Changes

In 1965, Upton completed the 120 hurdles in a time of 15.9, beating his senior teammate, Michael Edward "Mike" Holliday (1947-2001). However, by the middle of the season, Upton gave up his place on the relay teams and competed only in the hurdles. At the district meet, Upton ran the 120 hurdles in a third-place time of 16.4 seconds. The Tide went on to earn the regional and the state championships.<ref name=jagan/>

In 1965, Upton completed the 120 hurdles in a time of 15.9, beating his senior teammate, Michael Edward "Mike" Holliday (1947-2001). However, by the middle of the season, Upton gave up his place on the relay teams and competed only in the hurdles. At the district meet, Upton ran the 120 hurdles in a third-place time of 16.4 seconds. The Tide went on to earn the regional and the state championships.<ref name=jagan/>

In 1966, junior Upton and Jeff Jenkins and seniors Jerome Vascocu, Ronnie Pope, Jimmy Roberts, Dolan Keith Cooper (1948-2005), Wayne Delony, Ronnie Chandler, [[Larry C. Brewer]], Mark Jones, and Jimmy Roberts seemed poised for another state championship. Upton won his first award for Outstanding Track Man at a high school meet in both hurdles and relay team. He had begun to come into his own as a runner as his team won its third consecutive state championship.<ref name=jagan/>​

In 1966, junior Upton and Jeff Jenkins and seniors Jerome Vascocu, Ronnie Pope, Jimmy Roberts, Dolan Keith Cooper (1948-2005), Wayne Delony, Ronnie Chandler, [[Larry Brewer]], Mark Jones, and Jimmy Roberts seemed poised for another state championship. Upton won his first award for Outstanding Track Man at a high school meet in both hurdles and relay team. He had begun to come into his own as a runner as his team won its third consecutive state championship.<ref name=jagan/>​

In 1967, at the state track meet, Upton ran the 120-yard high hurdles in a personal and state record time of 13.8 seconds; he topped the record for all classes in the event. He finished the 180-yard low hurdles in 18.8 seconds, a tie of the state record. Nevertheless, his Crimson Tide team finished in third place at the state meet. Thereafter, Upton ran in the National Jaycee Track meet<ref name=jagan/> and in the Golden West Relays in [[San Francisco]], [[California]], in what was considered the most competitive track meet in the country.<ref>"Upton in Gold West Relays", ''Minden Press-Herald'', June 15, 1967, p. 1.</ref> He ran in the nationals 200-yard race and in the 180-yard low hurdle race. He finished in fourth place in the hurdles race with a time of 18.8 seconds.<ref name=jagan/> The winner, William "Bill" Tipton of Pontiac Central High School in Pontiac, [[Michigan]], set a new national record of 18.3. Upton's was the fourth fastest ever for a race on a turn. R. W. "Bob" Jarvis an official of the Golden West Relays, in an email to the dermatologist Dr. Thomas Drew Carey of [[Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]] in December 2006, said that the runners were aided by a 3.74 m.p.h. wind. The maximum allowable wind speed is 4.473 m.p.h. Upton capped his high school career by being named All-American in track.​<ref name=jagan/>

In 1967, at the state track meet, Upton ran the 120-yard high hurdles in a personal and state record time of 13.8 seconds; he topped the record for all classes in the event. He finished the 180-yard low hurdles in 18.8 seconds, a tie of the state record. Nevertheless, his Crimson Tide team finished in third place at the state meet. Thereafter, Upton ran in the National Jaycee Track meet<ref name=jagan/> and in the Golden West Relays in [[San Francisco]], [[California]], in what was considered the most competitive track meet in the country.<ref>"Upton in Gold West Relays", ''Minden Press-Herald'', June 15, 1967, p. 1.</ref> He ran in the nationals 200-yard race and in the 180-yard low hurdle race. He finished in fourth place in the hurdles race with a time of 18.8 seconds.<ref name=jagan/> The winner, William "Bill" Tipton of Pontiac Central High School in Pontiac, [[Michigan]], set a new national record of 18.3. Upton's was the fourth fastest ever for a race on a turn. R. W. "Bob" Jarvis an official of the Golden West Relays, in an email to the dermatologist Dr. Thomas Drew Carey of [[Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]] in December 2006, said that the runners were aided by a 3.74 m.p.h. wind. The maximum allowable wind speed is 4.473 m.p.h. Upton capped his high school career by being named All-American in track.​<ref name=jagan/>