University of North Carolina Athletics
My Carolina Experience: Harlis Meaders
November 18, 2015 | Track & Field
My Carolina Experience: Harlis Meaders
By Zoya Johnson, GoHeels.com
Hailing from Monroe, N.C., Harlis Meaders started competing in track his sophomore year in high school. He learned the throwing events alongside his coach Jimmy Sanders and that bond set the tone for an amazing career.
At the conclusion of his senior year, Meaders was ranked third in the nation in the boys' discus with a throw of 196'10”. That throw still stands as the all-time best throw in the state of North Carolina. Thanks to that throw and many like it, Meaders received scholarship offers from schools all over the East Coast.
Coach Dennis Craddock was a big part of why Meaders was excited about attending UNC. “I was a student athlete here from 1988-92 when the women's team was a perennial powerhouse. During that time, it was as if the ACC stood for 'Another Carolina Championship.' Being a part of the men's program that was able to improve enough to be able to stand alongside them was a big part of what made my experience so fantastic.
“In our four years together, Coach Craddock, my teammates and our other coaches, including coach (Jeff) Gorski, grew and we learned a lot from the university and one another. Together, we learned how to win like winners and lose without being losers. The culmination of those four years of growth was being able to claim the ACC championship down in Tallahassee, Fla., winning by just half a point. I'll never forget the excitement of that moment.”
That ACC win, on a team which he captained, was accompanied by Meaders' third individual conference title and followed by a nod to compete in the 1992 U.S. Olympic Trials. His athletic achievements at Carolina were highlighted by these accomplishments as well as setting a school record in the discus that stood for 23 years before being bumped to second in the program's history by Vikas Gowda, a two-time Olympian and former NCAA Champion.
“The university provided me with a fantastic educational experience. I met friends and I really felt connected to the university as a whole. It was a life-changing experience for me, exposing me to so much more than what was accessible to me in my hometown. I was excited to graduate with my degree in communications, and I truly believe my experience at UNC was one of the fundamental building blocks that helped me to become the person I am today.
“I didn't always want to become a coach, but when the opportunity to continue my studies at Western Carolina University as a graduate assistant arose, I took it.”
Meaders coached several athletes from WCU to individual conference titles before accepting the throws coaching position at Florida State University. He was named the associate head coach 10 years later, and remained with the Seminoles for a total of 18 years before being asked to return to his alma mater as the head coach in 2012.
Athletes coached by Meaders at FSU accumulated 22 ACC indoor and outdoor titles, and a total of 22 All-America honors amongst 11 of his throwers. His athletes also held more than three-quarters of the Top 10 all-time best throws in the university's history in the discus, javelin, shot put and weight throws by the time he departed.
Meaders was named the East Regional Assistant Coach of the Year for his success with the Seminoles throwing corps in 2005 and also helped FSU to secure the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's NCAA Division I men's program of the year award in 2011 and 2012. With all the triumphs of his time at FSU he says making the decision to come back to Carolina was hard, but it felt right.
“While I was interviewing with Bubba Cunningham for the position in 2012, I asked him what his vision for UNC was. I was not prepared to return if his vision wasn't for excellence across the board. He reassured me that the ultimate goal is to be successful in all that we do by putting the students first in their academic endeavors and personal development, all while pursuing championships, and that track and field and cross country could be a big part of that.
“This is a fantastic university with very rich academic and athletic tradition. I say we're remodeling the program around that, as opposed to rebuilding, because all of the pieces are here already for us to be able to reach the level of excellence that's expected.”
The remodeling Meaders talks about is reflected in his “A Better Blue movement.” The movement acknowledges the strengths of the team and the university, and reimagines ways to use them to light new fires in his athletes. Last season alone, the track team attained eight first-team All-America honors, four second team All-American accolades, 26 All-ACC honorees, and six ACC champions. They also claimed an ACC women's cross country championship in 2014. To top it all off, 46 of his athletes were named to the ACC Honor Roll.
As he enters his fourth year back on campus, Meaders can think of no place he would rather be. “Because I went to Carolina and I understand the Carolina philosophy from both sides, I know what we're trying to do with our program. When I'm talking to a recruit, what I feel like I'm doing is extending them an invitation to be a part of that.
“Coming in as a freshman I wanted to be a spark, and to really help ignite a flame to make our team better. That was one of the cornerstones of what coach Craddock instilled in us, being a part of something bigger than ourselves, and that's what our kids believe in now.
“It takes a special kid to come to Carolina. You have to have a kid that really wants to be challenged in the classroom, somebody that's looking at the next step post athletics. A Carolina kid looks at the bigger picture, and Carolina is that. It's not just a platform for athletic success, but a springboard to careers, experiences and friendships that last.
“I was at Carolina for four years as a student, and I've been a Tar Heel for what feels like all my life. Every time I return to campus and walk into my office it's a pleasure to be here. This is Carolina, this is home, and I know that in a very short duration of time we're going to become the better blue that everyone envisions.”
