Craig Shoemaker is Wheatmore’s new boys’ basketball coach. (Courtesy photo)
TRINITY – The more Craig Shoemaker learned about Wheatmore’s boys’ basketball program, the more he became interested in becoming the next coach.
So he accepted the job and he’ll try another rebuilding project.
“I was looking for a job,” Shoemaker said. “I didn’t know too much about Wheatmore. Seemed like they want someone to build it. I was very impressed by what I heard and saw.”
Shoemaker had huge success during several seasons in 13 years at Ragsdale and more recently coached at Leadership Academy in Kernersville.
Last season, the Warriors were 5-18 with a 0-12 regular-season mark in the Piedmont Athletic Conference. Jonathan Evans was the coach until mid-December, when Jason Dennis took over on an interim basis.
“I like going to a place that needs a turnaround,” Shoemaker said.
Wheatmore had four consecutive winning seasons through 2019-20, but hasn’t posted an above-.500 mark since then.
Athletics director Rick Halo said the Warriors are seeking stability for the program after what seems like several years of a coaching carousel.
“His knowledge of the game stood out,” Halo said of Shoemaker. “We were looking for a seasoned coach who could step in and have good success. … A fresh start for me and a fresh start for our players.”
Shoemaker coached basketball for four seasons at Leadership Academy, never winning more than nine games. He wasn’t on the bench during this past season.
At Ragsdale, Shoemaker’s teams posted 20-, 23- and 26-win seasons. By the end, he had back-to-back 9-16 teams and was done there after the 2017-18 seasons. Overall, the Tigers were 188-151 under Shoemaker.
“We had a lot of good guys roll through there and we capitalized on it,” he said. “We tailed off a little bit.”
During his time at Ragsdale, his team was in the same conference as Trinity, which is Wheatmore’s neighboring rival. Shoemaker recalled several clashes with Trinity, which continues to be coached by Tim Kelly.
“We were packing out gyms when we played,” Shoemaker said. “He did tell me once I got the job (at Wheatmore) he was not going to give me any advice for a year.”
Though Shoemaker didn’t coach basketball this school year, he has guided the Leadership Academy boys’ soccer team for a few seasons. That squad went 21-1-1 in 2021.
His two youngest sons are seniors at Leadership Academy.
Shoemaker’s first head coaching job in basketball came at St. David’s School in Raleigh.
Shoemaker, who lives in High Point, will be involved in Wheatmore’s intervention program during school days.
Southwestern Randolph team members celebrate after the PAC Tournament championship game against visiting Providence Grove. (Scott Pelkey/Randolph Record)
ASHEBORO – Macie Crutchfield threw a three-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts as Southwestern Randolph completed its domination of the Piedmont Athletic Conference with Thursday night’s 7-0 victory against visiting Providence Grove in the league tournament championship game.
Carleigh Whitson had two hits and two runs batted in to help the Cougars to their first conference tournament title in eight years.
Caressa King, who had a triple, drove in one run and scored a run, while Madelyn Smith and Madison Varner both knocked in one run. Lileigh Payne and Maddie Strider each scored two runs.
Southwestern Randolph (19-1) is expected to be one of the West Region’s top seed for the Class 2-A state playoffs that begin next week.
Crutchfield didn’t issue a walk, but she hit three batters. The Cougars were aided by error-less defense.
Southwestern Randolph’s Carleigh Whitson is about to be tagged out at the plate by Providence Grove pitcher Emma Mazzarone. (Scott Pelkey/Randolph Record)
Providence Grove (13-8) lost for the third time this season to the Cougars, scoring a total of one run in those games.
In the latest meeting, Emma Mazzarone, Mailey Way and Maddie Flinchum each had one single for the Patriots. Mazzarone was the losing pitcher, striking out nine and walking three.
Southwestern Randolph avenged a 1-0 loss from last year’s PAC Tournament final at Providence Grove.
Earlier rounds …
Southwestern Randolph won 3-0 against Uwharrie Charter Academy in the semifinals with Crutchfield’s two-hitter including 14 strikeouts. Varner had a triple and scored a run.
Third-seeded Providence Grove edged second-seeded Eastern Randolph 3-2 with Mazzarone’s complete game from the pitching circle.
Providence Grove began the tournament with an 11-1 victory against sixth-seeded Wheatmore with Mazzarone logging 11 strikeouts and driving in three runs. Leela Von Der Hey also knocked in two runs, while Kaylee St. Join joined Mazzarone with two doubles.
