Michael Elder
Michael Elder often ran by himself. It is not that Mike had no friends. It was that his talent was so exceptional that he usually left friends and foes in his wake. His running abilities made him an easy choice for induction into the inaugural class of the HTHS Athletic Hall of Fame. Mike was an integral part of Al Tanner's powerhouse Cross Country teams of the early seventies, leading the team to the prestigious Easter States Championship at Van Courtland Park in New York in 1972. He was named to the All-State Cross Country teams three years running. He also had an outstanding career on the indoor track circuit, making the All State team in all four of his high school years. But even with that outstanding legacy, Mike is best remembered for his feats during the outdoor track season. As a junior, he ran a 4:10.2 mile, a time that was the best for a junior in the country. In his senior year, Mike set the South Jersey mile record (4:09.5), a record that will likely never be broken. Needless to say, he was All-State all four years on the outdoor track too. Following graduation, Mike decided to attend Arizona State University, where he helped the Sun Devils win the 1977 NCAA Division I Track and Field championship. Mike is currently the Cross Country Coach at Cardinal Gibbons High School where he has guided his men's team to seven consecutive state championships and the women to three in a row. He lives in Raleigh.
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