Bill Posey Biography

St. Albans High / (Class of 1977) St. Albans, West Virginia

Classification: AAA Boys

Specialty: Distance

University of South Carolina / West Virginia University

 

Bill Posey a standout distance runner that attended Saint Albans High School in Kanawha County, West Virginia from 1975-1977.

While at St. Albans High, Posey was an all-class individual boys state cross country champion in 1976. He ran on two of the Red Dragon’s championship cross country teams in 1974 and 1976.

In 1976, Posey helped the Red Dragons win their fifth West Virginia high school boy’s state track & field title in a span of eight years.

Posey set the Mile record of 4:15.5 at the 1977 West Virginia State Meet, which to this day is still the 6th fastest of all-time for all-classes.

Also, in 1977, Bill Posey ran the fastest Mile in West Virginia high school history of 4 minutes, 12.3 seconds. The current Mile state record is held by Jacob Burcham of Cabell Midland High with a time of 4:02.73, which converts to 4:01.32 for 1600-meters.

Posey’s high school coaches were Tex William’s, Arnie Moore, and Stan Smith.

Posey attended the University of South Carolina and West Virginia University. He works at Putnam County Schools.

 

High School:

 

[Sophomore Year]

On November 2nd, 1974, at the West Virginia high school boy’s state cross country championship at Cato Park in Charleston (WV), St. Albans retained its state title with a meet low of 74 points, although failing to place a runner among the top 10 finishers. Kenny Hensley of Montcalm High School won the individual crown by bettering the field of 82 runners with a time of 11:44 over the 2.3-mile course, which was a new record. Martinsburg led by Chris Fox was runner-up in the team standings with 81 points. St. Albans won their third title in a row, had 12th place finisher Jim Horn, followed by Karl Rasmussen in 13th, John Frazier in 17th, David Cline was 25th and Bill Posey finished 32nd for the Red Dragons. Sophomore John Frazier who collapsed near the finish line was taken to a hospital after the meet.

Individual Results All-State:

1) Kenny Hensley, Montcalm (11:44); 2) Chris Fox, Martinsburg (11:45); 3) Steve Carnohan, Huntington (11:46); 4) JoJo Dean, Ceredo-Kenova (11:47); 5) Dave Bowman, Duval (11:48); 6) Steve Worrell, Athens (11:49); 7) Damon Clark, Wheeling (11:50); 8) Anthony Skolik, Huntington East (11:53); 9) Kevin Schwing, John Marshall (11:55); 10) Jim Vargo, Collins (11:56)

As a sophomore, the 6-2, 153-pound Posey, moved to the 880 by St. Albans coach Stan Smith. He turned in a 2:00.2 performance, which was one of the state’s top times for that event. St. Albans was plagued with some injuries and lost some key performers for the state meet – Von Johnson and Brad Batten in the 220, Jackie Potter in the Discus, Bill Posey in the 880 and Rick Skinner in the high hurdles.

On May 23rd-24th, 1975, at the West Virginia high school boy’s state track meet at Laidley Field in Charleston (WV), In perhaps the most controversial competition in State Meet history, Stonewall downed St. Albans 29-28. St. Albans appeared to have the title clinched, leading 34-27 after Dave Kline’s record setting 9:44 run in the two-mile. But he was disqualified for a first lap bump, enabling Stonewall to win with two points in the Mile relay. St. Albans’ legendary coach Stan Smith argued vehemently but to no avail. Not only was Kline disqualified, but Garnett Edwards from Welch was disqualified in the 120 high hurdles, which knocked him out the running for high point honors. Stonewall’s Walter Easley, also a future WVU and NFL star won high point honors. Parkersburg’s Mark Richards set the pole vault standard with a 13-10 3/4.

 

[Junior Year]

On November 1st, 1975, at the West Virginia high school boy’s state cross country championship at Cato Park in Charleston (WV), Duval’s Dave Bowman smashed the Cato Park golf course 2.25-mile record by 12 seconds, to outduel Martinsburg’s Chris Fox. Bowman’s time of 11:32 erased the previous record of 11:44 established last season in the state meet by Montcalm’s Kenny Hensley. Bowman went undefeated during the 1975 cross country season.

Martinsburg dethroned St. Albans as team champions with a state meet record low of 23 points. Martinsburg placed five runners in the top 11 to climax with an undefeated season. Martinsburg also swept their regional championship with a perfect score of 15 points. St. Albans was led by Bill Posey’s sixth place finish, wound up with 66 points. This ended the Red Dragons three-year run.