Eastern Randolph won 17-0 against seventh-seeded Trinity in the quarterfinals as Quachell Headen knocked in four runs and Skylar Pugh struck out 11 with one walk.
UCA’s Kenzie Hill went 4-for-4 and Kynley Brewer scored two runs in the fourth-seeded Eagles’ 6-3 victory against fifth-seeded Randleman.
Randleman’s Austin Lemons had a big night on the mound and at the plate in the PAC Tournament final. (Bob Sutton/Randolph Record)
RANDLEMAN – There was so much going on with Randleman’s baseball team in the Piedmont Athletic Conference Tournament final.
Everything from Drake Purvis making his much-anticipated season debut to the Tigers racking up their 20th victory of the year.
Yet pretty much nothing could overshadow Austin Lemons.
The senior who mostly waited in the wings behind a stacked roster from a year ago emerged as the pitching and hitting standout in Randleman’s 4-0 victory against visiting Trinity on Thursday night.
“This is the biggest game I’ve probably ever pitched in my life and I feel like I handled it really well out there. I could trust my team. We got some runs. I knew right when we got those runs, I felt good about it.”
Make no mistake, the Tigers got their runs because of Lemons, who hit a two-run homer and later doubled to set up another run,
So he went from having a up-close view of Randleman’s record-setting 2022 season as a reserve to becoming one of the main participants for this year’s conference titlist.
“It definitely feels rewarding after working a lot,” Lemons said. “It’s not just for me. Hunter (Atkins) and Seth (Way) are the two that were in the lineup last year. They’ve been killing it this year. Everybody else had to fill really big roles and I think we’re doing a really good job of that.”
Lemons, a UNC Greensboro signee as a pitcher, must have been paying good attention last year.
“He has worked for this,” Randleman coach Jake Smith said. “He has seen people being successful in front of him.”
Lemons said he grew as a player last summer and in the fall on the travel ball circuit. Combined with what he learned from watching his former Randleman teammates, he applied it all to his final high school season.
“I feel like I just stuck through the process. I came out here and practiced just the same as everybody else,” Lemons said. “I took a lot of time to learn watching these guys on the field and I think it really carried over to this year.”
So that’s why the Tigers felt good about sending Lemons to the mound for the tournament final after he tossed two shutout innings in relief in Tuesday night’s eight-inning escape against Providence Grove in the semifinals.
“He competed and threw strikes,” Smith said. “His body language, his presence. He’s very focused.”
He gave Randleman six innings vs. Trinity, allowing two hits and a walk with eight strikeouts.
Lemons relies mostly on fastballs and sliders. He said his control tended to be a glitch in past years, but that’s an area where he made significant improvement.
“I definitely feel like I’ve always had some of the talent there,” he said. “There’s potential, but I really had to work. I feel the biggest thing that changed for me is my mental approach, just being more confident.”
Randleman (20-4), the two-time defending Class 2-A state champion, will hold a high seed when the state playoffs begin next week.
Perfect inning for Purvis
Now, they’ll have Purvis ready to contribute. He hadn’t pitched in competition in about 10 months because of elbow surgery.
Randleman’s Drake Purvis throws a pitch in the final inning against Trinity. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)
The junior left-hander entered in the seventh – though Lemons stayed loose on the side – and pitched a perfect inning.
“A couple of days ago we knew this would be the night,” Purvis said. “Slowly returning back. This is what you want. The place was packed, a big crowd.”
Second baseman Shawn Miller fielded a grounder toward the hole and snagged a line drive for the first two outs before a called third strike ended the game. Purvis celebrated with an emotion-filled prance toward the dugout.
“Wanted to see some live hitters in game in game situations,” he said. “Have that playoff mode. I’m used to this. It’s not my first rodeo and definitely not my last, either.”
It pretty much went by design for the Tigers. Purvis pitched a no-hitter in last June’s Game 1 of the state championship series vs. Farmville Central.
“We had to get him in and see him, and it was a positive,” Smith said. “He was amped up, for sure. I don’t blame him, I would be, too.”
Some offense, too
In part because of Randleman center fielder Way’s diving catch in right-center field that likely saved a run to end the top of the fourth, neither team had scored. In the bottom of the inning, Atkins drew a lead-off walk and scored on Lemons’ second home run of the season.
Randleman players react to teammate Chesney Welch’s home run. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)
The lead grew to 3-0 on Chesney Welch’s first varsity home run when he led off the bottom of the fifth with a blast to right-center field.
“I’m just getting out of my spring training phase,” Welch said of bolstering his production. “Sometimes they feel a certain way, and that (swing) was one of them.”
