State College of Florida Athletics Hall of Fame honors Ken Green

It's nice to be remembered.

You could have had a similar thought about a time, back in the day, when you accomplished something that might not have been special to most, but certainly was to you.

During my high school years, our wrestling team used to compete in the Delaware Valley Christmas Tournament each year. Having won the tournament my senior year, my name was included on the tournament's annual program.

Eight years later, I was visiting my hometown and decided to go see my former high school team compete in that event. I opened the program, and saw my name. They only included the past 10 winners, so my name was way down the list. In two more years, I would be ... gone.

Yikes. I was in my 20s, and I felt old.

So I can identify with how East County's Ken Green must have felt after winning the 1968 National Junior College Athletic Association championship in the 440 intermediate hurdles for Manatee Junior College, which is now the State College of Florida, and seeing all evidence of his accomplishment in Garden City, Kansas slip away. His winning time, by the way, was a national championship meet record of 53.9 at the time.

Founded in 1957, Manatee Junior College became Manatee Community College in 1985. In 2009, it became the State College of Florida. The track team at Manatee Junior College didn't even last until Manatee Community College.

Green's national championship certificate was displayed in a trophy case at Manatee Junior College, but as the college transitioned to other names, systems and buildings, it was lost.

It was like it never happened.

Green didn't worry much about it, because he was busy with life.

Admittedly a poor student when he won his national title, he went in the Navy in 1969. He was a petty officer third class when he got out in 1973. Taking time in 1970 to marry his wife, Gloria.

With a different outlook on academics after leaving the military, he returned to Manatee Junior College in 1974 and eventually attended Santa College in Gainesville to earn a degree in zoo keeping. He also became a certified arborist as well. By 1979, he had established Green's Tree and Landscape Maintenance, which he still owners today and runs with his son, Tyson.

Colleges love business owners when it comes to seeking support and Green would receive a letter each year from SCF about its Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. The Hall of Fame began in 2006 and has been held each year except for misses in 2007 and 2010.

Green looked through the list of names inducted each year and noticed everyone played baseball or softball, men's or women's basketball or women's volleyball. No track athlete had made the hall, and of course, the program had long ago been dropped.

So a year ago, Green sent a letter to SCF asking when it was ignoring its past athletic programs.

SCF Athletic Director Matt Ennis agreed and Green was placed on a ballot and eventually voted into the 2020 class. Green and fellow inductees Kelly Bradley Grant (women's basketball), Mariana Palacious (women's tennis) and Keith Smith (baseball) will be honored during the SCF Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Jan. 24 at SCF Bradenton, 5840 26th St. W. The ceremony begins with a social hour at 6 p.m. and dinner and the induction follow at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $50 and can be purchased at SCF-Foundation.org.

Green, now 72, didn't intend to put his own name up for recognition, but he felt many outstanding athletes at Manatee Junior College had been forgotten. 

"Our whole team put in some much time," he said. "Our coach was Wilbur Hicks, and it was a lot of fun. Wilbur recruited some good athletes."

Today, Green still looks like a runner, lean and fit, but admits he doesn't run anymore. He spends his free time working with VFW Braden River Post 12055 and currently is a senior vice commander.

"My knees are toast," he said. "I have stayed slim by watching what I eat, and in my profession by climbing trees."

When he was told of his induction, he went back through some newspaper clippings of his days as an athlete.

"It's nostalgic in a way," he said. "I am glad they might start paying tribute to all those guys who worked so hard in that track program."