CROSS COUNTRY/TRACK AND FIELD

Griffith, Class of 1979, was a four-year varsity letterman on the Vikings’ cross country and track teams. He was a member of the 1977-78 teams that placed second at the state championships, and was the 1978 cross country individual state champion, scoring the fastest finishing time through all classifications. In 1977 and 1978, Griffith was awarded the Atlanta Track Club All-State award, and placed fifth in the state in the 2-mile event in 1978. Following his graduation from Lakeside, Griffith was a four-year letterman on the University of Georgia cross country team. He ran in the SEC Championships all four years, with his best finishes being 16th and 17th overall. Griffith also ran for the UGA track team for three years, with two seventh place finishes in the SEC Championships. After Graduating from UGA with a Bachelor’s Degree in Management Information Systems, Griffith continued to run for the Atlanta Track Club and Reebok Racing Club competitive teams, and ran 20 consecutive Peachtree Road Races in the 70’s through 90’s. He has worked for Nike for the last 31 years, and has two children, Tyler and Kaitlyn.

Burns, Class of 1974, played for the varsity soccer team and ran for the varsity track and cross-country teams, respectively. He earned a varsity letter 10 times: four in cross-country, four in track, and two in soccer. Burns also won a combined five state championships: three in cross-country, one in track and one in soccer. For the cross-country and track teams, he was named to the all-state teams in both sports by the Atlanta Track Club. He won the prestigious Viking Award for cross-country in 1973 and soccer in 1974. After graduating from Lakeside, Burns attended the University of Wyoming. While there, he ran on the Division 1A cross-country team. He also ran on the Division 1A track team. Burns ran against other track stars like Paul Cummings and Frank Shorter. Burns has been married for 10 years to his wife Vivian, who also graduated from Lakeside in 1974, and they both currently reside in the Lakeside area. Burns has one daughter, Amanda, and one son, Billy, both of whom also graduated from Lakeside in 2004 and 2006, respectively.

Seavey-Forte, Class of 1976, was a three-sport standout at Lakeside that excelled in track and field, cross country and basketball. Her outstanding varsity career culminated her senior year as her athletic achievements went recognized across the state. In basketball, she won the Viking Award and Defensive Player of the Year. In the Spring, Seavey-Forte won the track state championship in the 440 and 880 events and placed third in the high jump. She also received her second-straight Viking Award for Track and was named Female Runner of the Year for the state of Georgia. After graduating from Lakeside, Seavey-Forte attended Emory and led her sorority to the basketball and volleyball championships, while also starting at shortstop on the softball team. She worked as a registered nurse at Emory Hospital on the surgical floor for 23 years and married Steve Forte, who graduated from Emory Law School. Together, she and Steve have a daughter, Christina, who is married with two children; Hudson six and Ellie four-years-old. Their son Michael is married with two children; Parker two and Sofia one-years-old. Christina and Michael also excelled in sports—playing basketball, softball and baseball at Paideia High School and receiving multiple Most Valuable Player awards. Seavey-Forte continues to enjoy running and has participated in many Peachtree Road races, as well as other local races.

Seavey-Ashmore, Class of 1974, was a multi-sport athlete on the Lakeside basketball, track and field and tennis teams. She made the varsity basketball team as a freshman, and received the Viking Award during her sophomore, junior and senior seasons. She was named MVP during her junior year, and helped Lakeside to a region championship in her senior season. In track, she won the hurdles and mile events in the region championship and won the mile event in the state championship in 1974, earning her the prestigious Viking Award. Seavey-Ashmore was also on the Beta Club and was a member of the National Honor Society. Seavey-Ashmore went to Emory University where she played intramural sports including volleyball, basketball and softball all four years, winning the basketball intramural championship as a senior. She was recognized as the best all-around Woman Athlete of the Year by the Emory Wheel and in 1991 was inducted into the Emory Sports Hall of Fame. After graduating from Emory with a BA in philosophy, she continued participating in local 10Ks. After running a personal best of 43:44 with her sister Cheryl, she was seeded in the 1980 Peachtree Road Race. Today, Ashmore lives in Athens with her husband Randan. She has played violin in the Athens Symphony Orchestra for 42 years and has been playing USTA tennis for the past twenty years.

Laboon, Class of 1971, was a standout on the Lakeside track and field team and his storied career marks one of the best at the school. He excelled at the pole vault event. Laboon finished second place in the state championship as a junior and a senior. He was also a premier swimmer and diver, and during his senior year he placed second in diving at the county meet and eighth at the state meet. After graduating from Lakeside, Laboon enrolled at West Georgia College and met his wife, Michelle Thompson, who was a cheerleader at the time. In 1975, he competed at the NCAA Division II National Championship in three events: pole vault, high jump and decathlon while holding the school record in each. Laboon placed fifth that year in the decathlon at the NCAA Division II National Championship and earned All-American honors. In 1988, he was inducted into the West Georgia College Hall of Fame. After his days at West Georgia, he married Michelle in 1978. In 1990, Laboon started Georgia Kitchens, a high-end appliance company located in Buford, Georgia. Georgia Kitchens is a donor for the young life DGL program. Laboon and his wife have two children and four grandchildren. Together, they live a quiet life in a home on Lake Lanier. Laboon is honored to be inducted into the Lakeside High School Sports Hall of Fame.

Coach Alvin Sharpe began his teaching and coaching career in 1965 as the Vikings Track and Cross Country Coach. His teams were awarded the 3A Cross Country State Championship in 1969 and 1970, and the 3A Track and Field State Championship in 1970. He was recognized as a two-time Atlanta Track Club Coach of the Year, DeKalb County Coach of the Year, Region Track Coach of the Year and the Georgia 3A Track Coach of the Year in 1970. After Lakeside, Sharpe returned to his Alma Mater, now the University of the Cumberlands, in 1971 and spent 11 years as the Cross Country and Track head coach. He coached 17 All-Americans and two National Champions, and was named Coach of the Year several years in both the conference and NAIA District.  He is a member of the Williamsburg High School Hall of Fame, the Kentucky Track and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the University of the Cumberlands Athletics Hall of Fame. Sharpe continued to teach at Cumberland for 42 years, retiring in 2014, and is now the Director of Tourism for the City of Williamsburg, Kentucky. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Southeastern Kentucky Industrial Development Authority and was awarded the Hal Rogers Difference Maker Award by Congressman Hal Rogers. He and his late wife, JuAnita, have two sons, three grandchildren and one great grandson.