Soon after, Trinity starter Ethan Willard was gone. The Tigers loaded the bases with one out, but didn’t score again in the fifth.
Lemons’ lead-off double in the sixth resulted in the game’s final run after a couple of defensive miscues.
Randleman posted its first shutout in an 11-game span.
Trinity (15-10) failed to score in the tournament final for the second year in a row. Last year, the Bulldogs bounced back and reached the fourth round of the state playoffs.
Trinity used Andon Simmons’ two-hitter in a 4-0 semifinal victory against visiting Uwharrie Charter Academy with Landon Mowery and Brody Little both homering. The Bulldogs needed a fifth-run sixth inning to rally past seventh-seeded Eastern Randolph 7-5 in the quarterfinals.
One strike away from a tournament exit, Randleman overcomes Providence Grove
RANDLEMAN – Randleman’s baseball team hadn’t been in many of these situations in recent years.
Trailing by two runs and down to their final strike, the Tigers’ stranglehold on the Piedmont Athletic Conference was in jeopardy Tuesday night.
Providence Grove was on the cusp of pulling off an upset in the PAC Tournament semifinal.
“I haven’t been in that many situations like that.” Randleman junior Seth Way said. “Do what you have to do to win the game.”
So he did. Down 0-2 in the count with runners on second and third with two outs, Way rapped a single to center field on reliever JC Cruz’s knuckleball. That tied the game.
“I saw it coming,” Way said of the knuckler.
The game went to extra innings, where Chesney Welch’s one-out single to left field brought in Shawn Miller from second base. Miller drew a lead-off walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt.
Randleman coach Jake Smith, whose two-time reigning Class 2-A state champions often dominated, couldn’t recall the last time the Tigers produced a late-game comeback.
“All that matters is our score is higher than theirs,” Way said.
The Tigers (19-4) will meet visiting Trinity, a 4-0 semifinal winner against Uwharrie Charter Academy, in Thursday night’s tournament final in a rematch from a year ago.
Providence Grove ended Randleman’s 38-game conference winning streak last month with a 3-2 victory and then dropped a 3-2 decision later that week in the regular-season rematch. The Patriots (14-10) needed just one more out to notch another upset.
“It is what it is,” Providence Grove coach Glen Hunt said. “That’s what they do. We played well three times against them.”
Way and Providence Grove’s Jayten Beasley were locked in a pitchers’ duel until Way’s home run to lead off the bottom of the fourth.
The Patriots struck back in the fifth, using four singles and an error on the way to three runs. The first run was scored by Brady Collins on a two-out double steal. Logan Fox capped the rally with an RBI single.
From there, the Patriots dodged trouble the next two innings. Cruz entered with two runners on base and two outs to strike out Hunter Atkins to end the fifth. The Tigers stranded two more runners in the sixth after Jake Riddle’s two-out double.
Smith said he was glad Way could overshadow his fifth-inning pitching misfortune with his bat.
“He took it out at the plate,” Smith said.
Then in the eighth, it was Welch’s turn for a clutch hit. He wasn’t on the team last year.
“Sitting in the dugout right before I went out, I was kind of hoping it would get to me,” he said.
Providence Grove, playing for the second night in a row, had to piece together the pitching. Hunt said Beasley excelled in a heightened role.
“He did a real good job keeping them off balance,” Hunt said. “I thought we played a really clean game defensively.”
Austin Lemons pitched two innings of shutout relief for the Tigers. Smith said he’ll be the starting pitcher for the tournament final.
With only two returning starters from a year ago in the Randleman lineup, this group wants to get the job done, too.
“It’s a pride thing,” Smith said. “You’re here at your home field and you’re protecting your home field. They’ve got a lot of pride.”
** In the quarterfinals, Providence Grove upended Southwestern Randolph 10-9 in eight innings. That game was contested at Randleman because of wet field conditions at Providence Grove.
Karson Bowman’s three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning tied the game. Andrew Canter was the winning pitcher in relief. Tyler Foust homered earlier in the game. Landon Williamson homered and Tyler Parks drove in three runs for Southwestern Randolph (9-14).
SOPHIA – Brody Duggins won for the first time at Caraway Speedway by capturing the Challengers feature Saturday night.
Duggins qualified for the pole position. He managed to move to the front after a redraw and hold on, with Allen Vance was second and Corey Rose placed third.
In Late Models, Jason York of Reidsville won again despite his son, Jamie York, posting the fastest qualifying time.
