his is the second installment about one of the most popular events in Yonkers sports history. The Yonkers Schoolboys’ Race originated during the first decade of this century as a “road race” and today is an annual “park race” at Tibbetts Brook Park.
The Spring edition covered 1938 through 1940. This covers 1941 through 1949.
The race has always been open to “boys between 11 and 15 years of age who were students of grammar schools and junior high schools, provided they had not progressed beyond the eighth grade.”
From the mid 1930’s through 1943, the race began and ended in Glen Park (now Memorial Field). The distance covered about two miles and the route was east across the outfields of baseball diamonds #1, 2 and 3 to Copcutt Lane, right at Copcutt to Nepperhan, west to Yonkers Ave., east to the “roundhouse turn” at Ashburton Ave., northwest to Nepperhan Ave., south on Nepperhan back to Glen Park, then once around the track (1/4 mile) to the finish line in front of the grandstand.
During the late 1930’s and early 1940’s, the race drew large fields of more than 200 runners. This made it necessary for the officials to “stack” runners four deep at the start. With these crowded conditions, it was essential for a runner to accelerate quickly to avoid being “squeezed” in the approach to narrow Copcutt Lane. One former competitor reminisced: “at the start of the race, there was much shouting and yelling; some runners fell to the ground; it was like running into a funnel with hundreds of arms and legs pushing and kicking all around you.”
St. Mary’s School controlled the race and regained the team title when they placed five runners in the first nine and four in the first five. William Herger (St. Mary’s) was the winner, followed by teammates James Schaefer (2); John O’Donnell (4) and John Fenyo (5). Holy Rosary’s William Hayes ran a strong race, finishing third, and the team finished in second place. John O’Donnell, who later became a stand out athlete at Roosevelt High School, finished fourth. St. Peter’s was third, Sacred Heart fourth.
Thousands watched the race in Glen Park and along the route. Thirty uniformed police kept the crowd in check while motorcycle officers led and trailed the runners.
Finishing 1, 2, and 3, St. Mary’s School won another Schoolboys’ Race title. James Schaefer, 2nd in 1941, won the individual title. Teammates Francis Grady and Horace Pierpoint followed. Charles Runge (St. Peters) finished 4th and Donald McNamara (School 16) was 5th. The St. Peters team placed second; followed by Holy Rosary, Sacred Heart and St. Casimir’s.
Officials designated Ronan Carroll (Sacred Heart) the most improved runner when he finished 16th, moving up from 61st in 1941. However, Paul Cooney, a teammate, friend, Portland Place neighbor, and running rival, finished 15th, tempering Ronan’s accomplishment.
George Burton also had a superb race, finishing in 23rd place just one second behind Holy Rosary’s Warren ‘Red’ Coyne. Race officials reported that George insisted on wearing his green and gray Fairview Street Wildcats running shorts with his Sacred Heart maroon and gold jersey. George is as colorful today as he was in 1942.
For the first time in the history of the contest, the race did not go through city streets.
Instead, the Empire City Racetrack on Central Avenue became the new site. The Schoolboys’ Race took place during the Yonkers Marathon while the marathoners were out on the streets competing in their 26 mile + race through Yonkers and neighboring communities. Thus, in 1943, the Schoolboys’ Race became “a race within a race.”
Edgar Sawyer (St. Mary’s) led home 102 boys in the two mile race. John Kiley (St. Peter’s) finished second, 15 yards behind the winner. Pre–race favorite St. Mary’s took team honors, with St. Peter’s second, Sacred Heart third, Holy Rosary fourth, and the Hebrew National Orphanage Home (H.N.O.H.) fifth.
For individual honors, Donald Fitzgerald (St. Peter’s) was second; Charles Fantazzi (St. Mary’s) third; John Demers (Holy Rosary) fourth, and Michael Sullivan (unattached) fifth.
Reverend Dacian (David) Dee competed in 1943 for Sacred Heart as a student in the parish school and had a good race, finishing 10th.
