Bob Rieves Biography
Wheeling High School
/ (Class of 1969) Wheeling, West Virginia
Classification: AAA
Boys
Specialty: Sprints
West Virginia
University / Morgantown, West Virginia
Bob Rieves attended Class AAA Wheeling High School, Class of 1969. Some 48 years after running his final prep race, Rieves remains the measuring stick for sprint greatness in the Ohio Valley. The 156-pound mercurial-heeled rocket was nothing short of sensational during his career with the Wildcats.
Rieves was nearly untouchable his final two years in the high school ranks.
As a senior, he turned in one of the greatest sprinting performances in the history of the state high school championship track meet. At the meet, Rieves broke the Class AAA 440-yard dash record with 47.7 second time, eclipsed the 220-yard dash mark with a 21.5-second clocking and tied the 100-yard dash mark of 9.8 seconds in the qualifying heat. That was the first time anyone had won three of those events in one state meet. It was also the first time since 1939 that anyone has won three events. He helped Wheeling capture fourth at the meet by scoring 18 of their 21 points.
The 1969 state meet featured a record crowd of 3538, and a bizarre fight in the stands that delayed the meet for ten minutes.
His assault on the state records resulted in him becoming the first OVAC athlete in 28 years to be the state meets high scorer.
Rieves was also the West Virginia state champion in the 220-yard dash as a junior, with a time of 21.8 seconds.
While running in the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference, the Wildcat star captured five individual OVAC sprint gold medals in his final two years of high school. His impressive efforts helped lead Wheeling High to the 1969 OVAC team championship, the schools first such title in 23 years.
His sprinting dominance is reflected in the fact that he was undefeated as a senior in the 220 and 440 and was never worse than second in the 100 in that time. He tied for high-point honors in the prestigious Bellaire Relays his senior year while being the high scorer in every other meet that spring.
Rieves sprinting accomplishments were so impressive that his track jersey was retired at the annual Wheeling High awards assembly.
Bob Rieves earned a track scholarship to West Virginia University. He competed for two seasons for the Mountaineers.
As a freshman at WVU, Rieves was a part of the 880-yard relay team that broke the school record with a clocking of 1:28. At the same meet, Rieves won both the 100- and 220-yard dashes with times of 10.05 and 22.1 seconds, respectively. He was also a part of the 440-yard relay team that won the event with a time of 42.5 seconds. At the Concord Invitational, Reives won the 300- and 440-yard events in addition to also running on the winning 1600-yard relay team. He tied the meet record for the 300-yard run with a time of 32.1 seconds. He won the 440 in 50.5 seconds. That year, Rieves also set school records in the 300-and 600-yard runs during the indoor season and anchored a record setting mile relay team.
Bob Rieves earned his Bachelor of Science degree in landscape architecture. He now resides in Brooklyn, New York. He was employed by the New York City Parks & Recreation Department as a capital projects analyst.
West Virginia High
School State Track and Field Meet Record Holder (400 Meters):
· Men Bob Rieves Wheeling High 1969 47.64 C, HT Old Laidley Field, State Meet
· Men James Jett Jefferson High 1989 47.74 Laidley Field, State Meet
C, HT = converted hand
mark
State Meet (By the
Decades) - 100 Meters - AAA Boys 1960's:
1. 1961 - Phil Neff Barboursville - 11.05
2. 1969 - Bob Rieves Wheeling - 11.05 - Trials
T3. 1967 Lee Logan - 11.16
T3. 1969 Baskin - East Bank - 11.16 - Trials
T5. 1962 Monroe - Stonewall Jackson - 11.27
T5. 1966 Collins - Oak Hill - 11.27
T5. 1968 Clayton - St. Albans - 11.27
T5. 1968 - Bob Rieves Wheeling - 11.27 - Trials
T5. 1969 Harris - Oak Hill - 11.27 Trials
(T) Denotes a tie. All
times are converted
State Meet (By the Decades) - 200 Meters - AAA Boys 1960's:
1. 1969 - Bob Rieves Wheeling - 21.61
2. 1967 - Robert Collins - Oak Hill - 21.71
3. 1968 - Bob Rieves Wheeling - 21.90
4. 1961 - Phil Neff Barboursville - 22.20
5. 1969 Harris - Oak Hill - 22.30 - Trials
T6. 1968 Ramella - Huntington - 22.40 - Trials
T6. 1968 Robinson - St. Albans - 22.40 - Trials
T6. 1965 Rhodes Parkersburg - 22.40
T6. 1969 Cunningham - St. Albans - 22.40 - Trials
(T)
Denotes a tie. All times are converted
State Meet - 400 Meters All-Class All-Time Top Ten:
1. 1969 - Bob Rieves Wheeling - 47.64
2. 1978 - James Jett Jefferson - 47.74
3. 1975 - Rodney Gibson Jefferson - 48.24
4. 2010 - Khiry Timbers Martinsburg - 48.25
5. 1985 - Clifford Simpkins - Point Pleasant - 48.34
T6. 2012 - Brandon Franklin - Liberty Harrison - 48.35
T6. 2002 - Rico Greenhowe Capital - 48.35
8. 2011 - Brandon Franklin - Liberty Harrison - 48.43
9. 2007 - Terrell Martin Hurricane - 48.46
10.2001 - Chris Spencer Parkersburg South - 48.59
* 1978 - Chris Smith - Point Pleasant - 48.64
* 1980 Fred Robinson - Woodrow Wilson - 48.64
(T) Denotes a tie. All
times are converted
State Meet - 400
Meters - AAA Boys All-Time Top Ten:
1. 1969 - Bob Rieves Wheeling - 47.64
2. 1978 - James Jett Jefferson - 47.74
3. 1975 - Rodney Gibson Jefferson - 48.24
4. 2010 - Khiry Timbers Martinsburg - 48.25
5. 1985 - Clifford Simpkins - Point Pleasant - 48.34
6. 2002 - Rico Greenhowe Capital - 48.35
7. 2007 - Terrell Martin Hurricane - 48.46
8. 2001 - Chris Spencer - Parkersburg South - 48.59
9. 1978 - Chris Smith - Point Pleasant - 48.64
10. 1980 - Fred Robinson - Woodrow Wilson - 48.64
All times are
converted
State Meet (By the Decades) - 400 Meters AAA Boys 1960's:
1. 1969 - Bob Rieves Wheeling - 47.64
2. 1968 - Wilson Smith Huntington - 48.84
3. 1962 - Bob Lipscomb Dunbar - 49.23
T4. 1960 - Bolin - Charleston - 49.63
T4. 1963 Ashworth - Huntington East - 49.63
6. 1967 - Robert Collins - Oak Hill - 49.83
(T) Denotes a tie. All
times are converted
Submitted by Mike McMillion (06/08/17)
Results courtesy of RunWV, Jesse Skiles & WVU Sports