Brstjjy

East Mecklenburg High School is a public secondary school in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, and one of 21 high schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools system. The principal of the school is Richard "Rick" Parker. East Mecklenburg High School is partial magnet school in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. It is part of the International Baccalaureate program. East Mecklenburg students come from many middle school areas such as Albemarle Road, Carmel, Queens Grant, Crestdale, Eastway, J.T. Williams, McClintock, Mint Hill, Randolph, Northeast, and Northridge.

Student profile

East Mecklenburg High (or simply East Meck or East) touts one of the most diverse student bodies in Charlotte. For the 2011-2012 school year, the school of 1,686 students reported the following racial breakdown to CMS: 48.27% African-American, 23.90% White, 17.02% Hispanic, 6.29% Asian and Pacific/Hawaiian Islanders, 3.80% Multi-racial, and 0.71% American Indian/Alaskan Native.^[2]

Classes

East Mecklenburg offers a wide array of classes to its students. The most challenging are those found in its International Baccalaureate program and its 23 Advanced Placement courses.^[3] The school also hosts a top-notch special education department, known as its Exceptional Children program. More than 30 faculty members serve as resources and assistants in the program.^[4] The AutoTech program and Culinary department offer technical skills courses to those students not interested in intensive college prep.

East Mecklenburg is one of five High Schools in North Carolina that has an Academy of Engineering program. Over 20 Students were accepted into the program which began in the Fall of 2011. The program has been carefully designed to introduce students to a wide variety of engineering principles, PLTW classes for the program include; Introduction of Engineering Design, Principles of Engineering, Civil Engineering & Architecture, Bio-technical Engineering, and Engineering Design and Development.

Athletics

East Meck competes in the Southwestern 4A conference of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.^[5] Team colors are blue and yellow and the school mascot is an eagle. Local rivals of East Mecklenburg include Garinger, Myers Park, Butler, and Phillip O. Berry.

East Mecklenburg football has had tough times recently often going 0-11 with an occasional win over rival Garinger who has a similar football team. East Meck has had success in the past. In 2007, East's football team finished in a three-way tie for first place in the conference standings.^[6] The Eagles, along with Butler, ended Independence High's seven-year exclusive reign atop the SW4A standings in a three-way tie although the eagles did not beat Independence. However, the title was taken away when three students were found to be ineligible.^[7]

The men's basketball team of East Mecklenburg has seen success in recent years as well. The team won the SW4A title each year from 2004 to 2008, and in the state playoffs made it as far as the semifinals two straight years before finally winning the state championship in 2008. The Eagles defeated the Apex High School Cougars 73-61 to clinch the school's first basketball state title in its history.^[8]

The East Meck rugby team (colloquially referred to as Beast Meck), in only its second full year of existence, won the 2009 Division I state championship after defeating crosstown rival Myers Park in the title game.^[9] East won the Division II State Championship in 2008, its first full year.In 2010 they were runners-up for Division I State Championship's losing to West Mecklenburg High School 25-12.^[10]

East's soccer team enjoyed a successful 2004, finishing the season as state 4A runners-up.^[11]

The winningest team in school history, in terms of state championships, is the men's cross country team. The Eagles have won six cross country state titles, including a three-peat from 1990-92.^[12] Members of East Meck cross country designed and built Charlotte's famed McAlpine Greenway Park cross country course,^[13] the site of major meets such as the Wendy's Invitational and the Southern regional qualifying race of the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships.

State 4-A Championships

• Men's Basketball 2008


• Men's Indoor Track 2000


• Men's Outdoor Track 1997


• Men's Cross Country 1960, 1973, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1992


• Women's Indoor Track 1991


• Women's Cross Country 1982


• Football 1977


• Men's Soccer 1968, 1969

Awards

Based on its proportion of graduating seniors taking AP and IB tests, East was ranked among the 500 top high schools in the nation by Newsweek.^[14]

The Class of 2008 broke a school record when it collectively earned more than $7 million in college scholarship money.

Also frequently earning awards is East Meck's culinary program. Since 2005, East's culinary team has won gold medals in state and national competition.^[15][16] In April 2008, senior Luis Rojas was named the National High School Chef of the Year by Johnson & Wales University in the dessert category, garnering him more than $80,000 in scholarship money.^[17]

The Eagle, East Mecklenburg's school newspaper, was named a Paper of Distinction in 2008 by the North Carolina Scholastic Media Association,^[18] and perennially picks up numerous individual awards in writing and photography.

Notable alumni

• 
  Jeff Reed, Class of 1997: Former Pittsburgh Steelers kicker and two-time Super Bowl winner^[19]
  


• 
  Joe Posnanski, Class of 1984: author and national columnist for NBC Sports, twice named best sports columnist in America by the Associated Press Sports Editors^{[citation needed]}
  


• 
  Dustin Rhodes: American professional wrestler with WWF, WCW and WWE, aka "Golddust", son of Dusty Rhodes (wrestler)
  


• 
  Brad Anderson, former professional wrestler with NWA, and NAWA/SAPW, son of Gene Anderson
  


• 
  Joan Nesbit, Class of 1980: National cross country champion and Olympian in the 1996 Summer Olympics in the 10,000-meter run^[20]
  


• 
  Mike Fox, Class of 1974: University of North Carolina baseball coach; one of only six men to play in and then coach his alma mater to the College World Series^[21]
  


• 
  Richard Vinroot, Class of 1959: Politician, attorney, former Charlotte mayor (1991–1995)^[22]
  


• 
  Macoumba Kandji, Class of 2004: Professional footballer with Levadiakos F.C.
  


• 
  Barry Windham, Class of 1978: Professional wrestler


• 
  Jennifer Roberts, Class of 1978: Politician, Community activist, former Mayor of Charlotte^[23]
  

References

External links

• 
  [1] East Meck's school website

Coordinates: 35°10′34″N 80°45′33″W / 35.176131°N 80.759157°W / 35.176131; -80.759157