← Tony Coates · Career recordBel Air High School · 1982
Bel Air High School · Bel Air, Maryland

Tony Coates: high jump, 1982

His last high school season, as the newspapers printed it

Three high jumps from 1982, each shown in the original clippings with the newspaper's name, date and page. Every quotation on this page is transcribed from a clipping shown on the page.

6'4"
Harford County champion
6'4"
3rd, MPSSAA Class B state meet
6'3"
Region III indoor champion

At a glance

MarkPlaceMeetDatePrinted in
6'4"1.93 m1stHarford County Championships, Havre de GraceSat., May 8, 1982The Aegis, May 13, 1982, pp. D-1, D-10, D-12; The Sun, May 10, 1982, p. C6
6'4"1.93 m3rdMPSSAA Class B State Championships, Towson State UniversityFri., May 21, 1982The Sun, May 22, 1982, p. B3; The Aegis, Feb. 24, 1983, p. D-3, and June 14, 1984, p. D-2
6'3"1.90 m1stMPSSAA Region III Class BC Championships (indoor)February 1982The Sun, Feb. 21, 1982, p. C16; The Aegis, June 14, 1984, p. D-2

6'4" · Harford County champion

Harford County Track and Field Championships · Saturday, May 8, 1982 · Havre de Grace

Tony won the boys' high jump at 6'4". Tyrone Washington of Joppatowne was second at 6'3" and G. Carter of Edgewood third at 6'2". Bel Air finished second in the boys' team scoring behind Havre de Grace, the defending champion and host. This meet in the career record

The Aegis (Bel Air, Md.)Thursday, May 13, 1982Page D-1, Sports section front
The Aegis Sports section masthead, Thursday, May 13, 1982 Track And Field. Havre de Grace Tore Up The Place. Defending Champion Warriors Dominated County Meet; Bel Air Second; Aberdeen Girls Win
Section masthead and the headline of the county meet story.
Jeff Coates beat Jackson to the tape in the 400-meter run with a 50.3 clocking, one-tenth second ahead of the Havre de Grace speedster. Coates won the 800 in 2:00.3. Bel Air's other first place showing was turned in by Tony Coates, who won the high jump with a 6'-4" leap.
“Bel Air's other first place showing was turned in by Tony Coates, who won the high jump with a 6'-4" leap.” The 400 and 800 in the same paragraph were won by his brother, Jeff.
Tyrone Washington of Joppatowne was the runner-up with a 6'-3" performance.
“Tyrone Washington of Joppatowne was the runner-up with a 6'-3" performance.”
The AegisThursday, May 13, 1982Page D-10
PAGE D-10 THE AEGIS, BEL AIR, MARYLAND THURSDAY, MAY 13, 1982
The page's folio line, left to right.
High Jump: A. Coates (BA), 6'4; T. Washington (JT), 6'3; G. Carter (Edge.), 6'2; S. Sheppard (BA), M. Hawkins (HDG), J. Thorn (NH), 5'10.
Full boys' results: “A. Coates (BA), 6'4; T. Washington (JT), 6'3; G. Carter (Edge.), 6'2; S. Sheppard (BA), M. Hawkins (HDG), J. Thorn (NH), 5'10.” The photo caption on the same page names the winner as Tony Coates of Bel Air.
Newspaper photo of Tony Coates of Bel Air going over the high jump bar at the 1982 Harford County meet, with its caption. Photo by Doug Hathaway.
Photo by Doug Hathaway, The Aegis.
ROLLOVER—Tony Coates of Bel Air won the high jump competition at the Harford County Meet with a leap of 6'-4". Coates helped the Bobcats to a second place finish behind defending champion Havre de Grace. Photo credit: Doug Hathaway.
The photo caption, enlarged: “ROLLOVER—Tony Coates of Bel Air won the high jump competition at the Harford County Meet with a leap of 6'-4".”
The AegisThursday, May 13, 1982Page D-12
PAGE D-12 THE AEGIS, BEL AIR, MARYLAND THURSDAY, MAY 13, 1982
The page's folio line, left to right.
Best Of 1982 Track & Field High Jump: A. Coates, Bel Air, 6'4"
The Aegis's “Best Of 1982 Track & Field” list: High Jump, A. Coates, Bel Air, 6'4".
The Sun (Baltimore)Monday, May 10, 1982Page C6
C6. THE SUN, Monday, May 10, 1982
Page number and date line.
TRACK & FIELD. Prep track. Harford County Championships BOYS. TEAM SCORING: 1. Havre de Grace, 126 1/3; 2. Bel Air, 66 1/3; 3. Aberdeen, 65 1/3; High jump—1. Coates, BA, 6-4; 2. Washington, J, 6-3; 3. Carter, E, 6-2.
Three excerpts from the same results listing: the heading, the start of the boys' section and the boys' high jump. “High jump—1. Coates, BA, 6-4; 2. Washington, J, 6-3; 3. Carter, E, 6-2.”