Brian Rose was the runner-up in Late Models, followed by Chase Murphy, Camden Thomas and Jamie York.
In UCARs, Steven Collins collected his fourth victory of the year at the track despite starting in the 10th position. Josh Phillips, Jason Richmond, Daniel Hughes and Ron Mock rounded out the top five.
In Legends, there were 20 cars in the field, with London McKenzie taking the checkered flag. The 25-lap event was riddled with cautions. Caleb Day placed second, followed by Bobby Gossett, Spencer Bradshaw and Josh Lowe.
On the USAC Midgets circuit, Brady Allison Jr. secured the victory in the 35-lap race. He led the entire race, with Chris Lamb ending up in second place.
The Bandoleros race was won by Rylan Lowder, who’s listed as a third-generation driver at the speedway. Ellie Gossett placed second.
The next regular racing night at the track comes May 13, which has been dubbed Randolph County Appreciation Night with $8 admission for county residents. That will include a schedule 100-lapper in Late Models. The Modifieds division will be in action along with other regular classes at the track.
Providence Grove’s Devon Kelly dives across the plate in front of Randleman’s Sarah Norton during last week’s Piedmont Athletic Conference softball game at Climax. Providence Grove won 4-0. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)
Southwestern Randolph won its only softball game of the week but that meant a perfect regular season in Piedmont Athletic Conference play.
Maddie Strider hit a two-run homer as the Cougars topped host Uwharrie Carter Academy 13-1.
Southwestern Randolph (17-1 overall, 12-0 PAC) is the top seed for this week’s conference tournament.
** Eastern Randolph won 6-1 against visiting Providence Grove with winning Addie Flinchum homering. From the circle, Flinchum fired a one-hitter with 14 strikeouts and five walks.
Eastern Randolph rode Skylar Pugh’s four-inning no-hitter in a 17-0 romp past visiting Trinity.
** Providence Grove topped visiting Randleman 4-0 with Emma Mazzarone striking out 12 batters and Leela Von Der Hey with a double and a triple and driving in three runs.
** UCA was a 14-0 winner at Wheatmore with Kenzie Hill going 4-for-4 with a home run and double. Logan Zephir joined Hill with three runs batted in.
** Wheatmore’s Carmen Turgeon was the winning pitcher and had four runs batted in and three hits when the Warriors trounced host Trinity 16-2. Turgeon struck out 14.
Baseball
Even with 10-0 and 10-1 romps past Montgomery Central last week, Asheboro finished fourth in the Mid-Piedmont Conference.
Ben Luck homered and tripled while driving in four runs and Davis Gore homered in the first matchup, with Connor Adams throwing a five-inning four-hitter.
In the rematch, Gore and Chandler Macon combined on a no-hitter, though Gore issued five walks and surrendered the lone run.
Tanner Marsh scored three runs and Josh Meadows knocked in three runs for Asheboro (11-10, 4-6).
** Piedmont Athletic Conference regular-season champion Randleman claimed a 6-1 victory at Northern Guilford in non-conference play in its lone game last week. Seth Way, who had a two-run double, pitched six innings and Shawn Miller rapped three hits.
The Tigers have geared up for the postseason without knowing if junior left-hander Drake Purvis will make it to the mound following offseason elbow surgery.
“He’s not back as far as in the games go,” coach Jake Smith said Monday. “He’s back throwing.”
It’s possible that Purvis could be available during the state playoffs, Smith said.
** Uwharrie Charter Academy won against Southwestern Randolph on back-to-back nights with 10-2 and 13-9 outcomes to secure a share of second place in the PAC. Ben Medinger scored five runs across those two games for UCA.
** Trinity split two games with last-place Eastern Randolph to tie with UCA for second place. There was Trinity’s 9-7 victory behind Cade Hill’s pitching and Walker Parrish’s two RBI and two runs scored. Later in the week, Eastern Randolph won 4-1.
** Providence Grove and Wheatmore split, each winning home games.
Providence Grove’s 6-3 victory came with Andrew Thomas pitching six innings and Josh Ward driving in two runs. Wheatmore won 6-5 with Payton Mooney driving in two runs.
Girls’ soccer
In Wheatmore’s 10-0 victory against visiting Randleman, senior Summer Bowman became the school’s all-time leader in assists with 48.
** In the Mid-Piedmont Conference, Natalie Flores scored as Asheboro nipped visiting Montgomery Central 1-0 for its fourth victory in five games. Then came a 2-1 loss at Mid-Piedmont Conference co-leader Oak Grove.
