Roberto Cooper Rindge Technical High School Class of 1976. I’d like to read parts of the nomination letter his high school coach, Frank McCarthy sent me. “Roberto Cooper is considered one of the finest All-Around Track and Field Athletes in Cambridge history. A native of Panama, Roberto left his mark on Cambridge track by competing for Rindge Tech from 1972 to 1976. Roberto was the driving force that led Rindge to FOUR state championships. He was the true all around track and field athlete. While at Rindge, he ran cross-country and Indoor and Outdoor Track. His talents were exhibited not only on the track, but also in the less heralded field events. While at Rindge, he competed in the 880, 1000 yard, 1 and 2 mile, high jump, pole vault and the relays. He was also a standout in cross-country. Roberto ran, jumped and vaulted himself into the record books. His path of successes led him to breaking many long, established records, including five school records. He still holds the all-time Cambridge track records in the indoor and outdoor high jump. Roberto’s career started as a pure runner. Even though his best event by the end of high school was the high jump. Coach McCarthy, like many of us who have coached, saw only a talented runner and didn’t want to take the chance and let a runner compete in a field event!!! After all, he might get hurt!!! But in his junior year, thank God, Roberto was able to convince Coach McCarthy to let him try and it’s a darn good thing he did. Roberto set out on a record-breaking journey. He would go on to break two time Olympic medalist and fellow Hall of Famer John Thomas’s high jump records in both indoor and outdoor track. According to coach McCarthy Roberto Cooper’s tenacity and strength was never more evident when in his junior year, in a tough dual meet with perennial power Weymouth North and fighting for the Suburban League title, ran a grueling two mile for the win and 10 minutes later and with only after 3 months of practicing the H.J., never clearing higher than 5’10”, jumped 6’3” defeating the league champion and securing the Suburban Title for the first time. Roberto saved his best for his senior year. In the spring of 1976 at the class meet, he ran second in the 880 and then jumped 6’9” to win the event and led Rindge to its first ever outdoor title. A week later at the All State meet, with what some local track aficionados consider the greatest track meet performance in Mass history, Roberto placed 2nd in the 880 with a time of 1:57.2 and a short time later won the high jumped 6’10.25. At the time it was the best high jump in Massachusetts history and 2nd best ever in New England. Roberto was named to several All-Scholastic teams and was the Boston Globe track athlete of the year. He was also twice selected as the Rindge Warrior of the Year. An award that honors the student who contributed the most to his school both on and off the field. After graduating, Roberto accepted a full scholarship to Adelphi University in New York. It was there that he set and still currently holds their indoor H.J. record at 6’10” and their outdoor school record of 7’2”. Those performances earned Roberto All-American status. An interesting statistic I found that I’m not even sure he knows is that: he currently holds the #10 all-time Adelphi best 5 mile with a time of 27:29.
Class: 1976 Inducted: 2018