Johnston County Athletic Hall set of Fame to induct five in Class of 2016
The Johnston County Athletic Hall of Fame recently announced the five selections who will soon be inducted as its Class of 2016.
The inductees are Susan Wall (Corinth Holders High School), Twana Jeter Johnson (North Johnston High School), Kenneth “Deacon” Jones (Princeton High School), Aldostin Eugene “Al” Byrd Jr. (Smithfield-Selma High School) and James Robert “Jim” Laughter Jr. (Johnston County at-large selection).
The Hall of Fame banquet is set for March 19 at 6:30 p.m. in the West Johnston High School cafeteria.
▪ Wall, who grew up in the Corinth Holders community in northern Johnston County, is a 1987 graduate of Smithfield-Selma High. She starred in three sports for the Spartans, earning letters in volleyball, basketball and softball all four years at SSS. She followed that up with an athletic career at UNC-Pembroke.
▪ Johnson was also a three-sport athlete, at North Johnston High, but she stood out the most on the basketball court. She remains among the top North Johnston basketball players in program history. Johnson went on to play at Mount Olive College.
▪ Jones graduated in 1958 from Princeton High, where he contributed to the Bulldogs’ championship teams in baseball and basketball. Jones was also an active member of the Princeton community.
▪ Byrd saw much success academically and athletically at Smithfield-Selma High, where he graduated in 1986. He was a football, basketball and track standout for the Spartans and went on to play football at N.C. State.
▪ While Laughter played football and baseball at Smithfield High School, where he graduated in 1965, he also made an immeasurable impact on all sports in Johnston County as the 28-year sports editor for The Smithfield Herald.
Tickets to the Hall of Fame banquet cost $10 each and can be obtained at any Johnston County high school.
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This story was originally published February 8, 2016 at 1:36 PM with the headline "Johnston County Athletic Hall set of Fame to induct five in Class of 2016."