The 45th Annual Glenn D. Loucks Memorial Track and Field Meet, the largest in the New York met area, for high school athletes drew entries from all over the Metropolitan area, mostly from New York State with more than 150. But one can not count out the 21 schools from Connecticut, four from Maine, 10 from Massachusetts, six from New Hampshire, five from New Jersey, six from Rhode Island, and 10 from as far north as Canada.
These marked the cream of the crop from the schools, both boys and girls, competing for individual honors, and school teams vying for team honors in separate categories. Competition for the most part was so tense, exciting and close. The weather fully cooperated for the three days with athletes making both team and individual headlines on the field, as well as on the track in one of the largest meets ever assembled. Some marks broke into the all-time career list.
Some of the athletes have one or more years left in high school, and, therefore, will return next spring to better their performances. Other high school athletes are still awaiting the call from colleges trying to recruit them and offering them scholarships.
Interscholastic action is not over as yet, for the schools are staging championships in their schools coming up within the next few weeks.
What a performance turned in by junior Ed Cheserek, one of the top athletes in the met area. He competes for St. Benedict’s High School in New Jersey.
Cheserek put on a tremendous race and crossed the finish line in 4:09.90, the fifth fastest time in the history of the meet going back to 1968. Cheserek’s performance in the mile thrilled the fans. The meet record of 4:09.19 was not threatened, for Greg Herzog of the host school still holds it.
Three days earlier on opening day, Thursday, Cheserek anchored St. Benedict’s distance medley relay team to a first place performance with a total time of 10:08.92. Cheserek’s performances earned him the Outstanding Male Athlete of the Meet Award in a meet named after a former head coach at White Plains High School.
Another junior, Dan Jamieson of Windsor (Connecticut) captured the 200-meter dash in 21.31 and finished first in the semi-finals (10.71) but dropped to third in 10.89 in the shorter 100-meter race. Dan is the son of Radcliff Bowen, who was a soccer player in his native land of Jamaica, West Indies.
The 200-meter clocking for Dan, one of the top sprinters around, marks a personal best one for him.
“My start was good (in my sprints),” Dan said. My father helps me out by encouraging me to do well (in the meets).
In the 400-meter hurdles, Bay Shore’s senior Kadish Roberts, whose father Michael and mother Maryann come from Trinidad, crossed the finish line first in 52.85 in a very impressive performance for the Long Island runner. This time was the fourth fastest recording in the history of the Loucks Games, behind Olympian Derrick Adkins (51.40), Rodrigues Pfister (52.41) and James Manigault, who was timed in 52.70.
“I’m happy with my win,” said Roberts, who finished second in the Penn Relays earlier in the spring. “The meet (today) was fun and good and gave us experience going against other athletes (besides our own in league meets).”
The meet drew some past outstanding athletes who were introduced during ceremonies after the morning portion of the activities or on the final or third day’s action. The class of 1982 was recognized during that time. There were many officials and political and school leaders on hand and were introduced to the athletes and spectators during the course of the events.
Many of the colleges would have had some representatives on hand but they were more occupied with their own meets, as their season was coming to a close with championship events.
