Into the Hall: Stu McLee
Stu McLee admits he had God-given ability, which isn’t surprising considering his family tree.
“I think it came naturally,” McLee said.
When it came time to fine-tune himself into the outstanding track and field athlete he would become, the Uniontown great took a basic approach.
He watched.
“My brother Brian McLee and (cousin) Terrance Jackson … the great Marc Vassar, me and him used to watch Terrance and my brother jump and we just took off from there.
“We watched and observed Terrance and my brother Brian and watched how they performed and we just learned from that, got out there, did it and excelled. It was a thrill watching those guys jumping. I just wanted to be like them.”
McLee treasured his friendship with Vassar.
“We developed that camaraderie as athletes and friends and we just excelled,” McLee said.
McLee went on to win WPIAL and PIAA Class AAA gold medals in the high jump in 1987.
McLee, who also scored 575 career points playing basketball for the Red Raiders, is part of the Fayette County Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024.
“I was elated,” McLee said when asked what his reaction was to being chosen for induction. “I’m very excited, and proud of myself.
“First of all I thank God for my accomplishments during my career at Uniontown High School. I’m an avid history guy and just looking over the names of the guys that were inducted into the (Uniontown) high school hall of fame as well as the Fayette County Hall of Fame, for me to be one of those guys in that picture is wonderful and I’m blessed.”
McLee reached the state track & field championships in Shippensburg as a junior but didn’t medal.
He wound up winning a WPIAL gold medal the following year.
“The WPIALs down in Baldwin, me and Marc Vassar, we had both jumped 6-9,” McLee recalled. “I had fewer misses so I won it.”
Both qualified for the PIAA meet.
“My senior year I went up there and wanted to do it after playing basketball,” McLee said. “I had one more shot at doing something and it was track. When I went up to Shippensburg there was a guy there by the name of Dave Lucas that high-jumped for Penn-Trafford. He was a hell of a jumper. He gave me battles.
“Marc went out in sixth place. It came down to me and Lucas. He went out on 6-10.”
McLee cleared 6-10 then took aim at seven feet.
“I just missed seven feet by my heal,” McLee said. “I was thrilled I won it.”
McLee is well aware of his family tree, which includes 2024 Uniontown graduate K’Adrian McLee who will begin his collegiate football career at Cornell this fall.
“I can name an abundance of McLees that excelled not only in basketball but football and track,” McLee said. “I would be here all day giving you names. The surrounding area as well as other areas know the McLees. Also there’s the Braxton/Turners that were great athletes as well.”
McLee acknowledged the Ernie Davis and Chuck Davis branch of the family tree as well.
“I heard and read a lot of stories about (Erine),” McLee said. “Great guy, wish I could’ve met him.
“There’s an abundance of athletes who came out of the McLee branch that I looked up to and still look up to.”
McLee’s basketball career was honed at the Uniontown playgrounds.
“I enjoyed basketball as well,” McLee said. “Just watching my family and other families that excelled in basketball, I watched those guys play at the East End as a younger kid. I enjoyed playing basketball with guys I grew up with and I had fun.
“I started up on East End Playground. We transitioned down to Grant Street and had a lot of great memories down there playing as a kid. I played with some older guys down there that helped me develop my game.”
McLee didn’t receive any collegiate offers in track & field but got an offer from Waynesburg coach Rudy Marisa to play for the Yellow Jackets. He stayed less than a year, however.
“I really was surprised,” McLee said at his lack of scholarship offers in track. “Actually I was telling one of my brothers I was a little hurt and discouraged about that. But you’ve got to keep moving on. Life brings about changes and you’ve got to keep moving.”
McLee did just that.
“Brian called me and asked me to come to Milwaukee. I went to Milwaukee in 1989 and was employed by Milwaukee Public Schools as a teacher’s aid,” McLee said. “I spent 30 years in Milwaukee Public Schools and 35 years altogether being a resident in Milwaukee.
“Now I transitioned back to Uniontown. I live in Vanderbilt, Pennsylvania and got married to Olivia Turner. She’s the brother of Wes Turner and Jim Braxton, and she was a great player at Connellsville High School.
“I’m truly blessed at my career.”
The Fayette County Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024 will be enshrined at the Hall of Fame Golf Outing/Luncheon/Social, starting with golf at 9 a.m., on June 21 at Pleasant Valley Golf Club in Connellsville. Luncheon tickets are sold out and all spots in the golf outing have been filled.