Apex High’s First Hall Of Fame

Madeline Rudd
Staff Writer

        Oct. 7, 2016 marked the very first Apex High School/ Apex Consolidated High School Sports Hall Of Fame induction during halftime of Friday’s football game against Fuquay-Varina. Although it may have been wet outside, it didn't stop anyone from watching the Apex greats receive their well-deserved recognition. 
      Graduating in 1938, Jim and Joe Mills are the oldest members. During their time at Apex they lead the baseball team to the Class B championship game and became NCHSAA hall of famers. They later played baseball at NC State and were ACC officials as well.
    The only selection from Apex Consolidated High School, J.E. Wilson also played baseball before graduating in 1962. After his high school baseball career, Wilson went on to play at Shaw University and was inducted into the Hall of Fame there. He later won the NCHSAA Golden Whistle Merit award in 2000; NCHSAA only gives this award to very special people, “The criteria for the award includes demonstrating leadership, performance, service and training for the betterment of officiating, possessing officiating abilities emulated by fellow officials, being regarded as a person of integrity and character in addition to a minimum of 10 years of experience as an active official,” they stated while explaining this award.

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        Ricky Olive (class of 1976) went from Apex to play offensive line for NC State and Georgia Tech. He later went on to play two seasons in the NFL.
      Anthony Byrd was a basketball star at Apex before he graduated in 1980. He went to play at Georgia Tech.
       Before graduating in 1981, Lisa Cobb Leslie played basketball for four years at Apex. She is the mother of five kids including her son, C.J.Leslie, a former N.C. State basketball player McDonald’s All-American and her daughter, Kiara Leslie, who currently plays basketball at University of Maryland.
       Eileen Duley Patrick (class of 1992) helped the Cougars win the very first in Apex’s history state swimming and diving team championship in 1991. She also won individual diving championships all four years of her high school career.
     Amy Dodd Calhoun still holds the record for top girls basketball scorer in Apex history since graduating in 2007. She was also the captain of the women's soccer team when they won the state championships her senior year.
     Andie Cozzarelli (class of 2008) was also on the women's soccer state championship winning team in 2007; she was an amazing athlete. She won five state titles for indoor and outdoor track and was a four-time 4A cross country runner-up.
        After all the athletes are awarded, three coaches are going to be inducted into the Hall of Fame: current track and field/cross country coach Roy Cooper was awarded along with the the Cougars former athletic director Ed Tindal and former girls basketball coach Scott Campbell.
      Although Hurricane Matthew did hit pretty hard, the Hall of Fame induction went just as planned and it was a great night to be put in the books.