CHULA — Tiftarea Academy’s track officially has a name. The N.E. “Sarge” Dorsey Track was dedicated April 8 in a ceremony during the annual Sarge Dorsey Youth Track Invitational.

Headmaster Stacey Bell emceed the presentation, which saw many Tiftarea alumni — all coached by Dorsey — speak of his accomplishments as an athlete and for Tiftarea athletes.

Dorsey was a runner in the Air Force and also coached teams. He began working for Tiftarea in 1973 as boys basketball coach. In 1975, he helped start the Panthers’ track program, adding a girls team a year later.

With Dorsey at the helm, Tiftarea won region track championships from 1977-84. In 1984, the Lady Panthers won the state championship, despite having only five on the roster. Though he stepped down from head coaching the teams that year, he’s been an assistant ever since.

Heather Prince Stripling described Dorsey as “One of the most caring, compassionate, dedicated men that I have ever known.”

Dallas Hunt said Dorsey treated everyone the same, “Like they could be champions.” Hunt remembered him taking the Tiftarea track athletes to the AAU Olympic trials in Atlanta. “Not just to watch it, but actually compete,” Hunt said, smiling as he admitted, “I was lapped in the mile race.”

More adventures came at the Gator Relays, where Hunt was on a 4×4 relay team, competing against legendary speedster Houston McTear. Tiftarea won, he said, mainly because McTear’s group dropped their baton.

Tiftarea’s track was resurfaced for the 2022 season, a projected largely spearheaded by Dorsey. “All of this,” said Stripling, “because he loves the students and he loves the sport.”

In addition to track and basketball, Dorsey also coached golf and tennis at the school. To honor Dorsey’s accomplishments, then football coach Ryan Branch began the Sarge Dorsey Youth Track Invitational in 2013.

Dorsey is not just familiar to Tiftarea students because of his continued involvement in track. He is everywhere he can, camera in hand at sporting events. He gets great enjoyment from printing photos of athletes from Tiftarea and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and gifting the photos to them.

“Now, Coach, it’s time for you to get out from behind the camera, where we can take a picture of you,” said Hunt. At that time, all past and present Tiftarea athletes coached by Dorsey were invited to join him on the field for a picture.

As the group assembled, Bell declared that “On behalf of the Tiftarea board of trustees, from now on, from this day forward, this track will be known as the Newell ‘Sarge’ Dorsey Track.”

In addition to Dorsey’s name on the track, Bell said a monument would be erected by the flagpole in the end zone honoring Dorsey’s dedication to Tiftarea athletics. It will come complete with his motto, “Winning and losing are temporary; friendships are forever.”