Christiansburg High School has announced its second class for a sports hall of fame.
Five new members – Steve Shelton, Hollie Slusser-Porter, Winfred D. Huff Sr. (’51) and former coaches Daryl Weber (wrestling) and Omar Ross (football) – were announced this week. The committee announced its first class last April with 24 former athletes, coaches and supporters. The group spanned six decades ranging from the 1950s to the early 2000s.
The coaches included as inductees include Buddy Earp, Norma Cox, Tim Cromer, Kevin Dresser, Wally Flinchum, Dean Underwood, Mutt Byrd, Steve Wright, Randy Bailey, Jeff Custer, Debbie Sherman-Lee and Shane Guynn. Athletes included Tommy Barber, Joe Board, Clifford Dillard, Gloria Dillard, Brian Eigel, Mark Franklin, Darren Graham, Randy Lawrence, Rebecca McNeil, Billy Parker, Jeff Stanley and Betty-Jo Lester Willard.
The new group includes two coaches and three former athletes.
Shelton coached two teams, both the boys and girls cross country, each fall season for eight years between 1992 – 1999. This time included a national ranking for the boys of 18th in 1994, two state championships in 94-95, two state runner ups in 92-93, six regional titles and seven district ones.
He was a physical education teacher at Christiansburg Primary School and Christiansburg Elementary School (1993-2012), a Top 7 National Finalist for the NFL Network Physical Education Teacher of the Year Award (2011) and was an outstanding runner himself at nearby Auburn High School including school record holder in the both the 800 and 1,600 meters (1987). He would later attend Radford University and was a two-time individual runner up in 1989 and 1990.
Slusser-Porter was multi-athlete at CHS from 1988 to 1991 including as a state champion in the 800 meters and high jump. She had previously also played volleyball and basketball. She later became a nurse and currently lives in Bedford.
Ross passed away in 2019 and is known as a coach and longtime educator that includes principal of Christiansburg Elementary School and Christiansburg High School, and football coach and athletic director of the high school. He also served Floyd County as Superintendent of Schools until he retired in 1993.
Ross was assistant to legendary coach Buddy Earp of the CHS football team. In 1959 and 1960 before he became the head coach from 1961 to 1965. Ross also coached the boys’ basketball team, the cross-country squad and the track and field teams while teaching history, health and physical education. His best years were (’62) 8-2 record and (’63) 8-1-2.
In addition, he was a retired colonel in the United States Army Reserves and was in the United States Army, serving in Korea.
Huff played fullback for the Blue Demon football team, while being one of the fastest in the 100-yard dash. He later received a football scholarship to Milligan College. Huff was named homecoming king in 1950 and took the title of “king of football.”
He continues to live in Christiansburg at the age of 91-years-old.
Weber was a Division I NCAA champ at the University of Iowa and won two high school state wrestling individual titles. In 2007, he became the head coach at Christiansburg High School after serving as an assistant for the program for seven years under then-Coach Kevin Dresser.
He led the Blue Demons to nine straight team championships, had 42 state individual champs during his time there, was named the River Ridge District coach of the year for six times, region coach of the year seven times, 2011 Coach of the Year for the Western Region and the 2008 Virginia State coach of the year.
In addition, he was inducted (2008) into the Iowa High School Wrestling Hall of Fame.
The new inductees will be officially recognized during a home football game this fall.