Individual Results All-State:

1) Dave Bowman, Duval (11:32 - record); 2) Chris Fox, Martinsburg (11:46); 3) Brian Engle, Martinsburg (11:50); 4) Steve Carnohan, Huntington (11:58); 5) John Dotson, DuPont (12:00); 6) Bill Posey, St. Albans (12:01); 7) Tim Koon, Fairmont West (12:02); 8) Larry Printz, Martinsburg (12:03); 9) Dave Wilson, Dupont (12:05); 10) Rick Dawson, Martinsburg (12:06)

On May 21st-22nd, 1976, at the West Virginia high school boy’s state track meet at Laidley Field in Charleston (WV), St. Albans bounced back from the controversy of ’75 to win their fifth title in eight years. It was the first year of “10-point, 6-place” scoring after several years of “6-point, 5-place” scoring. St. Albans rode a wave of sprint points led by twins Bart and Brad Batten. Welch’s Garnett Edwards scored 30 points for high point honors, setting a high hurdle record in the process (14.0). Beckley’s Armaray Campbell set the high jump mark (6-8 ½). Double winner John Leon of Brooke may have had the most thrilling victory of the day…South Charleston’s Mike Miller set the shot-put record at 58-0…only to see it disappear 30 seconds later with Leon’s 59-1. In distance, Bill Posey of St. Albans placed 4th in the 880 Yard Run (1:58.2), while teammate John Frazier was runner-up in the Two-Mile Run (9:42.0). In the team standings, St. Albans defeated Bluefield – 66 to 44.

On May 29th, 1976, at the Regional Junior Olympics at Laidley Field in Charleston (WV), Posey won the Boys 16-17 Mile in 4:25.6. He edged Dave Wilson of DuPont High School, who was runner-up in 4:26.4, and Steve Carnohan of Huntington High School was third in 4:36.2.

The summer leading up to his senior cross-country season, Posey ran about 100 miles a week – for the summer he ran over 1,200 miles.

 

[Senior Year]

On October 30th, 1976, at the Region IV Cross Country Championship at Cato Park in Charleston (WV), Posey ran a dominating performance over then 2.3-mile Cato Park course in 11:33, just one second off the 1975 state meet record time of Duval’s David Bowman. The Red Dragons swept the competition by putting their top five runners across the line before any other team to complete a perfect score of 15 points. Next in was John Frazier in 12:01, followed by Ron Peggs in 12:18, Tom Austin in 12:22, and C.J. Spainhour in 12:23. Other Dragons: Tom Stull was 17th and Joe Weiskircher was 19th.

On November 6th, 1976, at the West Virginia high school boy’s state cross country championship at Cato Park in Charleston (WV), Posey shattered the 2.3-mile Cato Park course record while leading the Red Dragons to an unprecedented fifth cross country championship with 28 points. Posey ran an amazing time of 11:25. Runner-up Dave Wilson of DuPont was on Posey’s heels for most of the way and ran the course in 11:30. Wilson also bettered the state meet record of 11:32 that was established last year by Duval’s Dave Bowman. Chris Fox of Martinsburg was third in 11:34 to pace his team to a second-place finish with 57 points.

Individual Results All-State:

1) Bill Posey, St. Albans (11:25 – new record); 2) Dave Wilson, DuPont (11:30); 3) Chris Fox, Martinsburg (11:34); 4) John Frazier, St. Albans (11:40); 5) Ron Peggs, St. Albans (12:03); 6) Jimmy Via, Princeton (12:06); 7) Neville Leonard, Martinsburg (12:09); 8) Fred Riley, Keyser (12:10); 9) Chuck Hess, Martinsburg (12:11); 10) Tom Austin, St. Albans (12:11).

Posey avenged his only defeat, that coming when Martinsburg’s Chris Fox triumphed in the West Virginia University Invitational and the St. Albans front runner was third.

On April 23rd, 1977, Posey smashed the Mile state record with a time of 4:12.3 in the South Charleston Invitational at Laidley Field in Charleston, WV.

On May 20th-21st, 1977, at the West Virginia high school boy’s state track meet at Laidley Field in Charleston (WV), Beckley won their first track title, becoming the first school to take the trophy out of Kanawha County in ten years and only the fourth team to do so in a span of thirty years. Beckley downed a trio of KVC powers in St. Albans, DuPont, and Stonewall – 71, 50, 47, 40, respectively. Point Pleasant’s Chris Smith won high point honors with 22 points, but the distance races stole the show with St. Albans’ Bill Posey setting the Mile record (4:15.5) and future pro Chris Fox of Martinsburg setting the Two-Mile by sixteen seconds (9:18.0). DuPont’s Dave Wilson pulled a 1:56.3 (880) and 4:16.8 (Mile) double but finished second in each race.

 

Submitted by Mike McMillion (08/16/20)

Results courtesy of RunWV

Sources: Jesse Skiles, West Virginia High School Track & Field State Meet: Boys (A Statistical History 19:14-2001); Southern Conference Record Books; Archives