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| Nominee | |
|---|---|
| First | Milt |
| Last | Blatt |
| Category |
|
| Gender | Male |
| High School | Andrew Jackson HS, Queens, NY |
| Statement of Support and Documentation | |
| In a few sentences, tell why this person belongs in the National High School Track and Field Hall of Fame. | Coach Milt Blatt was a beloved master of teaching, coaching, inspiring some of the best track athletes ever to run in NY City, or anywhere. He coached at Andrew Jackson in Queens, track and XC, for 26 years, ending in 1972. His teams won 16 straight Queens borough outdoor track titles. (Queens had teams like Bob Beamon's Jamaica HS, coached by Larry Ellis.) Blatt's Hickories' teams also won 14 PSAL city championships in track and XC. Blatt's stars included 1972 Olympic 400 gold medalist Vince Matthews, city 880 champ Mark Ferrell, 2nd in the 1966 Golden West "nationals," and '66 Golden West national 440 champ Julio Meade, whose 46.8 in Sacto led the country that year. Meade excelled in every event from the 60 to XC at Van Cortlandt Park, and was probably the greatest all-around runner ever in New York. Both Meade and Matthews ran on the 1965 national indoor 880-yard relay record 1:30.1 at the Armory--on the old wooden floor. To top it off, Blatt coached the Jackson team that won the famous 1966 2-mile relay against rival Boys High, as both teams shattered the national record in 7:35.6. In a stroke of genius, Blatt put the sprinter Meade on lead-off, and his 1:54 set up the race. The 7:35.6 stood as a national record for 36 years, and then was only broke by one-tenth (7:32.9 for 4 x 800). |
| Nomination Submitted By | We may contact you for further clarification and status updates. |
| First | Marc |
| Last | Bloom |
| Entry Date | September 27, 2018 |