Vice president,
Texas all-around talents

Name: Rick Easley, Rje157@aol.com

Born: February 10, 1954, in Grand Saline, Texas, USA

Occupation: Biology teacher and cross country coach at Caddo Mills High School, Caddo Mills, Texas

Home: Greenville, Texas, USA

All-time T&F bests: Rick writes: "Through high school and most of college I was a 400m runner with a 49.5 in high school and a 48.9 in college.... I turned to the 800m my senior year in college at ETSU. (Best was 1:55.0.)"

Masters achievements: Rick writes: "After many years of road racing 5k and 10k, I rediscovered masters track and field at age 35. My first nationals was at Blaine, Minnesota, where I finished 4th in the 1500m in about 4:15 but was able to get 3rd in the 3000m in a relatively pedestrian 9:26, but I was hooked.

"Seeing that my old event was won in a 2:02, I decided to go back to it for the outdoor season. I finished 3rd at Naperville, Illinois at the outdoor nationals in 1:58.43. The following indoor season in Columbus, Ohio, I won my first national championship with a 2:00.30, which would be a national meet record for one year before Rick Smith would run 1:59.5 the next year in Bozeman, Montana.

"Since then I finally turned 40 and became a real master. In 1994, I was able to win a North American championship at Edmonton, Canada (my first international meet) in about 2:02. The following year I won my first outdoor nationals with a very windy 2:00.38 at East Lansing, Michigan (my most exciting day in track and field). The same year I missed the finals in the 800m at the world championships in Buffalo, by by one-tenth of a second and the 400m also by one-tenth of a second. The 800 in 2:00.31 in 11 meter/sec. wind was the best I could do.

"The meet ended on an exciting note however, as I was able to garner a silver medal in the 4x400 relay which we lost to Great Britain by 0.02 second.

"I have recently been entering new territory with a second place pentathlon at the nationals in Orono, Maine. since I only did this because the scheduling prevented me from running the 800m and 400m hurdles. I was really pleased. I ... was able to score 3018. I may try this again. I was not as pleased with my 400 hurdle race as a couple of bad hurdles brought me in 4th in 1:01.36. I ended the year on a good note though, with a 60.95 second-place finish at the Nike World Masters Games. The hurdles are also new to me so I couldn't be more pleased to exit the 40-44 age group with these two silver medals. I turn 45 in February (1998) and am really excited about entering this new age group."

CEO's note: Rick is a star of the Dallas Masters TC, which brings home a hatful of medals from every national and world meet. Rick also represents yet ANOTHER intermediate hurdler who can beat the webmaster. Rick is too good to limit to 800m, however. Welcome to the Hurdlers Club.

See Nedstats for very detailed information on visits since September 16, 1998.

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