Synthia Scott Kearney, Reggie McAfee and Skyy Howard at the Tar Heel Trailblazers panel discussion.
Photo by: ANTHONY SORBELLINI
Tar Heel Trailblazers Class of 2022 Continues To Make An Impact
April 7, 2022 | Student-Athlete Development, Athletics
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Synthia Scott Kearney and Reggie McAfee made an impact as UNC student-athletes, and they're still doing so as Carolina alums.
As part of the UNC Department of Athletics' celebration of Black History Month, Kearny and McAfee were announced as the sixth class of Tar Heel Trailblazers and welcomed back to campus for a weekend of recognition. The two were celebrated at halftime of the UNC men's basketball game against Florida State on Feb. 12. Afterward, both participated in a panel discussion for a group that included Carolina student-athletes, coaches and staff as well as friends, families and other special guests.
"The panel discussion is always my favorite part of this event, and this year's was no exception," said Senior Associate Athletic Director Martina Ballen, the chair of the Carolina Athletics Tar Heel Trailblazers subcommittee. "Hearing from Synthia and Reggie was so impactful. They truly blazed trails at UNC and they're continuing to do so today."
The award recognizes individuals who paved the way for success in all aspects of the student-athlete experience, shining a spotlight on pioneers who have made memorable and lasting contributions at UNC and beyond.
Kearney was the first Black player to compete as part of the UNC women's soccer team and was a member of the program's first two national championship teams, in 1981 and '82. She continues to blaze trails and is currently the first female battalion chief for the City of Gastonia Fire Department. Still, she said she was surprised to find she'd been selected as a Tar Heel Trailblazers, an impressive group that includes her younger brother, sportscaster Stuart Scott, who was honored posthumously in 2015.
"When I looked at the others who have won this honor and I saw Morehead Scholars, Rhodes Scholars, icons of basketball history, then when I saw who I was being honored with, a man who ran under a 4-minute mile and was the very first African American man to do that, I felt humbled," she said. "And then you add on the specialness of my brother Stuart also receiving the award ... I don't know how to put it into words. This is something I will treasure, something I never imagined happening, and it means the world to me."
McAfee competed in track & field at UNC and was, as Kearney referenced, the first Black runner ever to break the four-minute mark in the mile. His historic run of 3:59.8 came at the Big Four Meet in Raleigh in 1973. A week later, he won the 1973 ACC Outdoor Championship in the mile with a time of 3:59.3, which still stands as the second-fastest outdoor mile in school history.
In the panel discussion, which was moderated by Carolina volleyball player Skyy Howard, McAfee recalled seeing few other African American middle distance runners when he went to meets and confronting stereotypes about the mile not being a distance in which he could thrive. "I just never bought into that," he said. "And my coaches told me, 'Reggie you can be whatever you want to be.'"
McAfee, who has the phrase "Attitude is Everything" printed on his business cards, spent his first two collegiate years at Brevard College before transferring to UNC. In Chapel Hill, he put up a sign in his dorm room reminding him "You're going to be the first" to achieve his goal of the sub-4-minute mile. He would tap it on his way out the door for all the early morning workouts and training runs. "I've been into setting goals all my life," he said. "Goals are like a roadmap."
And if goals guide the way, hard work and passion are the fuel that make the trip possible. "You have to have a passion for what you do," said McAfee, who returned to Chapel Hill again in March to speak with the Tar Heel track & field team. "I think people rarely excel in things they're not passionate about."
McAfee now spends his days imparting those same messages to youngsters as part of Cross Country for Youth, which he founded and runs in Charlotte. Prior to starting CCFY, he spent nearly three decades working for the Xerox Corporation.
Kearney, who was at UNC roughly a decade after McAfee, also spoke of the importance of representation. When you look different from everyone accomplishing a particular goal – be it acing a class, scoring a goal or running a four-minute mile – it's harder to envision yourself in that position. She finds that to be true today as she recruits women willing to give fire-fighting a shot.
"I think representation matters because often people don't even imagine themselves in the space," she said. "I am representation. I'm someone you can see in that space so that you can imagine yourself in that space."
All involved with the event appreciated the unique perspective that alums like Kearney and McAfee bring.
"It's absolutely fantastic to be able to honor you and now for you to be able to share some of your story," Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham said in introducing the panel discussion, held in the Carolina Basketball Museum. "One of the best things about this event is honoring you but even better is having you tell your story so that the history of Carolina continues with some of our younger folks and some of our newer folks. Thanks for what you accomplished while you were here and how you represent us now going forward."
Kiersten Thomassey, a sophomore on the field hockey team is one of the student-athletes who attended the event. She left impressed.
