Inductees Share Stories, Express Gratitude
With an impressive audience of about 240 attendees, the Parry McCluer High School Athletic Hall of Fame inducted its 12th class on Saturday evening at night in the PM gym.
The inductees were Ray Barger (class of 1965), Ben Burks (1982), Troy Clark (1983) Roger Dyer (1966), James Radick (1970) and David Fitzgerald Jr. (1981).
After friends visited with the inductees and their families, the banquet began with introductory remarks by PM Hall of Fame committee member Nelson Fox (class of 1971) and Dr. Heather Ault, the superintendent for Buena Vista City Public Schools.
Following the dinner, William Kerr took the podium to introduce the inductees.
The first inductee was Barger, a three-sport athlete for the Fighting Blues. Barger, who was unable to attend the banquet, played football from 1962 to 1964 and was the team’s most valuable player in 1964. Barger played basketball all four years at PM, and he was the team’s co-captain and MVP his senior year. He also played baseball all four years. Barger also excelled academically, graduating as PM’s salutatorian. After high school, Barger was a Division I quarterback for the College of William and Mary football team from 1965 to 1967. - The next inductee was Dyer, who played football, basketball and baseball for the Blues, and was a member of the track and field team.
In track and field, Dyer set school records in the low hurdles and the long jump. As a senior, he was team captain, and he was the team’s MVP his sophomore through senior years. Dyer went on to run Division I track for Gardner-Webb University and the University of North Carolina.
Dyer played football his sophomore through senior years and was a co-captain as a senior. After his junior and senior seasons, he was named the team’s best defensive player.
For the boys basketball team, Dyer played his junior and senior years and was a co-captain as a senior. He played baseball all four years and was a senior cocaptain.
Dyer’s remarks were brief, saying he was honored to be inducted and “blessed to be a Blue.” - The third inductee was Radick, shot put thrower for the Blues’ track and field team who also played football and baseball. As a senior, Radick set a school record in the shot put with a throw of 52 feet, 6 inches, and it was a record that stood for 47 years Radick played baseball as a senior and played football his sophomore through senior years, serving as a captain as a senior. He went on to play Division II football for Lenoir-Rhyne University in North Carolina, where he was a starter all four years and was named all-conference his sophomore through senior years.
In his remarks, Radick said he achieved his success because of all the people who helped him along the way. “I want to thank my family, my biggest fans, who attended many games through good and bad weather, celebrating each win and helping me get through every loss,” said Radick.
Radick also expressed his gratitude for his coaches who taught him skills and strategies to help him succeed, as well as “the value of hard work and discipline.” He added that his induction wasn’t possible without the help of his “Big Blue teammates.” - The next inductee was Fitzgerald, who ran cross country and indoor and outdoor track for the Blues. For the cross country team, he was a four-time district champion, and he won the regional and state championships as a senior, leading the Blues to the state championship as a team. Fitzgerald served as team captain all four years.
For the indoor track and field team, Fitzgerald was the regional and state champion in the mile as a junior, when his time was 4:30. He also won the regional championship in the 1000-meter run that year and helped the Blues win the state championship as a team. As a senior, Fitzgerald was the mock state champion in the mile and 1000-meter run.
In outdoor track and field, Fitzgerald won district titles in the mile and 2-mile all four years. As a senior, he was the regional and state champion in the mile, running a time of 4:31 at the state meet. Fitzgerald set a school record in the 2-mile as a junior, clocking 9:58.
In his speech, Fitzgerald said, “An award like this doesn’t just go to an athlete. There’s a lot of people that helped me along the way.”
Fitzgerald talked about how, when he was in eighth grade, then-PM cross country coach Chick Crawford recognized his talent and came up to him and said, “Cross country practice. August. Be there.”
“He was like a drill sergeant,” said Fitzgerald of Crawford.
A few months later, Fitzgerald went to the first cross country practice and was the only freshman, with five seniors. “They helped me a lot,” he said.
Other coaches who helped Fitzgerald were the late assistant track coach Mike Turner and the late Kerry Camper, his eighthgrade track coach.
