Once again, it is time to reconnect with Kingsway graduates of the past. This is the latest installment in our attempt to provide updates on the exploits of former Dragons.
We look to highlight what they did collegiately as well as post-collegiately. Their professional exploits may also be indicated. Hopefully, it allows the local community to see what became of our former athletic greats.
Tessie Allan– Winning South Jersey Group 3 titles in the shot put and discus her senior year in 2007, she led Kingsway to the South Jersey team championship that season, even though her junior spring season was her first season she had ever competed in track and field. She then moved on to Brown University, where she competed with the crew team.
Upon graduating from Brown, she moved to the Chicago area where she became involved in education. Allan currently is a scholar coach for the Schuler Scholar Program where she specializes in assisting high-achieving, low-income high school students in the inner city of Chicago with preparation and entrance to college.
Liz Locke– Locke was an All-State runner for Kingsway who was the South Jersey Group 3 champion in the mile. She stills holds the spring track school records in the 800 and mile. She moved on to the University of South Carolina, where she was named the SEC Freshman of the Week and earned All-SEC academic honors.
After graduating from South Carolina with a degree in kinesiology and exercise science, Locke garnered an internship with her collegiate alma mater. She currently coaches cross country and track at the Hammond School in South Carolina and is a sales associate at Strictly Running, a shoe company.
Joe Meehan– An All-Conference and All-South Jersey Group 3 distance runner who graduated in 2009, he moved on to Rutgers-Camden. While at Rutgers, he spent much of his career as their top runner, earning All-NJAC honors fall, winter, and spring of his senior year.
After graduation, Meehan continued to work with Rutgers-Camden as an assistant coach for the cross country program. He continues to be one of the better post-collegiate runners in the area.
Josh Rhodes- An All-South Jersey wrestler at 215 lbs. for former coach Jesse Castro, Rhodes graduated in 2003, and had a brief undefeated career as a light heavyweight, ultimately winning a championship with Cage Fury Fighting Championships. In June 2007, he successfully defended his light heavyweight championship in the same event that future MMA star Kimbo Slice made his MMA debut, when he defeated former world heavyweight boxing champion Ray Mercer.
To be continued……..
