Jack Nelson - Class of 1954

Jack was co-captain of the team during his senior year.  A mid-distance powerhouse, he was undefeated in the mile run while wearing Tech blue and white. He was the Brooklyn Borough XC champ in 1953 (13:50). Jack won city championships in the 1000 yard and one mile distances. He held the Tech record in the 1000yd run (2:19.6) at the time of his graduation.

 He is a member of the winning Distance Medley Relay Championship of America at Penn Relays in 1954 running the one mile anchor leg and sealing the victory. He also was the anchor leg of the 4x880yd relay the next day. Once he got the stick he made up a 20 yard deficit and finished a step behind the winning Cardinal Hayes runner with a Tech record setting time of8:15.2   All this while running only one year at Tech.

Jack and his Penn Relay teammates were fond of doing ‘business’ on the second floor gym track where he and his teammates would race unsuspecting students separating them from their lunch money.  

Seeing his photo in the Brooklyn Eagle one morning his father said to him’ “You told me you were running on the track team. You didn’t tell me you were any good!”

After Tech 

Jack went on to Georgetown on a full track scholarship. He was a member of their very successful two mile relay, which won 13 straight two mile relays in 1957 including the University division at the Milrose Games and the Drake Relays.