6'4" · Third in the state

MPSSAA Class B State Championships · Friday, May 21, 1982 · Towson State University

Sheppard of Bennett won at 6-6, Bright of Wicomico was second and Tony third. The Sun listed the top three in order but printed only the winning height. The Aegis gave Tony's height, 6'4", in a February 1983 profile, and repeated his third place in June 1984 (below). This meet in the career record

The AegisThursday, May 20, 1982Page D-7
THURSDAY, MAY 20, 1982 THE AEGIS, BEL AIR, MARYLAND PAGE D-7
The page's folio line, left to right.
The State Meet (Class C and Class B) is slated to begin at 1 p.m. Friday at TSU.
The day before the meet: “The State Meet (Class C and Class B) is slated to begin at 1 p.m. Friday at TSU.”
The Sun (Baltimore)Saturday, May 22, 1982Page B3 · public clipping
THE SUN, Saturday, May 22, 1982 B 3
Date line and page number.
MPSSAA Championships. Class B. Boys High Jump—Sheppard, Bennett, 6-6; Bright, Wicomico; Coates, Bel Air.
From the Class B boys' results: “High Jump—Sheppard, Bennett, 6-6; Bright, Wicomico; Coates, Bel Air.” Places are listed first to third.
Donna Neale of Oakland Mills High School shattered the state record in the girls' 800-meter run at the MPSSAA Class B and C track and field championships last night at Towson State University.
The same page dates and places the meet: “…the MPSSAA Class B and C track and field championships last night at Towson State University.”
The AegisThursday, February 24, 1983Page D-3
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1983 THE AEGIS, BEL AIR, MARYLAND PAGE D-3
The page's folio line, left to right.
While Jerome Carter astounds the track world with his unprecedented improvement in the high jump, his understudy at HCC, Tony Coates, continues his steady progress toward the 7-foot mark.
The profile names its subject: “his understudy at HCC, Tony Coates” (Harford Community College).
Until this indoor season, Coates, 5'-8-1/2", 150 pounds, has been a competitor in search of his event. He ran cross-country in the fall, recording a 29:40 for five miles as a member of HCC's first-ever harrier squad. Last year at Bel Air High School he ran the mile relay (51.2 for a 400-meter split), triple-jumped around 40 feet, and on occasion ran on the two-mile relay (2:11). His greatest success, however, came in the high jump; he placed third in the class B state meet with 6'-4", not an astounding mark but a full foot higher than his best the year before.
On his 1982 season at Bel Air High School: “His greatest success, however, came in the high jump; he placed third in the class B state meet with 6'-4"…”

6'3" · Region III indoor champion

MPSSAA Region III Class BC Championships · February 1982 · results printed Sunday, February 21

Tony won the high jump at 6'3", ahead of Washington of Joppatowne and Fisher of Brooklyn Park; the results give no heights for second and third. This meet in the career record

The Sun (Baltimore)Sunday, February 21, 1982Page C16
C16 THE SUN, Sunday, February 21, 1982
Page number and date line.
PREP TRACK. MPSSAA Championships. REGION III. Class BC. (all distances in yards). BOYS High jump—1. Coates, BA, 6-3; 2. Washington, J; 3. Fisher, BP.
From the boys' results: “High jump—1. Coates, BA, 6-3; 2. Washington, J; 3. Fisher, BP.”
The AegisThursday, June 14, 1984Page D-2
PAGE D-2 THE AEGIS, BEL AIR, MARYLAND THURSDAY, JUNE 14, 1984
The page's folio line, left to right.
Tony Coates, the outstanding high jumper for Harford Community College this season, has been awarded a track scholarship to Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky. One of the top jumpers in Maryland JuCo competition, Coates had a best mark of 6'9½" this year. A graduate of Bel Air High School, Coates was the regional high jump champion in the 1982 indoor season and placed third in the class B state outdoor meet. He also competes in the 400-meter hurdles and the 4 X 400-meter relay.
Announcing his scholarship to Murray State: “A graduate of Bel Air High School, Coates was the regional high jump champion in the 1982 indoor season and placed third in the class B state outdoor meet.”

