Five Minneapolis North Connections Making Headlines Right Now
Sports columnist Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald highlights five current ties to Minneapolis North athletics, including Robin Ingram's induction into the Minnesota State High School League Hall of Fame, Brett McNeal's new role as Executive Director of Athletics at North Central University, new head coach Jerome Williams' AAU pedigree, All-State flag football honors for Rylee and Talylah Johnson, and a free football camp run by NFL players Omar Brown and Bobby Jamison-Travis.
Connections to the athletic scene at Minneapolis North have been prevalent of late.
Here are five connections of the past and present.
Robin Ingram
North’s Boys Head Basketball Coach from 1988-99 and outstanding golf coach as well, Ingram was inducted into the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) Hall of Fame this past April.
He led the Polars to state boys basketball championships in 1995, ’96, and ’97.
Ingram was also an outstanding student athlete at North, starring in basketball and golf.
Brett McNeal
The former North boys basketball great and Western Kentucky University Hall of Famer, McNeal started his newly appointed position as Executive Director of Athletics at North Central University.
McNeal, the 1985 Mr. Basketball winner who went on to coach North to the Class 4A state title in 2003, most recently served as Director of Athletics at Camden and Fair High Schools in Minneapolis.
Jerome Williams
Williams, a person with deep roots in the metro basketball community, is the new Head Boys Coach at North.
He is the creator of the Spartans, one of the state’s top AAU programs.
Some of the most outstanding players of recent years have played for the Spartans and have gone on to success at the collegiate level.
Rylee Johnson and Talylah Johnson
Each outstanding student athletes in their own right, the North girls flag football players made their school, community, and city proud by excelling in a sport during its second season of competition.
Both were named to the Minnesota High School All-State Flag Team.
Rylee Johnson earned first-team honors while playing linebacker.
Talylah Johnson was named to the second team as a defensive back.
Omar Brown and Bobby Jamison-Travis
The former North football players, now in the NFL, provided a free football camp for the Northside community a few weeks ago.
Brown, a Safety for the Miami Dolphins, and Jamison-Travis, a Defensive Lineman for the New York Giants, are among the student athletes who contributed to the development of the football program that currently exists at Minneapolis North.
Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald welcomes reader responses at mcdeezy05@gmail.com.