Sat, Nov 21 2009

Published: January 23, 2008 09:40 am    PrintThis  

Move over Pats, Gloucester boys track also at dynasty status

Matt Langone
Gloucester Daily Times

In 11 days, we will find out if the New England Patriots can indeed add another chapter to their undeniable dynasty.

If the Pats are able to defeat the New York Giants in Arizona on Super Bowl Sunday, the end result would be four championships in a seven-year span. A feat unheard of in the NFL, with the exception of the Pittsburgh Steelers winning four titles in a six-year span in the 1970s.

Impressive would be an understatement.

However, while we're on the subject of dominance, you don't need to look far to see a local team that is posting results that would more than impress Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. That aforementioned squad would be the Gloucester boys track team.

The Fishermen haven't lost a Northeastern Conference meet since the winter of 2002-2003, a streak that has been continued thanks to a 5-0 record this winter. In fact, going into today's meet with Salem (5:30 p.m.), Gloucester has put together a remarkable record of 129-3-1 during head coach Jim Munn's tenure as indoor track coach, which began in 1993-1994.

It adds up to 12 NEC titles and 11 unbeaten seasons in a 14-year span. In all likelihood, we can make that 13 championships in a 15-year span after this season concludes.

Gloucester has become synonymous with track excellence in the North Shore and most likely in the majority of towns in Eastern Mass. However, the sad part is that the success of the Fishermen track team is often taken for granted here on Cape Ann, where another conference title would probably be ho-hum information.

Of course, much of that is due to the popularity and perennial success of the football and hockey teams at Gloucester High School. Both teams routinely draw thousands of fans to games and are both incredibly successful in their own right (see Gloucester's 13-0 Super Bowl-winning season last fall).

It's easy to see why track wouldn't garner as much attention as football and hockey, which both have the built-in advantages of being fast-paced and action-packed with several statistics to quantity individual greatness.

But if you take a minute to give a good, hard look at the statistics formed by the Fishermen track team in the last decade-plus, a deeper appreciation of what they have accomplished will no doubt ensue.

So, if by some chance the Giants stun the football world on Feb. 3 and knock off the unbeaten Patriots, remember this: there's always the Gloucester track team, and that's a dynasty that won't let you down.



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Speaking of the Super Bowl, if you are planning on going to this year's big game, have been to any previous Super Bowls or have a connection to the Giants, we would love to hear your story.

Matt Langone is the sports editor of The Gloucester Daily Times. Contact him at mlangone@gloucestertimes.com.
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