Peeps... when I tell you about being Rough, Tough, Hard to Bluff, and Damn Good looking... it started way back then. Just not a recent trend. These guys were all of the seniors on the Lynn English High School Cross Country team and everybody is still living, as far as I know.
~
Phil Freeman, the kid on my left got me on the team my sophomore year. I had known Phil since the 2nd grade and played CYO Basketball with him. He became a phenom in Cross Country, and I figured that I could beat him, so I went out for the team when indoor track started.
~
He kicked my ass. I only legitimately beat him once in three years... when I came in 3rd in the Essex County Championship my senior year with Freeman fading to fifth....., and the only cross country race that I ever won was because Phil was sick from school that day and couldn't compete in a dual meet against Peabody. There was no way that I was going to lose that race with Freeman out of contention.
~
He lives in New Jersey, I think. I hope he is well.
~
The guy on my far left is Jim Lundgren, who was legendary for singing the theme song from "Exodus" during cross country races. Lundgren was a hurdler anyway and now is one of my best facebook friends as he thoughtfully presents the Democrats' position in highly entertaining Facebook threads.
~
I have fond memories of all of these guys. Don Gorski - a good golfer who moved to NY, Bob Hill- now retired from the Phone Comany, Billy Quirk- the only kid that I knew who legitimately went to Woodstock and is now a proud ex-Marine, and Mike Cole- a tough quarter miler.
~
Not sure if Coach Civiello is still alive. He was a good guy and very active in the Lynn Italian Community.
~
If only we had Christos Laganos on that team, who now pedals 100 Miles through the Mountains and is currently hiking the Appalachian Trail. Chris would have been a hell of a distance man.
1 comment:
Any idea what ever became of Mike Cole? G Chase
Post a Comment