Boys’ tennis
Three PAC teams were slotted for the dual-team state playoffs, led by regular-season champion Trinity.
The dual team playoffs were set to start Wednesday after pairings were released Monday. Winners will advance to resume play next week.
Meanwhile, individual regionals are scheduled for Friday and Saturday.
In the team competition, Trinity will open with visiting West Stokes in Class 2-A PAC runner-up Southwestern Randolph visits Shelby Burns.
In Class 1-A, UCA goes to Bishop McGuinness in the first round.
Randleman’s Gracie Beane, shown here in the high jump during the state meet last year at North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, won four events in this week’s PAC championships. (File photo)
Snotherly, Beane, Hazelwood claim most individual events
TRINITY – Wheatmore’s girls and Randleman’s boys were team champions in the Piedmont Athletic Conference track and field championships.
Wheatmore, the host school, posted 137 points in the girls’ competition to runner-up Providence Grove’s 108 and Randleman’s 101. On the boys’ side, Randleman had 145 to Trinity’s 134.
Multiple individual winners were prominent on the girls’ side with Brecken Snotherly of Eastern Randolph and Gracie Beane of Randleman racking up four victories.
Snotherly claimed the 400 meters (1 minute, 6.59 seconds) to go with titles in the 800 (2:36.59), 1,600(5:48.98) and 3,200 (13:01.77).
Beane was the winner in the 200 (28.25), the high jump (5 feet, 2 inches), the long jump (15-4¼) and the triple jump (33-4).
Other winners were Providence Grove’s Makayla Leonard (100, 13.96) and Maya Barber (54.72), Wheatmore’s Ariel Marin (100 hurdles, 19.04) and Rylee Reidling (discus, 88-2) and Randleman’s Iniyah Mitchell (shot put 34-2½).
Wheatmore piled up points by winning the 800 relay and 1,600 relay and taking second place in the 400 relay and 3,200 relay. Providence Grove won the 400 relay and 3,200 relay.
For the boys, there was a larger variety of individual winners other than Wheatmore’s Zach Hazelwood sweeping the 1,600 (4:52.88) and 3,200 (10:41.94) despite challenges from Providence Grove’s Robert Burton in both races.
Randleman’s Tristan Chriscoe (110 hurdles, 16.95), Chase Farlow (high jump, 6-0), Amari Ferdna (39-4½), Amarion Moton (shot put, 39-9¾) and Landon McGee (discus, 119-6) took first place.
Trinity’s Dominic Payne (100, 11.69), Giovanni Jaimes (400, 55.77), Jose Castillo (800, 2:13.12) and Dylan Hodges (long jump, 20-2½) were winners. Trinity won all four of the boys’ relays.
Providence Grove’s Malachi Combo (300 hurdles, 45.33) and Wheatmore’s Peyton McDevitt (200, 24.15) also claimed titles.
Steven Rightmyer was named coach of the Randleman girls’ basketball team. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)
RANDLEMAN – The next step in Steven Rightmyer’s coaching ventures takes him to something different, but he’s also familiar with much of what’s involved in Randleman’s girls’ basketball program.
He was named the next coach of the Tigers, who’ve been a power the past few years.
“I always wanted to be a varsity coach,” Rightmyer said. “It’s a chance to step outside and try a new challenge.”
That’s because Rightmyer has mostly been involved in coaching boys’ sports. He moves from his role as boys’ basketball coach at Randleman Middle School, though he’ll remain there as a physical education and health teacher.
He takes over for Brandon Varner, who stepped aside after five seasons and a 103-20 record. Varner is athletics director at the middle school, so he’s well-connected with Rightmyer.
“Change is always a little bit different, but we’re still excited about the change,” Randleman principal Dennis Hamilton said.
This marks the first varsity coaching assignment for Rightmyer, 35. He has coached a variety of sports, including junior varsity boys’ basketball for the Tigers. At the middle school, he also has been a head coach and assistant coach for the football team.
“He’s a tireless worker,” Randleman athletics director Jake Smith said. “We have no doubt that through his leadership that Randleman girls’ basketball will continue to produce a quality product.”
Rightmyer said he’s fortunate because openings with such a strong program might not come along often.
Because of his teaching role, Rightmyer is familiar with the players who’ll make up the girls’ team. His nine years overall in Randleman gives him a good feel for the community, he said.
“I’ve coached a lot of their older brothers,” he said. “It’s not like moving to a new school. It definitely helps.”
