40 years ago

Looking back:

40 years ago (May 1980) – I raced nine times (which is the fourth most I’ve ever done in one month) as I neared the end of my Sophomore year at Billerica memorial high.  I started the month with the Freshman/Sophomore championships (05/03/80) with a surprising win in the 2-mile.

1 Dave Dunham Billerica 9:47.4

2 Steve Perkins Danvers

3 Helder Braz Peabody

4 Jim Watson N. Andover

5 Jim Donahue Methuen



Hard to see in the photo but the trophy reads “Greg Kent Memorial 2 mile 1st place – 1980”

The trophy was the first one I ever won and one of the very few I’ve held onto.  I did not know who Greg Kent was, but found this recently:  Greg Kent was a track star from Lawrence Mass. He joined the Marines because he felt it was the right thing to do. He won many track and field medals while in the Marines. His orders were changed from Vietnam to train for the "68 Summer Olympics". He refused the orders and requested to go to Vietnam with his unit. He was at Khe Sanh during the siege and was killed on March 28, 1968 during a rocket barrage. His former high school (Lawrence High) closed the day of his funeral.  I finished the day running a 58 second quarter as part of the Billerica team that took 3rd in the mile relay.  A week later (05/07/80) I got a win running an “easy” 10:08 two mile versus Methuen. Three days later I was running the 2 mile again, this time in Salem NH for the Freshman Sophomore championships.  I took third place running 10:03.  Two days later I took another 3rd place, this time in the mile versus Andover (4:40).  On 05/14/80 I dropped down to the mile in a dual meet versus Austin Prep.  Teammate Dan Sullivan won in 2:04 and I took 3rd in a disappointing 2:08 on the 5 laps to a mile outdoor track.  On 05/17/80 I ran the slowest leg of the day on the winning 4x880 team at the Northern Area Meet.  Paul Bradford, Rick Bennet, and Ron Caterino carried us as I ran a slow 2:11.  The team won in 8:26.  On 05/21/80 I had a decent run in the mile against Chelmsford.  Teammate John Dangora took the win with a very fast 4:27.  Chelmsford’s Tom Chamberas took second in 4:33 and I came in third running 4:37.  I closed out the month (05/27/80) taking third place at the League Meet in a tactical race finishing 1 second behind the winner.

1 Jennings (Andover) 9:59

2 Carl Borgeson (Wilmington)

3 Dave Dunham Billerica 10:00

4 Dennis Cullinane Billerica