Getting emotional, Fitzgerald said Camper “was truly a great coach and a great man.” Fitzgerald dedicated his induction to Camper. - The next inductee was Burks, who wrestled and played golf and football for the Blues. As a wrestler, he won the state championship at 145-pounds his senior year, when the Blues placed second in the state. Burks, who was the team captain his junior and senior years, won district titles his sophomore and junior years. As a sophomore, he was the regional champion and placed fourth in the state, and he was the regional runner-up as a junior. Burks, who graduated as PM’s valedictorian, went on to become a Division I wrestler for the University of Virginia.
PM ATHLETIC Hall of Fame committee member Nelson Fox (left) hugs inductee Troy Clark, whom Fox coached in basketball. (Stephanie Mikels Blevins photo)
INDUCTEE DAVID Fitzgerald Jr. talks about coaches and teammates who helped him succeed as a distance runner. (Stephanie Mikels Blevins photo)
BEN BURKS (center) who was inducted as a three-sport athlete, receives a congratulatory handshake from PM Athletic Hall of Fame committee member Nelson Fox while William Kerr (right), who introduced the inductees, watches. (Stephanie Mikels Blevins photo)
INDUCTEE JAMES Radick talks about coaches and family members who helped him become a successful studentathlete. (Stephanie Mikels Blevins photo)
THE INDUCTEES’ accomplishments were on display on banners for attendees to view. (Stephanie Mikels Blevins photo) On the golf course, Burks was a member of the 1981 team that won the district, regional and state championships. As a senior in 1982, he was the individual district champion. During his sophomore year, Burks placed third in the region and helped the Blues win the district title and place second in the state.
Burks played football all four years for the Blues and, as a freshman, was a member of the 1979 state championship team.
In his remarks, Burks said he had “tremendous respect for those that have helped me.” One of those individuals was Nelson Fox, his high school golf coach.
He told the story about how, as a sophomore, he struggled as he started his golf season. After shooting a 113 on an 18hole course, he told his brother Bob he was going to quit. Bob drove around Buena Vista roads with him for a while, calmed him down, and convinced him not to quit. The coaches would move Ben from No. 6 to No. 2 on the team, putting him and Bob together. Getting emotional, Ben said, “Bob and I grew up playing golf, and if anybody knew I liked to compete, it was my brother. He was able to calm me … I was able to work through my demons as much as I could and just figure it out.”
Ben said that, to succeed in an environment where one can grow, “It requires people that believe in you even when you don’t believe in yourself. It requires people that are gonna push you when you want to quit.” - The final inductee was Clark, who played football and basketball for the Blues and was a member of the track and field team as a senior. As a senior, Clark was named all-district, all-region, all-state and All-Timesland in football. Clark went on to play Division I football for Virginia Military Institute, where he was a threeyear letterman.
For the Blues’ boys basketball team, Clark played for three years and was co-captain as a senior, when he was named alldistrict and all-region and was selected as the Rockbridge All-Area player of the year. Clark also earned all-district honors as a junior. For his senior year, Clark was named MVP, and his field goal percentage was 65 percent. During one stretch, he made 20 consecutive shots.
Clark later returned to teach and coach at PM, and he’s currently the school’s head softball coach and assistant principal. He served as an assistant football coach for 17 seasons and has been the softball team’s head coach for the last 11 years.
On the softball field, Clark has guided the Blues to six district titles, two regional titles, and two state championships. In 2015 and 2016, when the Blues won their regional and state titles, Clark was named Region 1C and Class 1 state coach of the year. The 2015 state championship was the first girls’ team’s state title in school history.
In his speech, Clark talked about his playing career and how much support he got from his parents and his brother, Roger, a three-sport athlete inducted into the PM Hall of Fame two years ago.
After reflecting on his playing days, Clark talked about going on to coach football and softball. He said coaching the PM softball team to the state championship in 2015 “was the most fun I’ve ever had.”
He remembered impressive pitching by Kelsi Martin and a three-run home run by Iesha Jackson. In the postgame interview on TV, when asked what she was thinking when she hit that home run, Jackson said, “I knew it was gone. Once I hit that thing, that sucker was gone. I didn’t even look at it.”
Laughing, Clark said, “I still have that saved on my computer.”
After Clark’s remarks, Kerr concluded the night by inviting all attendees to return for the induction of the 13th class on Oct. 10, 2026.
Those wishing to nominate someone affiliated with PM into the PM Hall of Fame may do so by visiting https://pmhs. bvcps.net/parry_mc_cluer_ athletic_hall_of_fame.
