Clint Hayes Biography

Huntington High / (Class of 1990) Huntington, WV

Classification: AAA Boys

Specialty: Hurdles

West Virginia University / Morgantown, WV

 

Clint Hayes is a former West Virginia high school track & field athlete who won gold medals in the 110-meter high hurdles and 300-meter intermediate hurdles at the WVSSAC State Track & Field Meet.

Hayes graduated from Huntington High School in 1990, which is located on top of a hill just outside Huntington, West Virginia.

While at HHS, Hayes was a seven-time West Virginia prep champion, three-time runner-up and ten-time all-state selection in track.

As a senior athlete, he set state records at the 1990 WVSSAC State Track & Field Meet and as a Huntington High Highlander won the team title.

Hayes earned a scholarship at West Virginia University.

Coach Marty Pushkin was the Head Coach, but Hayes worked under Sprinter/Hurdler assistant Coach Jeff Huntoon.

 

High School:

Clint Hayes attended Huntington High School from 1988-1990, where he was coached by Harry Underwood.

 

[Sophomore Year]

At the 1988 Class AAA Boys West Virginia State Track Meet, in a sterling team race, Parkersburg South and Wheeling Park ended in a dead heat, just three points of Jefferson. The Co-Champions won with depth, as each team only posted one event victory. Jefferson’s James Jett won the 100m and 200m, while Keyser’s Buck Brooks captured the 1600m and 3200m. James Jett won High Point Honors with 25 points.

Huntington’s Clint Hayes scored sixteen of his team’s twenty-two points for an eleventh-place finish. Hayes was runner-up in the 110-meter high hurdles (14.75) and 300-meter intermediate hurdles (39.62). This would be the beginning of an outstanding high school track career.

 

 

[Junior Year]

At the 1989 Class AAA Boys West Virginia State Track Meet, Huntington’s Clint Hayes swept the hurdles to help lead his team to a third-place finish in the team standings with 49 points. A veteran St. Albans team won the Title while holding off a late charge from Wheeling Park, 78 to 76, respectively.

On Friday, Hayes ran anchor on Huntington’s state runner-up shuttle hurdle relay team with a time of 56.6 seconds.  

On Saturday, Hayes broke the record in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles with a time of 37.70 seconds. The old record of 38.45 seconds only stood for three years before falling, which was held by Oak Hill’s Von Woodson. Then he won the 110-meter high hurdles with a 14.61-second clocking and ran the anchor leg on Huntington’s record-setting 4 x 200-meter relay team (1:28.40).

Jefferson’s James Jett, who went on to win an Olympic Gold Medal and enjoy a long and successful NFL career, earned High Point Honors with 30 points. Clint Hayes finished the state meet having scored 24.5 of Huntington’s 49 points.

 

[Senior Year]

At the 1990 Class AAA Boys West Virginia State Track Meet, Huntington High earned a state title over Wheeling Park, 75 to 66. Huntington’s Clint Hayes and Robert Walker led the way with Hayes setting two records in each hurdle race and anchored two winning relay teams. This was Huntington’s first boys’ class AAA track & field championship in twenty-three years. This was their 16th title for their storied track program, but only it’s first since 1967. St. Albans’ sprinter Tony Williams earned High Point Honors with 30 points.

During Friday’s trials, Hayes set the 110-meter high hurdles record of 14.22 seconds and predicted he would set a record again during Saturday’s finals. The previous record of 14.3 was set in 1982 by George Washington’s Brent Walker.

In Saturday’s finals, Hayes set a record of 37.40 seconds in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles, breaking his own 1989 mark of 37.70, then he broke the 110-meter record of 14.22 seconds that he set on Friday with a championship run of 14.10. Hayes anchored Huntington’s champion 4 x 200-meter (1:28.99) and shuttle hurdle (55.95) relay teams.

Hayes still holds the state records in the 110 and 300 hurdles set in 1990.

Hayes was selected as the 1989-1990 Gatorade West Virginia Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year.

During Hayes high school career (1988-1990), he scored a total of sixty-five and a half points at the West Virginia State Meet. He would go down as one of West Virginia’s greatest all-time male track & field athlete’s.

 

High School Running Resume:

 

State Final PR's:

110 Meter High Hurdles – 14.10 (14.10 State Record was set)

300 Meter Hurdles – 37.4 (37.64c State Record was set)

Shuttle Hurdle Relay – 55.95

4 x 200 Meter Relay – 1:28.40 (State Meet Record)

 

State Titles:

1989 - 110H, 300H, 4x200 Relay

1990 – 110H, 300H, Shuttles, 4x200 Relay

 

Other State Places:

1988 – 110H (2nd), 300H (2nd)

1989 – Shuttle Hurdle Relay (2nd)

 

State Meet All-Time Lists:

1st 110 Hurdles All-Class All-Time

1st 110 Hurdles AAA Boys All-Time

1st 110 Hurdles AAA Boys 1990's

1st 110 Hurdles AAA Boys 1980's

2nd & 3rd 300 Hurdles All-Class All-Time

2nd & 3rd 300 Hurdles AAA Boys All-Time

1st 300 Hurdles AAA Boys 1990's

1st 300 Hurdles AAA Boys 1980's

8th Shuttle Hurdles All-Class All-Time

8th Shuttle Hurdles AAA Boys All-Time

1st Shuttle Hurdles AAA Boys 1990's

4th Shuttle Hurdles AAA Boys 1980's

3rd 4x200 Relay All-Class All-Time

3rd 4x200 Relay AAA Boys All-Time

1st 4x200 Relay AAA Boys 1990's

2nd 4x200 Relay AAA Boys 1980's

 

[Personal]

Clint Hayes is the uncle of Daniel Brown, who was a standout sprinter at Huntington High back in 2009 and 2010. Brown is most remembered for winning the Class AAA boy’s 200-meter run in 21.66 at the 2010 West Virginia State Championships. Brown ran PRs of 100m (10.86); 200m (21.66); 400m (50.50).

 

Compiled by Coach Mike McMillion (05/03/18)