“Probably the best athlete ever to come out of Davie County…” That’s how one Davie star described Sarah Gardner Shanks.  High praise indeed, but her record backs it up.   Another said, “I don’t know how to sing her praises enough.” She went on to call Sarah “a coach’s dream, an excellent student and an all-round excellent human being.”  Sarah excelled in volleyball, basketball and track, starting her athletic career at Shady Grove Elementary like so many other Davie stars.

 

She was inducted into the Davie High Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019.  She is a project manager for TEG Industrial Communications and an avid golfer.  In fact, she loves it so much that she worked on a golf course while living in Pennsylvania.  She also coached middle school and high school basketball there.

 

Sarah excelled in the shot put with help from her dad Clyde, who had been a standout in track and football in high school.  At Iowa University, Clyde started “both ways” on the football field, won the discus gold medal three times and his record with the discus was unequalled for years.  He qualified for the Olympic Games but didn’t go because he had a wife and three kids.  Sarah said her dad “showed her the way.”  And as if all that wasn’t enough, Clyde helped incorporate the town of Bermuda Run and was its first mayor!

 

One memorable example of Clyde’s guidance was at the 1982 state track meet.  Sarah had made it to the finals.  Clyde told her to make sure her first throw was the best that she could do, because if it was beyond the other girl’s best-ever throw, “she’s got a problem.”  Sarah’s effort traveled 41 feet 8 ½ inches and the other girls were so intimidated they didn’t have a chance. That throw would have won every meet for the next 19 years!  Sarah was Davie’s first state champion in individual track and field.

 

After high school, Sarah earned a volleyball and basketball scholarship to Belmont Abbey.  She played volleyball for two years, starting both years and was the team’s MVP as a junior.  Sarah played basketball for three years and was a starter the last two.

 

One of her high school teammates envied Sarah’s letter sweater… Most of the athlete’s sweaters just carried the Davie “D” and “a couple bars and maybe a star.”  After playing three varsity sports for four years, Sarah’s sweater was spectacular, with stars and bars up both arms.  Her friend remembers thinking, “Now THAT’S a letter sweater.”