It's been a long, successful career for this former Villanova great toward his state championship reign atop the indoor hotbed here in Massachusetts. A Somerville High grad in 1956 who was crowned our state's best in the 50, 100, 200, and 300 and New England king in the 100 and 200, Jim started his coaching career in the unlikely locale of Huntington Prep School. After leading them to the New England Prep championship in 1961 and • 1962, Coach Blackburn began his public school tenure at Brookline High where he remained for six years. He then moved on to Newton South for ten years, Belmont for nine years, and finally arrived at the black and orange in 1989, and what a career it has been. Along the way there was 48 straight wins at South and three Class A and an All-State crown at Belmont indoors, but Jim is quick to give the credit to Dick Hegarty, his high school coach, the legendary Jumbo Elliot, and assistants Don Sutherland (himself an MS I CA Hall-of Famer) and Bill Brotchie. Quiet and unassuming, Coach Blackburn lets his team do the talking with their running. Under his leadership, Newton North has been a perennial power at the league, class, and state level. Most impressive in the 81-3 indoor record, twelve indoor Bay State crowns, and the Class A indoor, outdoor, and All State dominance during the last two years. Not to mention that Jim's 4 X 400 have been New England champion five times, and twice, seventeen years apart his quartet ran a sparkling 3: 19! A retired guidance counselor, Jim continues to credit his staff, including Bill, Jon Waldron, and Mike Bower at Newton North. At the same time, his biggest fan, A.D. T.J. Williams proclaims that Coach Blackburn "has made good athletes better athletes and citizens and done it with efficiency, humor, and firmness, with an unprecedented work ethic to take people with him to the next level of excellence"