|
|
|||||||||||||
 |
Tom Ballinger CLASS of 2005 Track, Cross-country and Swimming ATHLETE |
| Tom handled track's most challenging running events, the hurdles, in stride and reached the state's prep pinnacle as 300 hurdles champion to cap his senior year of competition. His pursuit of that title of supremacy included a fourth place finish as a junior and seventh place as a sophomore. Along the way, he earned seven "All-Big 9" berths in various events, cruising as fast as 37.7 seconds to set a 300 hurdles school record. Tom was among the fastest in the conference in the 110 high hurdles as well, and set a school record at 14.4 seconds.
He was a "second team All-Big 9" runner for the Panther cross-country squad twice and also contributed to the swimming team while earning a total of nine letters. An excellent student, Tom attended Carleton College in Minnesota and quickly became a top runner for the track team. Among his collegiate accomplishments were receiving three "NCAA Division III All-American" designations after finishing third in the 400 hurdles at the national championships in 2009, seventh in 2008 and sixth in 2007. Tom broke his own school 400 hurdles record with a :52.16 clocking and won multiple conference titles. He was a four-time "NCW Sports Awards" finalist. - Caricatures of inductees as they appeared while involved in WHS athletics and the synopsis of accomplishments are drawn and written by Jeff Mertes.
|
|||