Tony and Jeff Coates

Two brothers on the 1982 Bel Air team, both printed as “Coates, BA”

Tony's younger brother, Jeff Coates, also ran for Bel Air in 1982, and the results listings print both of them as “Coates, BA.” The other “Coates” wins in these same results were Jeff's, not Tony's:

  • County meet, May 8: the 400 meters (50.3) and the 800 meters (2:00.3). The Aegis names Jeff as the winner of both (page D-1, above).
  • Region III meet, February 1982: the 600-yard dash (1:18.3) and the 1,000-yard run (2:28.7). The next winter The Aegis called Jeff “Maryland's top prep 1000-yard runner.”

One preview had the names the wrong way round. The Evening Sun of Feb. 25, 1982 listed Tony among the top seeds in the 600 and 1,000-yard runs and said Jeff “cleared 6-3 at a region meet last week.” The Aegis, writing about the brothers by name in 1982, 1983 and 1984, puts the high jump with Tony every time, and its June 1984 article (above) names Tony as the regional high jump champion of the 1982 indoor season.

The AegisThursday, February 24, 1983Page D-3 (folio shown above)
Coates has performed in the shadow not only of Carter but also his younger brother Jeff, Maryland's top prep 1000-yard runner. The younger Coates won the 880 at Essex Sunday in 2:11.0, leaving his older brother with the better performance for a change.
From the same profile of Tony: “…his younger brother Jeff, Maryland's top prep 1000-yard runner.”
The Evening Sun (Baltimore)Thursday, February 25, 1982Newspapers.com page 50
Bel Air trackmen warm with couple of Coates on Tony, a sophomore, is listed among the top seeds in the 600 and 1,000-yard runs, while Jeff's specialty is the high jump, where he cleared 6-3 at a region meet last week.
The preview with the brothers' first names reversed (story by Paul McMullen).

A school record?

None of these newspapers calls 6'4" a Bel Air High School record, and this page doesn't claim one. For comparison, Bel Air's all-time boys high jump list on Athletic.net tops out at 6'0" (as of November 2026).

Sources

Page images on Newspapers.com (subscription required for full pages)

  1. The Aegis (Bel Air, Md.), Thursday, May 13, 1982, p. D-1, “Havre de Grace Tore Up The Place.” Newspapers.com image 868739516
  2. The Aegis, May 13, 1982, p. D-10, story continued, high jump results and photo by Doug Hathaway. Newspapers.com image 868739595
  3. The Aegis, May 13, 1982, p. D-12, “Best Of 1982 Track & Field.” Newspapers.com image 868739611
  4. The Sun (Baltimore), Monday, May 10, 1982, p. C6, “Prep track: Harford County Championships.” Newspapers.com image 377475696
  5. The Aegis, Thursday, May 20, 1982, p. D-7, “Harford Teams Zero In On States.” Newspapers.com image 868740469
  6. The Sun (Baltimore), Saturday, May 22, 1982, p. B3, “Prep results: MPSSAA Championships, Class B.” Newspapers.com image 377714203 · public clipping
  7. The Aegis, Thursday, Feb. 24, 1983, p. D-3, “Jeff Coates, Dixon Win Region Titles” (profile of Tony Coates within the column). Newspapers.com image 869240604
  8. The Sun (Baltimore), Sunday, Feb. 21, 1982, p. C16, “Prep track: MPSSAA Championships, Region III, Class BC.” Newspapers.com image 377680885
  9. The Aegis, Thursday, June 14, 1984, p. D-2, on Tony Coates's track scholarship to Murray State University. Newspapers.com image 868780529
  10. The Evening Sun (Baltimore), Thursday, Feb. 25, 1982, “Bel Air trackmen warm with couple of Coates on,” by Paul McMullen. Newspapers.com image 373401063
  11. Athletic.net, Bel Air High School outdoor track and field, all-time boys high jump list, checked November 2026. athletic.net/team/18893