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I’d like to thank Dwight Estes Melody’s coach at North Attleboro for submitting in the fashion of David Lettermen the “Top 10” Melody Johnson Stories. TOP 10 Melody stories #10 Who is that? Melody served notice in her first NAHS race. Back in the 80’s the first meet of the Hockomock outdoor season was the League Relays. As a frosh, Melody was set to anchor the 4X100M– not because we knew she was the fastest, but because it only requires one handoff and no need to have a good start. She got the baton with a five-yard deficit to one of the best runners in the state and proceeded to fly past her for the win. Legendary coach Val Muscato (coach of that athlete) ran the length of the field, got in Dwights face and from a foot away shouted at me –“Who is that?” #9 Globe’s Indoor Athlete of the Year. As the top ranked shot putter in the nation and second best 50-yard dasher in the state Melody grabbed the Indoor Athlete of Year Honors from the Boston Globe. Jackie Smith was #1 at 50yd. - at 55M Mel was untouchable. Runner up honors for AOY went to MSTCA Athlete Hall of Famer Pam Connell. Pam got the AOY distinction outdoors. #8 Where oh where is Melody. The officials hold up the start of the 100M at the South Shore Invitational while we look for Melody. Coach Estes finds her under the bleachers finishing off an energy snack – a roast beef grinder. After rushing to the start she blows out the competition by the 50M mark and finishes with her customary large smile. #7 Melody defeats state champion as a sophomore. What do you do when you’re a sophomore going up against a three-time class champion in the 100M? Apparently the answer is “not be intimidated.” Melody won her first state championship. #6 US Track and Field. Melody is featured as an up and coming star in the “Bible of the Sport” after ranking nationally in both the 100M and shot put. For weeks the phone never stopped ringing as the premier programs in the country courted her. #5 Where oh where is Melody #2. Melody missed the bus to the indoor state meet her junior year. Unknown to me her mother put her on the train in Attleboro. Mel somehow found her way to Harvard and walked into the meet during the announcement of the 55M results. Not having travelled with the team, she wouldn’t have competed anyway. Mel and the rest of the team learned a valuable lesson. The bus doesn’t wait for anyone. #4 Melody runs 50 YD hurdles just once. She was a senior. The indoor meet against Foxboro was going to determine the dual meet championship and NA didn’t have enough points. On Wed. before the meet I asked Melody to try hurdles. She carried the hurdles upstairs so “No-one will watch me”. In her first practice attempt she three-stepped a full flight. That was all I had to see. That Saturday she finished a step behind our state champion Karen Pearce and the 1-2 finish almost got the job done. NA lost by one point but won the league meet by 1/3 of a point later in the season. #3 Melody won’t compete against friend. As a senior Melody asked me if she can try the discus. Her first practice attempt flew in the 120-130’ range. I got excited and asked her to do it again. Her next several attempts went 80’ and looked terrible. I told her to never mind. As we’re walking away it suddenly dawned on me. “Mel, you did that on purpose!” Her answer was, “That’s Kelly’s event.” She wouldn’t try to beat a friend. #2 Melody breaks national record – but not officially. Earlier in the day I had a call from Art Venegas who was then coaching at UCLA. He was inquiring about Melody. During the conversation he reminded me that the national record was 49’11” – well within her reach. At practice I set the toe-board 50’ from the wall and let her know that if she hit the wall it would break the national record. Instead she broke the wall. Her first attempt was high enough up the wall to hit a weak spot in the cinder blocks next to the light switch. The bad patch job is still visible at the far end of the gym. Physics suggests the throw could have gone 52’ if the wall wasn’t there. #1 Melody chooses team over individual. I tell Melody she has to throw shot at the Easterns held at Hofstra, but she could choose between the 100M or 4X100M as her other event. Without hesitation she chose the relay. It is nearing 10PM under the lights when the nine-team (nine lane track) final hit the track. NA was the only New England team, the remainder being from New York and New Jersey. A disastrous first hand-off put us well back but the team moved back to second place approaching the final hand-off. Melody got the baton nearly 10M back against the best team around. I can remember laughing as she got the baton knowing that no high school runner was going to hold her off. I also remember the announcer yelling, “And that’s Melody Johnson of North Attleboro taking the lead . . .” And that was with 50M left to go. Thus Melody finished her career the way she started it, by winning a relay in come-from-behind fashion. Melody still is #10 all time in the state in the 55m at 7.14, #4 all time in state in the 50 yard at 6.14 and #1 all time in the state for shot put at 48’9”. She helped North Attleboro to team titles in the class meet winning the shot and 2nd in the 50 yard dash and helped lead the N.A. team to the All State Title by again winning the shot and again 2nd in the 50 dash. She finished off her indoor career by winning the Eastern States shot put with a heave of 44’9” and was 2nd in the 60 yard dash in 7.16. At the indoor Nationals she was 2nd in the Shot Put and 3rd in the 55m dash. Now, that’s a High School resume. Melody would take her talents to Barton College where she would win the Division III indoor National Title in the shot put. In the spring of her freshman year she was running consistently under 12 seconds in the 100m, but like the other Johnson being inducted today, she was in a car accident which marked the end of her track career. On a personal note, I had the pleasure of seeing Melody compete while she was in high school. I was born and raised in North Attleboro and I’d have to say I believe Melody Johnson is the greatest athlete to come out of North Attleboro High School.
Class: 1986 Inducted: 2014