By Tucker McLaughlin, Jr.

News & Record staff

SOUTH BOSTON – Under a perfect ‘Comet blue’ sky Friday afternoon, two-time Olympian Tisha Waller joined the members of the Halifax County boys’ and girls’ varsity track teams to officially dedicate the new outdoor track and field facility that bears her name. Local officials representing the school system, the board of supervisors and South Boston Town Council praised Ms. Waller for her character and accomplishments, expressing justified pride in a hometown product who succeeded on the international stage. The members of the Comets’ outdoor track team, joined by coaches Mary Douglas and Brian Terpak, pulled back a blue tarp over the sign at the new track and field facility that bears Waller’s name. Waller, now an educational consultant in the Atlanta area, told the gathering, “Thank you so very much. This is more than a little girl growing up in South Boston and Halifax County could ever dream of, growing up in such a small town. “It just really teaches you about family. So your presence here shows your support for this dedication. And if you’re here, it means you were and still are a part of everything that I do,” said Waller. She elaborated, “I am so privileged and just humbled to receive such an honor, this dedication.” Waller, addressing the members of the track team, noted she started her career at the old high jump pit located next to the football field. “We didn’t have spikes, so I had to learn and try to jump with tennis shoes. But I still soared and excelled despite the track that we had, and despite not having spikes. Now, that you have a new facility, with new uniforms….I expect great things from you. “I know that I had the talent, I had the support from teachers, my family…friends and the community, and that hasn’t changed in South Boston,” said Waller, who recognized her mother, Helen, among the assembled gathering. “I do encourage you to use that (talent), to use God’s gift he has given you, to soar. You will see all the possibilities that lie in front of you,” Waller told the track team.   Waller, a 1988 graduate of HCHS, made the U.S. Olympic teams in 1996 and 2004 for the women’s high jump squad. She was also the Olympic trials champion both years. She was the 2003 USA Track & Field Humanitarian award recipient. The former Comet standout, arguably the finest athlete Halifax County has ever produced, male or female, is a five-time USA outdoor champion, a five-time national indoor champion, the bronze medalist of the 1999 World Indoor championships, the 1998 Goodwill Games champion, and the 1991 World University games bronze medalist. She is also the recipient of the teacher of the year award for DeKalb County in 1996. The local school system has been embroiled with controversy recently over the school closings issues, so Friday’s ceremony had to be something of a welcome break. Local officials directed some of their comments to the members of the track team, who hosted a home meet Saturday after the dedication. Paul D. Stapleton, the local school superintendent, said, “Tisha not only set a standard there in her time here at Halifax County High School, she set a standard for you, and for future generations of young people, and that’s the reason the field is named after her, and that’s the reason we’re going to dedicate it today.”  Larry Clark, Deputy Superintendent for Halifax County public schools, called Friday “a proud day for the Waller family, a proud day for Halifax County High School and Halifax County Public Schools, and it’s a great day to be alive. “And we certainly appreciate your presence here this afternoon,” Clark told Waller. Steve Anderson, vice chairman of the Halifax County School Board, expressed pride in the new facility and the honored guest for the dedication. “For those who did make this possible, and for those who were part of this, I say thank you on behalf of the athletes and the coaches and all the students at Halifax County High School. It’s a big part of what makes our program a success. We’re working to make all of our facilities top-notch,” said Anderson. “I think it’s great that we have top-notch facilities, but we also have this opportunity that we can recognize someone who’s a top-notch person, that can dedicate this track in honor of,” said Anderson. Anderson said the message to the young Comet athletes here is “it doesn’t matter if you’re from a small, rural county in Southside Virginia, that if you have dreams and you have hopes and if you work hard and if you do things the right way you can achieve anything that you to achieve. I think Tisha is a perfect example of what we’re talking about this afternoon.” School officials had actually celebrated an opening ceremony earlier for the track, but Waller was not present then. Waller’s presence here made this latest event stand apart. Waller, who brought several friends here from the Atlanta area for the dedication, had earlier been honored with her own special day by local officials, with that event held at the auditorium inside HCHS.