s support, guidance and leadership, Vichich received considerable help from John Ciszewski, who sorted all track athlete entries on individual index cards by time, distance, or height entered. A “heats meeting” would subsequently be held on the Thursday before the Saturday Relays. Entrants from the sorted cards would be placed in heats, sections or flights on chalkboards in several classrooms in Shadyside High School. School secretaries would type all the information from the chalkboard and duplicate all heats, sections or flights of all events on a mimeograph machine. In addition to the competition, there were several other related activities developed. One of those activities was called the “Smoker.” This activity was a social and reception for the officials and coaches. The smoker was originally held the Saturday night after the relays in 1972, but was switched to the Friday night before the relays in 1973. Major donations were received from Suter’s IGA, Shadyside Convenient Mart, and several other businesses.

Improving the Track

A major challenge for the first and early Shadyside Relays was the track and field preparations. The track surface was a cinder track at the time. For the relays, a better ash was obtained from the Ohio Edison power plant in Dilles Bottom. The Army Corp of Engineers rolled the ash tight. The surface, after rolling, became a hard and resilient surface. There was a 6-lane liner used to line the track with athletic field lime. Colored lime was also used to line the relay exchange zones and staggered lines. When it rained hard enough, the lines bled and disappeared. The track then had to be relined, if this was even possible.

During the early years, with little money to begin the process, Vichich and the school were billed for the materials and supplies. To pay these bills, the revenue from entry-fees, gate receipts and sponsor donations were used. The Football Moms provided a luncheon for the coaches and officials.

Running the Relays

Shadyside High School was the original sponsor of the Shadyside Relays. After about two years of operation, Vichich sought and received the help from the Boosters Club. In about 1978, the Shadyside Boosters became the sole sponsor. In 1980, the Boosters delegated the Relays to a separate Shadyside Relays Committee. In 2007, the Boosters again took back sole sponsorship and administration. Then, in 2012 the relays went full circle; Shadyside High School once again became the sponsor and administered, through a Relays committee, the Shadyside Relays.

In 2014, Shadyside High School partnered with a community-based Shadyside Relays Committee to sponsor, administer and operate the Relays. And now, the Relays is operated and administered by a separate community group called the Shadyside Relay s Committee.

The first Shadyside Relays committee, first formed in 1980, was composed of: Jerry Narcisi, chairman, Wilbur Coates, Guido Narcisi, Tom Vichich, Pat Miller, Matt Sweetnich, Henry Lowe, Slick Ciszewski, Jack Martin, John Krupa, Dan Bland, Jack Bonar, Gene Timbrook, Clarence Adriano, Ken Steiner, Punch Hill, Jim Carte, Butch Joseph, Ray Ponzo, Dick Stone and Joe Bonar.

A Community Tradition

In the early 1980s, the relays reached a high number of 42 boys’ teams. With the addition of more all-weather tracks throughout the region and travel becoming a liability, the number of boys’ teams dropped later in the decade. With this trend in mind, the Relays committee decided to add girls’ teams to the format in 1991. Previously, there was a separate meet designed and started original for girls’ teams in 1986. This format continued until the meets were conjoined in 1991.

Surprisingly, on April 4, 1988 the girls’ relays had to be postponed because of an 8-inch snowstorm. The meet was subsequently held the following Thursday.

Now, the Shadyside Relays hosts both boys and girls team and have hosted as many as 52 collective teams.

*Original information composed by Jerry Narcisi April 17, 2012 from information and/or documents from or developed by Craig Whitmore, Tom Vichich, Butch Joseph, and Jerry Narcisi. Revisions are made yearly.