By Tracy Gupton
The Roughnecks Athletics Booster Club will be inducting four new members to the local high school’s Hall of Honor during halftime ceremonies at the October 6th football game at Griggs Field in West Columbia. This year’s inductees will be 1978 graduate Carl Williams, 1989 grad Kathryn Vandre Carr, Matt Varner of the Class of 2000 and 2007 graduate Jared Flannel.
Williams set new state records at the 1977 Texas State Track Meet in both the 100 and 220-yard dashes. A record setting track athlete at Columbia High herself, Coach Kathryn Carr is in her 30th year of coaching and teaching in the Columbia-Brazoria School District. She and her husband, Jake Carr, began their employment here the same year when their athletic careers at Sam Houston State had ended. The two college athletes met while both were running in track events for the Bearkats in Huntsville and were married in their second-year teaching in West Columbia.
Kathryn Vandre set girls track school records in the high jump and the 100-meter hurdles at Columbia High School and qualified for the state track meet in both events her senior year. Her 15-flat time in the hurdles in Austin in 1989 was both a personal best for Kathryn and set a new Lady Roughnecks record. She also set a new Columbia High School record in the girls’ high jump her senior year, clearing the bar at 5-feet, 6-inches in Austin. These memorable accomplishments earned Kathryn Columbia High’s 1989 girls track MVP award which she shared with Traci Yelderman.
Kathryn Vandre photographed while stretching before competing in a high school track event for the Lady Necks
“Miss Coach Carr,” as Kathryn is referred to around campus, said she beamed with pride observing both of her school records being broken by girls she coached. Kissie Allen broke Coach Carr’s high jump record at CHS while Kathryn’s fellow Hall of Honor member Jade Davis set a new 100-meter hurdles record for Columbia High female athletes.
Her high school sports career got off to a rough start when Kathryn broke her elbow in the eighth grade while competing in the long jump. But she recovered from that injury and lettered in basketball her sophomore and junior years at CHS and was one of Coach Linda Brewer’s best volleyball players all three years Kathryn was on the varsity. She was first team All-District in volleyball her senior year.
But it was on this very same track at Griggs Field where Kathryn Vandre made a name for herself in the late 1980s. As a member of Coach Jack Hedlund’s girls track team at Columbia High, Kathryn impressed everyone with her speed and skill in the hurdles. She qualified for the regional track meet in the 100-meter hurdles all four years and placed fifth at the state track meet in Austin as a Columbia High senior when she set the new school record.
As a high jumper Kathryn first achieved the new school record of 5’6” when she set a new Purnell Relays girls record at the regular season meet in Angleton. Then she matched that 5’6” leap her senior year when she came in first at the regional track meet at Rice Stadium in Houston. Kathryn came in fifth at state in 1989 with yet another five feet, six inches best.
The 1989 graduate of Columbia High went on to excel in track on the college level at Sam Houston State where she earned Southwest Conference Player of the Week honors and was the school’s girls track MVP in 1993 when she set a new Sam Houston school record in the heptathlon event that same year. In the heptathlon, participants must compete in seven events over two days.
When she graduated from Sam Houston State in 1994 and returned home to West Columbia to embark on what has evolved into a three-decade teaching career, Kathryn Carr had set five school records in Lady Bearkats track and field: 5’8” in both indoor and outdoor high jump, the heptathlon record and achieved best times in Sam Houston history for women in the 55-meter indoor hurdles and the 100-meter outdoor hurdles.
Captured in action (in center of photo) is Columbia High’s Kathryn Vandre running the 100-meter hurdles
Kathryn teaches junior English and coaches track and cross country at Columbia High School. She was head basketball coach for one season. Her husband, Jake Carr, who also competed in track at Sam Houston State, is a graduate of Red Oak High School south of Dallas. “Mister Coach Carr” has taught computer classes for 30 years at Columbia High and currently coaches the offensive line and special teams in football and is the Roughnecks’ golf coach.
Kathryn takes pride in having coached two state track champions in Jade Davis and Kathryn and Jake’s daughter, Kimberly Carr. In 2005 Kathryn coached Columbia High’s girls track team to two district titles and one regional team championship. She has coached girls who have set 11 school records in track.
The girls’ cross country teams Kathryn coached won district championships in 2013 and 2022.
Contributed Photo
Columbia High School coaches Kathryn and Jake Carr pose with their children who followed in their parents’ footsteps by achieving athletic excellence at the local high school. Son Jacob Carr qualified for the regional golf tournament while also playing quarterback for the Roughnecks and daughter Kimberly won a state championship in the 300-meter hurdles in Austin. Jake, Kathryn and Kimberly Carr were all Sam Houston State University track participants.
Kathryn is the daughter of 1953 West Columbia High School graduate Jerry Vandre and Barbara Vandre.
In addition to their daughter Kimberly, who won a state championship in the 300-meter hurdles for Columbia High and followed in her parents’ footsteps by competing in track at Sam Houston State, Jake and Kathryn are also the parents of former Roughnecks’ quarterback and regional qualifying golfer Jacob Carr.
Kathryn said she still gets butterflies watching her girls compete and plans to continue teaching and coaching at Columbia High until those butterflies disappear. She said she can’t see that ever happening!