A Look Back: Shorecrest Has Long Olympic History

Every four years, thousands of the world’s best athletes converge to prove that they are the best in their respective sports. As the 2012 Olympics get underway in London, numerous local competitors will see action, and while none of them are from Shoreline, Shorecrest High School boasts a unique recent history with Olympians, sending athletes to the summer games in every summer games from 1984 to 2000.

Jonathan McKee became the first Shorecrest graduate to make an Olympic appearance at the Los Angeles games in 1984, and his results were golden. McKee took first place in the Flying Dutchman class as part of an Olympic sailing rout that saw the US take three gold and four silver medals across seven events.

Jonathan’s brother Charlie would find himself sailing in Seoul for the ’88 games. Not to be outdone, McKee would get a medal of his own, taking bronze in the 470 class.

Allen James became the next Shorecrest graduate to make it to the Olympics, qualifying for the 20km race walk at the 1992 games. James, who ran cross country and track, swam, and played soccer at Shorecrest, finished 30th of 47 competitors. Despite the result, making the trip to Barcelona was his top Olympic memory.

“The opening ceremonies in Barcelona were definitely the biggest moment. I had dreamed of going to the Olympics some day since I was 8 years old,” said James. “20 years later, who would have thought, there I am walking into the Olympic Stadium. It was pretty awesome.”

The McKee brothers would also make an appearance in Barcelona, with Jonathan serving as the US yachting team coach, and Charlie coaching the US sailing team in the sailboard class. 

James would again compete in Atlanta in 1996, and this time he’d be joined by another Shorecrest grad, Michelle Akers. While James would take 24th place in the 50km race walk, Akers, a 1984 grad, would start all five matches for the US women’s soccer team, scoring a crucial tying goal on a penalty kick in a semifinal against Norway en route to a gold medal performance. 

The McKee brothers would make one last Olympic push in Sydney four years later. This time, the two would team up in the 49er class, and take the bronze medal on Sydney Harbor, showing up their younger competitors as the oldest sailors in the Olympic 49er fleet.

The four total medals won by Shorecrest graduates in the summer games would put them ahead of 38 countries in the all time medal count (along with 80 countries that have never won a medal), serving as a testament to the caliber of athlete produced by the school in past years.

While Shorecrest hasn’t produced an Olympic competitor since those Sydney games, two athletes with ties to the school nearly found themselves in London. 2010 graduate and current Florida State diver Katrina Young made the finals of the women’s 10-meter platform at the Olympic Trials in June, but finished 12th. Carly Dockendorf, who served as Shorecrest gymnastics coach in 2006, finished third in the pole vault at the Canadian Track & Field Trials, but did not achieve the Olympic qualifying height.