Hall of Fame Week: Ray Giff This Sunday, Richards will induct a new class of student-athletes and coaches into the Athletic Hall of Fame. Friends and family will gather at Gaelic Park for the ceremony and dinner. We will share biographies between now and Friday. Heres our third: Ray Giff Track/Class of 1973 Back in the 1970s, it was a lot more difficult to advance to state. The Illinois High School Association organized just one track meet (today there are three.) For athletes like Ray Giff, that was no obstacle. Ray placed third in the 880-yard run at the Illinois High School Association state finals in 1973 (the second-ranked runner in the U.S. took first.) It was one of many career highlights that season. He won Most Valuable Athlete at the South Suburban Indoor Championships at Bloom by winning the 800-meter and one-mile runs. His 800-meter time of 1:52.2 remains a Richards record after 40 years (he also still holds the second-fastest time, 4:20.6, in the mile run.) Ray received an invitation to the “Top 10 Meet” at Thornridge for the best 10 seniors in each track and field event and took first place in the 880-meter run. After both his junior and senior years at HLR, Ray qualified to compete at the National Junior Olympics in the 800 meters. Ray would earn a four-year athletic scholarship to Indiana University where he competed for the Hoosiers. After graduating from IU, Ray earned an MBA from DePaul and today works as a compliance examiner in securities industry regulation.
Posted on: Wed, 08 Oct 2014 13:21:38 +0000
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