Netters:
An era ended with the death of Joe McCluskey.
McCluskey was one of the great gentlemen of the sport and his
competitive career lasted well into his 70s if not 80s. (He even had a PV
pit built in his backyard, so he could practice that event for master's
competitions.
It was noted that he was 3rd in the 1932 SC, but he was actually in
2nd place when that race shoulkd have ended; it was run an extra lap. He
would no doubt have qualified in 1940, but no formal trials were held that
year for track and field, as they were in some other sports. Ad he tried
again in 1948, finishing not that far out of the money/
He was also the first track coach at my alma mater, St. Peter's
College, doing it as a favor to the dean of the school Father Robert Gannon,
who later became president of Joe's alma mater, Fordham. As an amateur, he
received no pay for his services.
Ed Grant
