McDowell High School is a public high school located in the Western North Carolina town of Marion. The school has approximately 1,700–1,800 students.[3] The school was built in 1971, though the building was not occupied until 1972. It was formed from several pre-existing community schools in McDowell County.
| McDowell High School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
 | |
600 McDowell High Dr 28752 United States | |
| 35°42′01″N 82°02′24″W / 35.7004012°N 82.0401097°W | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public |
| Motto | "Pathway to World Class Opportunities and Excellence" |
| Established | 1971 |
| CEEB code | 342485 |
Principal | Tracey Widmann[1] |
| Staff | 90.85 (FTE)[2] |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 1,384 (2023–2024)[2] |
Student to teacher ratio | 15.23[2] |
| Colors | Royal blue, silver, and scarlet |
| Team name | Titans |
| Website | www |
Alma mater
editThe first official performance of the McDowell High "Alma Mater" was on November 11, 1976, during a McDowell High School Band Concert. The first live performance of the McDowell High "Alma Mater" took place during a football game in the fall of 1976. The words were composed by Mrs. Alice Ostrom, a noted North Carolina poet, and Angela Israel, a student of Captain Ostrom. The musical score was composed by Capt. Ralph K. Ostrom, Ret. In addition to having served as band director at Marion High, Captain Ostrom studied with the United States Army Band and was director of the Tenth Division Band Training School.[4]
Athletics
edit
McDowell is a member of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) and is classified as a 7A school. It is a part of the Northwestern 6A/7A Conference.[5] The school's sports teams are known as the Titans.
McDowell has had success in both men's and women's basketball. In 1976, the men's basketball team finished as the North Carolina 4A state runner-up.[6] The women's basketball team were North Carolina 4A state champions in 1991, and finished as the 4A state runner-up in 1998, 1999 and 2004.[7]
Notable alumni
edit- Greg Holland (2004), MLB pitcher and 3x All-Star selection[8][9]
- Dwayne Ledford (1995), former NFL center[10][11]
- Sara McMann (1998), silver medalist at the 2004 Summer Olympics in women's freestyle wrestling; professional mixed martial arts fighter in Bellator MMA having also competed in the UFC's bantamweight division[12][13]
- Orlando Melendez (1997), professional basketball player, also played with the Harlem Globetrotters[14]
References
edit- ↑ "McDowell County Schools - Principals". McDowell County Schools. May 26, 2026. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "McDowell High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
- ↑ Hollifield, Landdis (June 8, 2015). "Administrators, teachers discuss middle school transition". The McDowell News. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
- ↑ "McDowell High". Retrieved February 13, 2009.
- ↑ Bryant, Joel. (March 6, 2025). Here are the new NCHSAA conferences for 2025-29. highschoolot.com. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
- ↑ Men’s Basketball Championship Results. NCHSAA. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
- ↑ Women’s Basketball Championship Results. NCHSAA. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
- ↑ Jarrett, Keith (October 18, 2014). "An October to remember for Greg Holland". Asheville Citizen-Times. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- ↑ Crasnick, Jerry (July 22, 2013). "Greg Holland ready to star". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- ↑ "Dwayne Ledford". The Pro Football Archives. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- ↑ "MHS to induct sixth Hall of Fame class". The McDowell News. January 2, 2014. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- ↑ Fowlkes, Ben (February 12, 2014). "Olympics paved McMann's road to title shot". USA Today. Asheville Citizen-Times. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- ↑ "Sara McMann UFC Bio". Retrieved January 1, 2014.
- ↑ Hammann, Joshua (October 14, 2008). "Melendez adds a new country to Globetrotters' resume". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 18, 2014.