Randleman’s girls went 25-1 in 2021-22 and 27-2 during this past season, mostly dominating the Piedmont Athletic Conference.
“There was a lot of talent, especially with that senior group,” Rightmyer said. “We’ve got a good group that’s still going to be here.”
Rightmyer, who’s from Livonia, N.Y., served as a student assistant coach for three years for the Methodist University’s men’s team. He also helped with the boys’ basketball team at Pine Forest in Fayetteville while student teaching. He was at Southeastern Randolph Middle School for three years before shifting to Randleman.
Here’s Ellen Griffin with stock-car driving legend Richard Petty, who was at the Randleman farm to pick up a child after a golf lesson. (Courtesy photo)
Former instructor created foundation for teaching, playing careers
RANDLEMAN – From what was farmland in Randleman to much bigger stages, Ellen Griffin helped grow the game of golf.
While that was decades ago, her legacy lives on.
“It’s unbelievable people still remember her,” said Charlie Griffin, her nephew.
Last week, Griffin was inducted posthumously into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame at Raleigh Convention Center.
She was a golf instructor and helped form many initiatives involving women’s golf.
So many of the stories associated with Griffin revolve around her teaching venue with a Randleman address.
It was far from what would be considered a conventional set-up.
“It was pretty fascinating,” said Dot Germain, who became a golfer on the LPGA Tour. “She was turning this old farm into a golf facility. You would hit balls into the side of the barn.”
Former college golf coach Mary Beth McGirr also said the setting was different. But there was an appeal, largely because of Griffin.
“I would teach there in the summers,” McGirr said. “I kept coming back to the farm.”
Germain recalled that along with the golf clubs there were peacocks, turkeys, ducks, guinea hens and cows.
“Animals would follow her around,” Germain said.
Ellen Griffin enjoys time at her farm and golf instructional center in 1977. (Courtesy photo)
Griffin typically donned painter pants, a flannel shirt and a bucket hat.
“She was not a self-promoter,” Germain said. “She was one-of-a-kind.”
Charlie Griffin, now 72 and living in Washington, D.C, spent time on the farm during his teenage years. He saw what was happening with golf among the farm animals.
“She raised me in those very important years of high school,” he said.
He recalled what Ellen Griffin did on about 8 acres of land near N.C. 62. There were three holes and a sand trap.
“That’s where she set up her shop,” Charlie Griffin said.
She created an indoor hitting area and putting green.
Yet her influence was extensive, particularly on women’s golf.
McGirr credits Griffin with boosting her career, which included time as an award-winning coach at UNC Greensboro and an Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year at Wake Forest.
“She was really my teaching mentor,” McGirr said. “She was wonderful. She had a way of weaving life lessons into golf. She had a gift. She was particularly gifted with the kids. She wanted to have a positive influence in their lives and she did.”
Part of what impressed McGirr was how Griffin was so steadfast in her teaching methods. And it didn’t matter if the student was from Randleman or a country club in Greensboro.
Much of Griffin’s background stemmed from her role as a physical education instructor at the Woman’s College of UNC (that became UNCG), where she spent nearly three decades. She had a fondness for golf.
“She was so forward-looking,” Germain said. “It was golf that she wanted to teach. I would say she was an expert on the basics.”
Germain first heard Griffin speak during a tournament at Duke. She later met with the instructor in Greensboro.
“She really liked to teach,” Germain said. “She taught the basics and I could watch her teach. She was fun and she was an expert. She was a teacher’s teacher.”
This golf lesson by Ellen Griffin, left, had a duck sitting nearby. (Courtesy photo)
Griffin’s influence came at a time when there was room for women’s golf to grow.
“That’s back when women didn’t have any status in the profession at all,” Charlie Griffin said.
She helped found the Women’s Professional Golf Association, the forerunner of the LPGA. Among many honors, she was named the 1962 LPGA Teacher of the Year.
Her instructional manuals were geared toward golf teachers. She spent time as educational director of the National Golf Association.
Page Marsh, the current women’s golf coach at North Carolina State, was one of Griffin’s former students. She pushed to have Griffin enshrined in the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.
Griffin died in 1986 at age 67. She’s buried in Snow Camp on the grounds of Cane Creek Friends Meeting.
After Griffin’s passing, McGirr oversaw what became known as “The Farm” for several years to keep it as an instructional place for golf.
Griffin has been recognized for many achievements. She entered the Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame in 2014. This latest induction seemed like another level.
“It came out of nowhere for me,” Charlie Griffin said. “For it to happen again now in 2023, it’s pretty amazing.”
