Vince Parrette

Track & Field - Class of 1996

"Vince Parrette was the first to excel at both speed and jump events in track and field at Shawnee Mission South. During his high school career, Vince was the consummate winner. He won 12 State Championships - 10 individual State Championships, both in races and jumps, and two team State Championships. Vince set the school records in 1976 in both the long jump and triple jump. He excelled in both indoor and outdoor track, winning all the hurdle events and jump events at the State Championships in both 1975 and 1976. Vince still owns a State best in the 180-yard hurdles, a record that will never be broken because the Championships are now measured in metrics. He was a member of some of the most outstanding Shawnee Mission South track and field squads that won both the 1975 and 1976 State Championships. Upon graduation, Vince continued on to compete at Kansas State University, where he was a Big 8 champion. In 1980, he made the 2nd longest triple jump in the world that year, and he became a member of the 1980 Summer Olympic track and field team. Unfortunately, Vince and the other members of that Olympic team were not allowed to compete due to the U.S. government boycott. However, due to his world-class track and field excellence, Vince was inducted into the Kansas State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996. It is certainly an honor for the Shawnee Mission South community that we induct the first true track AND field athlete into the Raider Athletic Hall of Fame. Our congratulations, Vince, you are now where you belong!"