GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Former Elon football and track standout Eddie Bridges and former Elon football player Claude Manzi have been selected as two of the 14 new members of the Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame. Bridges, Manzi and the rest of the 2011 class will be inducted at a banquet on September 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Bridges, who played football for Elon from 1953-56 and ran track from 1955-57, became the first person in the history of the school's track program to run the 100-yard dash in less than 10 seconds as he sprinted the distance in 9.8 seconds. The record stood for 22 years. As a member of the mile relay team, he helped set a new program record of 3:27.7, a mark which also stood for 22 seasons. For 12 years he held the Elon record of 22.3 seconds in the 220-yard dash. In 1955, Bridges was an all-conference track honoree.
Bridges lettered three times in both football and track.
He has been awarded the 1991 Fighting Christian Distinguished Service Award, the 1994 Alumni Service Award and the 2003 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award.
Bridges, a wildlife conservationist, is currently the executive director of the N.C. Habitat Foundation which acquires and preserves open space for wildlife. In 2004 he won a $50,000 grant to fund conservation efforts. He served on the state Wildlife Resources Commission from 1977-89, rewriting the state game laws among other accomplishments. Bridges proposed and founded the Wildlife Endowment Fund which sells lifetime hunting and fishing licenses.
For his work, Bridges has won the 1989 Chevron Conservation Award, the 1991 Sol Fiestone Environmental Award and the 1993 Governor's Award as the North Carolina Conservationist of the Year. He is also a member of the North Carolina Conservation Hall of Fame.
The first football coach at Smith High School, Manzi built a program that turned out the likes of future NFL players Vince Evans (Chicago Bears), Joe Bostic (St. Louis Cardinals) and Jeff Bostic (Washington Redskins). Manzi’s teams ran the single wing offense well into the 1970s. He coached 15 years (1963-77), compiling a record of 85-65-6 and advancing to the state playoffs many times. He served as athletic director from 1977-88. The football stadium at Smith was named in his honor in 1984. Manzi was a graduate of Elon, where he played football. He died in 1994.
For information about tickets for the induction banquet, call 336-378-4499 or visit www.greensborosports.org.
2011 GUILFORD COUNTY SPORTS HALL OF FAME CLASS
(Name - Collegiate Affiliation/Professional)
Eddie Bridges - Elon
Claude Manzi - Elon/High School Coach
Joey Cheek - Princeton/Olympic Speed Skater
Larry Dempsey - Guilford College/Minor League Baseball and professional golf
Bradley Faircloth - Duke, ACC
Herb Goins - Duke
Chuck Hartman - High Point, North Carolina and Virginia Tech baseball coach
Freddy Johnson - Greensboro College
Tommy Langley - North Carolina
Angie Polk-Jones - UNC Greensboro
Eddie Pope - North Carolina/U.S. National Soccer Team
Maurice Spencer - North Carolina Central/New Orleans Saints
Tripp Welborne - Michigan
John Morris - High School Coach
-- ELON --
