Brian Crossman of Saint Dominic Savio in East Boston Class of 1984. My first year of coaching was in the spring of 1984. I remember being at the Class C meet and watching this tall lanky kid running the 400. I had heard about him, only by other coaches, no internet at the time. I vividly remember him going out and thought, no way he can hold this, but hold it he did. Winning the 400 in 48.6 setting a new class C record that would stand for 10 years. Brian would go on to have a storied career and in three phases. His first stage was obviously his high school career. Brian’s memories were of his high school coach Paul Dakin. Coach Dakin was a motivator and it worked on Brian. Coach would say, “You know Crossman, you SHOULD be running this time.” Maybe with a little doubt in his voice. This just motivated Brian to prove his coach ‘correct’. At the 1984 state coaches meet at the Gordon Track at Harvard University, Coach Dakin said, “You should be able to run about 1:15 in the 600 yard run. His PR up until that point was 1:17. Brian’s motivation kicked in and ran a 1:13.0. Brian would win the Class C 600 yard run in 1:13.3, the New England Catholic 200m championship with a time of 22.3, the outdoor Class C 400 meter championship in 48.6 and went on to become the New England 400 meter Championship in 48.9. Phase two of Brian’s journey would take him to Fitchburg State University. There he ran for two coaches. Dave Farnsworth and Jim Sheehan. These two coaches had two different approaches. Dave would get as nervous as Brian before races. According to Brian, the best thing Coach Farnsworth did for him was to assign a teammate to assist Brian after races because he would vomit so violently Brian would need help. Coach Sheehan was just the opposite. He was calm cool and collective. At the Dartmouth relays, just before the 500m run, Coach Sheehan asked Brian what his thoughts were on the upcoming Mike Tyson fight. Brian’s response was, “Jim, I’m a wreck here” but Coach Sheehan’s misdirection helped Brian set the meet record and of course the win. Brian’s accomplishments in college were monumental, he was a 13 time NCAA Div. III All-American, 3 time National Champion in the 400m and 4x400m relay, he won 4 All- New England titles 400m in 47.44, the 600yard in 1:10.12, 200m in 21.30 and another 400m in 47.13. He also won 7 Div. III New England titles in the 200, 400 and 500m runs. Brian also became the first Div. III athlete to break 48 seconds on the indoor boards. Brian’s third phase was his post collegiate years where he gives Coach Bill Clark most of the credit for his great performances. Brian also gives Coach Clark for teaching him HOW to coach and WHEN to coach. Some of Brian’s accomplishments are as follows: he set the current Dartmouth Relay Records in the 400m with a time of 47.40 and the 500m in a time of 1:02.34. In 1990 while running for the USA indoor track and field team vs Russia vs Great Britain anchored the USA 4x400 relay to a come from behind victory with a split of 46.7. In 1991 and 1993 he finished 3rd in the 400m at the USA Mobil Indoor Championships at the famed Madison Square Garden. In 1991 at the USA Olympic Festival he anchored the East Team to a Bronze Medal with a split of 45.7 and in 1995 won the Irish Indoor 400m National Title and on to represent Ireland in the winning 4x400m relay at the Europa-Cup in Estonia. His outdoor PR”s are 10.65, 21.38 and 46.60 while indoors they are 21.91, 47.18, 1:02.15 and 1:10.19 And just for the heck of it Brian was the Bobsled BRAKEMAN for Ireland in the 2001 World Cup on Park City Utah. I would like to call Brian Crossman up to accept his induction into the MSTCA Athlete Hall of Fame.
Class: 1984 Inducted: 2018