Looking back - Feb. 1982

 40 years ago (1982) – I raced a record 10 times during my senior year of indoor track.  I started the month with my only 1,000 yard race I’ve ever done, a win in a dual meet against Wilmington (2:33.7).  A few days later I doubled at the State Relays, running a leg of the sprint medley (2:01 for ½ mile) and the anchor for the mile relay (55.3).  In keeping with the short races, I doubled up in a dual meet against Central in the 600 yard (1:19.0) and the mile relay (56.0).  I was very nervous about the 600 so coach Joe Bradford had me run one all-out the day before (in 1:20) in the basement of the Marshall Middle School. He also told me during the meet that the only way we’d win in the mile relay would be if I got the baton in the lead.  When it came time for the relay, we needed to win the race to win the meet, and of course I got the baton in 2^nd place.  I ended up running down the Central guy and just nipping him at the line (as I fell across).  I guess Joe was trying to motivate me!  We had a bunch of guys run well that day and/or run in unusual events.  Kevin Norman won the 50 in 5.9, Reardon won the 300 in 35.6, Glen Burlimachi took third in the 600, Mike Healey won the 1000 in 2:29.4 with Jim Wilson taking third, Bernie Brown won the mile in 4:46.6 with Jim Sullivan taking 3^rd, Mike Busnach won the 2 mile in 9:55.5 with Kevin Healey taking 2^nd place, Bob Campbell won the high jump in a league record 6’5”.  Two days later I set a school record for a 2 mile on a 160 yard track running 9:25.8 to take 2^nd at the Northern area championships (Foley won in 9:25.7).  A few days later I won the mile at the MVC league meet running 4:29.2.  Lemieux (Methuen) was 2^nd and my buddies from Chelmsford took 5^th (Keith O’Brien) and 6^th (Scott Spence).  I also anchored the relay running a lackluster 57.0.  The final meet of my high school indoor track career was the State championships at Harvard’s 220 yard track.  I won in the two mile running a (still standing) school record of 9:15.6 off of splits of 4:34/4:41.  Rival Sean Coghlan took second in 9:16.5.  My final high school indoor track race was the mile relay where I ran a 56.0.