New Boston honors famous alumnus
School renames event Sid Garton Relays
New Boston High School’s favorite track star has been honored once again.
Sid Garton, a 1958 graduate, has had a book written about his life, had an official Senate resolution proclaimed in his honor, was once on his way to the Olympics, was inducted into a state collegiate sports hall of fame, and is in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Now, New Boston High School has renamed their regional relays after “The Jet.”
“Did you see those trophies?” Sid asked. “They say ‘Sid Garton Relays.’ I can hardly believe it.”
With all the honors bestowed on him, it’s the recognition from his old high school that seems to have affected the sprinter the most.
“We’re proud to honor him as one of our alumni,” said coach Jamey Thomas, athletic director at the high school. “We named our track meet after him. He’s going to be honored every year with our track meet.”
The renewed interest in Garton’s record began in
2015, when a one-time Dallas Morning News sports writer/ columnist and high school classmate of Garton’s wrote a book about his life. Gene Wilson penned the book
“Sid Garton: The Real Story Behind His Missing Olympic Fame.”
In the book, Wilson reveals the details surrounding Garton as a young man, his many sprinting records and medals, and his personal problems that prevented him from making it to the 1960 Olympics in Rome.
The Texas Senate in Austin proclaimed an official resolution in his honor, and he was presented with a Texas flag that had flown over the capitol building.
In 1958, Garton attended what was then East Texas State University, now Texas A&M University-Commerce. He set records, won medals and was on his way to competing in the 1960 Olympics.
But personal matters prevented him from attending the games.
Last year, the university inducted Garton into its Athletic Hall of Fame, the highest honor it bestows on a collegiate athlete.
During his running days, he was known as “The Jet,” “The World’s Fastest Man” or “The Fastest Man on Earth”—and some even knew him as ‘‘Flash.”
In the late 1950s, track events were measured by yards, whereas today, they are measured by meters.
He tied the world record by running the 100-yard dash in 9.3 seconds. That’s 9.3 seconds to run the length of a football field.
He won the world record for running the 220-yard dash at 19.6 seconds.
“I was the first man to ever run a 19.6 in the 220,” Garton said. “There were three men who had run it at 20 flat. And that was a good time—20 flat was really good. But I was the first man to ever run it in 19.6—in the world—ever.”
Sports journalists around the country were predicting his winning the gold at the Olympics.
Garton went to state four years in a row in high school.
“I went to state my freshman year; got fourth place at state my sophomore year; junior year I won state; and my senior year, I not only won state, but I set records,” he said.
“And we didn’t even have a track [and] didn’t even have a track coach at first.”
He was the only sprinter on the team. Once they got a coach at the school, three of Garton’s buddies joined him on the team.
That was all they needed. They brought home the gold for the 4x100 relays.
Garton, John Harmon, Bobby Ferguson and Randy Jones won the 1958 state championship.
“The Lions won the state with only four athletes,” Garton said. “It was indeed quite an accomplishment.”
Soon after the young men set all those records for the 100- and 220-yard dashes and 4x100 relays, the measurements were changed from yards to meters.
The change means Garton’s name and status as the fastest runner in the Guinness Book of World Records will never be lost.
The new Sid Garton Relays will forever pay homage to the school’s famed sprinter.
Keri Waide, the girls’ athletic coordinator at the school, was thrilled to meet Garton after the field house ceremony renaming the track meet.
“Oh my gosh! What a legend you are,” she said. “You’re the reason we’re here. Congratulations. Wow. ‘The Jet.’ I’m so glad to meet you, and I’m so glad you can do this.”
After gushing over the track star, Waide was introduced to Cathy, Garton’s high school sweetheart and wife of 55 years.
“Oh wow! You’re really the fastest one here, because you caught him!” she exclaimed.