Rodely to speak at 70th annual boys' all-sports banquet

Du Quoin High School and Arkansas State Hall of Famer David Rodely is set to be the guest speaker at the 70th annual The Elks boys' all-sports banquet set for May 4.<br />As an athlete at DHS, Rodely played football and track. <br />In football, he was a three-year varsity starter and two-time All-South selection as a lineman. <br />He helped lead Du Quoin football to its first ever postseason appearance in 1984 and as a senior led the Indians to the semifinals. <br />As a track field athlete, Rodely was a standout in the shot put and discus. As a sophomore, he finished sixth in the state in the discus. He followed up with a second-place finish his junior season.<br />In his senior season, he went undefeated in the discus on his way to a state championship, setting the DHS record with a throw of 188 feet and 11 inches, earning him the No. 10 ranking among all discus throwers in the united states. <br />On top of his state championship, Rodely won the Midwest Meet of Champions by beating the best discus throwers from Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan. <br />Following his illustrious high school athletic career, Rodely went on to sign a full scholarship to compete at Arkansas State in 1986. <br />He continued to pile up accolades at Arkansas State, becoming a three-time conference champion in the discus and shot put, as well as a two-time conference performer of the year.<br />He broke the ASU discus record every year of his college career helping him become a three-time Top-10 American finisher in the discus and an NCAA All-American.<br />Rodely continue to compete after his college career, qualifying for seven National Championships, including two olympic trials, two Goodwill Games and three world championship trials. <br />Rodely now lives s in Jonesboro, Arkansas with his wife Sharon. They have 3 children, Daniel, Macy, and Lars, and one grandchild, Tinley. David has a very successful career with Sanofi Aventis (a global life sciences company) and still trains athletes at his gym. <br />The Banquet will recognize all the boys who have lettered in a varsity sport. There will also be special awards including the Carrol Doerner award, the Whitey Miller award, the William Theobald award and the Huff-Holladay $500 scholarship for the Senior Athlete of the Year.<br />Tickets for the event are $10 and include a meal catered by Cathy Chaney.