Billy Gene Pemelton

Inducted 1998
Hometown: Mercedes
High School: Mercedes High School
Best Known for: Athlete – Track and Field

One of the greatest track athletes in Valley history, Pemelton placed eighth in the pole vault at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo and later went on to win an amateur championship in that difficult sport.

Pemelton played football and was a standout member of the track and field team at Mercedes High School, setting the table for an amazing run culminating on the world stage. For the Tigers he won the state Class 2A title in 180-yard low hurdles in 1960.

He set an American indoor record in the pole vault in 1964 with a successful clearance at 16 feet, 6 inches, and earned a spot on the U.S. national team for Tokyo with a third-place effort at the trials that spring.

After finishing in the Olympic top 10, Pemelton won the 1965 Amateur Athletic Union competition at Madison Square Garden in New York City.