Maxine Underwood Brookline High School class of 1982. If you have noticed, this year’s class has been dominated by mid distance and distance runners. Maxine is the exception to this rule, and what an exception she is. Maxine Underwood is arguably the greatest long sprinter this state has ever had. It all started early when at the age of 13 she set a national age group record running 55.1 in the 400m. Maxine Underwood NEVER lost a race in New England while in High School. Let’s take a look back on one of the most dominant careers in Massachusetts school girl history. In the spring of her freshman year Maxine won the state meet 440 with a time of 55.7 and as a result made her first Globe All Star Team. With that accomplishment under her belt, Maxine looked with enthusiasm for her indoor sophomore season. It was during this season that that Underwood established herself as one of the outstanding high school runners not only in Massachusetts but also in the United States. During this winter campaign she shattered the national record in the 300 yards three times, blazing to a 34.6 clocking in winning the State Coaches Meet and then burning 34.5 to capture the Eastern Championships at Harvard. Both times were well under the national record of 35.4 set by Sonya Hardy of Boulder, Colo. in 1975. There was one little problem with being so talented, There was to be very little in the way of competition for her in Massachusetts, where she went undefeated in the Suburban League and added the state Class A title to her many laurels, running 35.39. With a season like this there was no doubt that Underwood was selected as The Globe's track athlete of the year. Continuing into the spring of her sophomore year, there was no reason to doubt that Maxine would continue with her stellar career. For the second year in a row she would win the State Coaches Meet, and the Eastern Mass Class A 440 with a 55.6. On June 8 at the All State meet Maxine would run a bit sluggish 57.7 in winning the 440. Sluggish, as compared to her winning and meet record time of 55.7 run the previous year. But there may have been a small reason for this. Could it be possible that she was still feeling the effects from the New England AAU meet held just a few days before, when she ran nine races in leading up to victories in the 100, 200 and 400 meters. Again, Maxine was untouchable in the Suburban League and ended the season with a PR of 55.1 For Maxine there was no resting. That summer she travelled to Santa Clara, CA where she competed in the National Junior Olympics where she would win gold in the 400m with a time of 53.74. Next weekend we will be celebrating Ground Hog Day and just like the movie, Maxine’s junior year would be déjà vu all over again. After all, Maxine was the fastest high school 300-yarder in the country. As a junior, she had run the five fastest times ever recorded by a high school girl in the 300, two of them coming in her junior year. She won the event at the State Coaches Meet in 34.6, just one-tenth of a second off her national record of 34.5. At the Division 1 state meet, she was again an easy winner in 35.7, and she tacked on her second straight Eastern crown by winning that race in 35.3, the fifth best time ever by a high school girl, the other four were all set by Maxine. Seeking some better competition seemed a logical thing for Maxine to do. So on December 27, 1981 it was off to the Boston Holiday Classic at Boston College. But seeking greater competition and running against older and more experienced runners was NOT a change for the Brookline High School star because while representing the Boston International Track Club she was a double winner, capturing the 400 meters in 55.86 and the 55 meter dash in 7.0. On March 7, 1982 at the Girls' Eastern Track and Field meet at Harvard University's indoor track Maxine set a national hand-time and automatic timing record in the 300-yard run as she coasted to 34.54, edging out Dawn Sowell (35.46) of Chester, Pa. During her indoor senior season she set four national high school records and went on to capture the 440-yard title at the National TAC championships for women in Madison Square Garden. In that race, she beat the best women quarter-milers in the country, running 54.55 to shatter the national high school record of 55.30 set by Sherri Howard of San Gorgonio High School in San Bernadino, Calif. in 1979. In the spring of her senior year at the State coach’s meet Maxine set a meet record with a 24.5. This time of course broke the meet record. Guess whose record she broke? You are right, it was her own which she set the previous year. It had been 25.2. At the Eastern mass Division 1 championships Maxine made a shambles out of her specialty, winning handily in 54.1, a full four seconds ahead of Susan Bird of Lexington. Then she anchored Brookline to victory in the 1600-meter relay in a swift 4:01.9. Maxine capped off her high school career with the National High School Coaches Association naming her to their prestigious All American Team. To this day, 30 years later, Maxine still holds the 3rd fastest time ever by a high school girl in the 300, 11th faster time ever in the 500 at 1:13.15 and the 13th fastest 400 time ever with a 54.01. WOW! Is all I can say!! She was inducted into Brookline hall of fame. When I asked Maxine who were positive influences in her life she told me her dad, now deceased and her mom, here today were and especially for the many roads travelled together throughout her career. She also gives much credit to Sherman Hart, who according to Maxine, “yelled and screamed yet inspired her to do her best. She also credits Clyde Duncan and Leonard Braxton as influential coaches.
Class: 2002 Inducted: 2013