Reverend Dee, a long time Yonkers resident now assigned to the Tampa Diocese in a parish near Clearwater, Florida, recalls: “At the 1 3/4 mile mark, I was running in 4th place and hopeful for a top 5 finish when Ed McMahon (assistant to Coach Jim Herrion) handed me a peeled orange for extra energy in the stretch. I grabbed the orange, placed it in my mouth [and] gulped too fast. The orange lodged in my throat. I slowed down and finished 10th as several swift runners passed me. Also, I remember that our team walked to and from the Empire City Race Track, a distance of about three miles.”
The Chippewa Club (the Yonkers Marathon sponsor) awarded David a medal for being the first finisher representing a school in the Sixth Ward. Roger Donahue (St. Joseph’s), who became a top world–class welterweight boxer in the 1950’s, finished in 15th place.
“Fourteen year–old Albert DeMarco of St. Mary’s captured the 32nd running of the historic Schoolboys’ Race at the Empire City Racetrack” reported the Herald Statesman. A featherweight speedster, James Sullivan (unattached), with a strong final burst of energy, almost caught DeMarco at the finish line. John Hanney (Sacred Heart) ran third followed by Robert Fenyo (St. Mary’s) and Charles Home (St. Peter’s).
The favored St. Mary’s team placed five boys in the first 15 to score a solid victory. Only eight teams (5 or more boys) competed. St. Peter’s placed second followed by Sacred Heart, St. Barnabas, Holy Rosary, St. Denis, St. Casimir’s and H.N.O.H. The distance of 1–1/8 miles was the shortest in the race’s history.
With a powerful opening stride, 13 year–old John Terry of Sacred Heart won on a course through Northwest Yonkers streets that began and ended at the Chippewa Club on Lake Avenue. The field was much smaller than in recent years as only 74 runners participated.
Walter Paul (unattached) was second and Charles Home (St. Peter’s), who ran fifth in 1944, had another good race, finishing third. Mario DeCola (St. Mary’s) and George Munson (unattached) made up the first five places. Despite the loss of first place, defending champion St. Mary’s managed to place four runners among the first 13 to retain the team title. Sacred Heart edged St. Peter’s for second place and St. Denis and St. Joseph’s followed.
The Herald Statesman reported that the race began in front of Lake Avenue’s Chippewa Club (not more than 300 yards from Voss Avenue) and when Terry made the left turn into Voss, he already had an incredible 30 yard lead! He went on to win the 1.3 mile race by 21 seconds and more than 100 yards!
Race officials presented a War Bond to the winner and War Stamps to the next 10 finishers. The first 30 boys received CYO pins.
Thomas Flynn, now a YHS trustee and frequent contributor to Yonkers History, finished 15th as a Sacred Heart teammate of winner John Terry. Nice race, Tom!
Edward Reilly (St. Peter’s), who turned 13 only a week before the race, was the victor on the Tibbetts Brook Park course. His teammate, Thomas Seigel, finished second followed by three St. Mary’s runners: Malachy McCann, Louis Lenne and Raymond Freda. St. Mary’s strong team, running 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8 (27 points) beat St. Peter’s (47 points), followed by Sacred Heart, St. Joseph’s and Holy Rosary. Bernard McGinn of St. Mary’s ran 7th and Robert Johnson eighth.
During the late 1940’s, there was a drop–off in public school participation in the race. Few public schools fielded full teams. Nevertheless, there were many ‘unattached’ runners from public schools and the 1949 winner, Edward Reilly, is the brother of the Yonkers Historical Society President, Mrs. Patricia Reilly Mangold.
St. Mary’s School produced by far the most Schoolboys’ Race individual winners and team titles during the 1930’s and 1940’s. The school’s success was a tribute to the Christian Brothers educators who taught and coached boys at the school for decades. They stressed discipline, good conditioning, and much practice. In some years, St. Mary’s entered as many as 30 boys in the race.
For many years, the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) sponsored the race with assistance from the Yonkers Parks Department and local organizations such as the Chippewa Club and the Hollow Athletic Club.
About 15 years ago, a Schoolgirls’ Race (with the same eligibility rules) began.
Both races now take place in the fall each year at Tibbetts Brook Park. The Yonkers Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department supervises the races.
I encourage readers with stories about former Schoolboys’ Races to write to the Editor and we will gladly consider your letter for publication. I am sure our readers would like to share your experience.
—Phil Matthews