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Nancy Clark Faulkner
Class of 1970 Athlete The 1970 yearbook described her as “probably the most exciting female basketball player HHS has  ever seen.” Nancy Clark Faulkner was a four year starter on Blue Streak teams that achieved a record of 51 wins and only 1 loss during her four years, and was on a 51 game winning streak when she graduated. The streak eventually reached 55 and stood as the state record for nearly 30 years. Nancy averaged double figures each of her four years at HHS and finished with a career total of 641 points. The 641 points was a school record at the time. She was the 2nd leading scorer on the team as a freshman and leading scorer the next 3 years. This was an era when the teams played 2 guards, 2 forwards and 2 rovers. The girls’ team had a schedule of only 13 or 14 games a year, and there were no post season playoffs or official championships. Writing about Nancy in a newspaper article, local sports writer Bill Wood stated “she’s a complete basketball player. She could play on some of the area’s boys’ teams.” Nancy helped dispel the prevailing idea of the time that “women lacked the strength and stamina for sustained athletic activity.” Nancy felt it was a great compliment when people said that “she plays like a boy”. After graduation from HHS, Nancy went on to Madison College (JMU) and played basketball for three years. She is currently a French teacher at Harrisonburg High School. |