"This was an experience that I'll not soon forget," Thomassey said later. "What a privilege to have the opportunity to learn from these two very accomplished individuals. I have realized that they ran so our generation could fly."
As part of the UNC Department of Athletics' celebration of Black History Month, Kearny and McAfee were announced as the sixth class of Tar Heel Trailblazers and welcomed back to campus for a weekend of recognition. The two were celebrated at halftime of the UNC men's basketball game against Florida State on Feb. 12. Afterward, both participated in a panel discussion for a group that included Carolina student-athletes, coaches and staff as well as friends, families and other special guests.
"The panel discussion is always my favorite part of this event, and this year's was no exception," said Senior Associate Athletic Director Martina Ballen, the chair of the Carolina Athletics Tar Heel Trailblazers subcommittee. "Hearing from Synthia and Reggie was so impactful. They truly blazed trails at UNC and they're continuing to do so today."
The award recognizes individuals who paved the way for success in all aspects of the student-athlete experience, shining a spotlight on pioneers who have made memorable and lasting contributions at UNC and beyond.
Kearney was the first Black player to compete as part of the UNC women's soccer team and was a member of the program's first two national championship teams, in 1981 and '82. She continues to blaze trails and is currently the first female battalion chief for the City of Gastonia Fire Department. Still, she said she was surprised to find she'd been selected as a Tar Heel Trailblazers, an impressive group that includes her younger brother, sportscaster Stuart Scott, who was honored posthumously in 2015.
"When I looked at the others who have won this honor and I saw Morehead Scholars, Rhodes Scholars, icons of basketball history, then when I saw who I was being honored with, a man who ran under a 4-minute mile and was the very first African American man to do that, I felt humbled," she said. "And then you add on the specialness of my brother Stuart also receiving the award ... I don't know how to put it into words. This is something I will treasure, something I never imagined happening, and it means the world to me."
McAfee competed in track & field at UNC and was, as Kearney referenced, the first Black runner ever to break the four-minute mark in the mile. His historic run of 3:59.8 came at the Big Four Meet in Raleigh in 1973. A week later, he won the 1973 ACC Outdoor Championship in the mile with a time of 3:59.3, which still stands as the second-fastest outdoor mile in school history.
In the panel discussion, which was moderated by Carolina volleyball player Skyy Howard, McAfee recalled seeing few other African American middle distance runners when he went to meets and confronting stereotypes about the mile not being a distance in which he could thrive. "I just never bought into that," he said. "And my coaches told me, 'Reggie you can be whatever you want to be.'"
McAfee, who has the phrase "Attitude is Everything" printed on his business cards, spent his first two collegiate years at Brevard College before transferring to UNC. In Chapel Hill, he put up a sign in his dorm room reminding him "You're going to be the first" to achieve his goal of the sub-4-minute mile. He would tap it on his way out the door for all the early morning workouts and training runs. "I've been into setting goals all my life," he said. "Goals are like a roadmap."
And if goals guide the way, hard work and passion are the fuel that make the trip possible. "You have to have a passion for what you do," said McAfee, who returned to Chapel Hill again in March to speak with the Tar Heel track & field team. "I think people rarely excel in things they're not passionate about."
McAfee now spends his days imparting those same messages to youngsters as part of Cross Country for Youth, which he founded and runs in Charlotte. Prior to starting CCFY, he spent nearly three decades working for the Xerox Corporation.
Kearney, who was at UNC roughly a decade after McAfee, also spoke of the importance of representation. When you look different from everyone accomplishing a particular goal – be it acing a class, scoring a goal or running a four-minute mile – it's harder to envision yourself in that position. She finds that to be true today as she recruits women willing to give fire-fighting a shot.
"I think representation matters because often people don't even imagine themselves in the space," she said. "I am representation. I'm someone you can see in that space so that you can imagine yourself in that space."
All involved with the event appreciated the unique perspective that alums like Kearney and McAfee bring.
"It's absolutely fantastic to be able to honor you and now for you to be able to share some of your story," Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham said in introducing the panel discussion, held in the Carolina Basketball Museum. "One of the best things about this event is honoring you but even better is having you tell your story so that the history of Carolina continues with some of our younger folks and some of our newer folks. Thanks for what you accomplished while you were here and how you represent us now going forward."
Kiersten Thomassey, a sophomore on the field hockey team is one of the student-athletes who attended the event. She left impressed.
"This was an experience that I'll not soon forget," Thomassey said later. "What a privilege to have the opportunity to learn from these two very accomplished individuals. I have realized that they ran so our generation could fly."
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