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From David Monti
© 2006 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com
NEW YORK (02-Feb) -- Howard Schmertz, who attended his first Millrose Games as a boy in 1933 and went on to succeed his father, Fred, as meet director in 1975, was inducted into the Millrose Games Hall of Fame at a gala benefit here last night at the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center. Schmertz was introduced to the audience, which included nearly every living member of the prestigious Millrose Games Hall of Fame, by 7-time Wanamaker Mile Champion, Eamonn Coghlan, and 6-time Millrose champion, Mary Slaney.
"What an honor to be introduced by the greatest performers in Millrose history," said Schmertz, 81, who now holds the title of Meet Director Emeritus.
Schmertz, a law firm partner who directed the Millrose Games as an unpaid labor of love for 28 years, managed the meet from a basement office of his Long Island home, assisted by his wife, Judy. He was generous in giving her credit for helping to manage the meet.
"For putting up with me and the crazy track business, she deserves a standing ovation," Schmertz told the audience He referred to her as "the love of my life and bride of 53 years."
Schmertz began assisting his father with the meet after the elder Schmertz had a heart attack in the fall of 1951. Fred Schmertz died in 1976, the year after Howard took over. The meet is now directed by Mark Wetmore and his Global Athletics & Marketing sports management firm based in Boston. Of Wetmore, Howard Schmertz said, "The Games are in good hands with this group."
Eamonn Coghlan and Mary Slaney introduce Howard Schmertz (Photo by David Monti)
Including Schmertz, the Millrose Games Hall of Fame has 35 members and 19 of the attended the gala last night, a veritable who's-who of athletics: Coghlan, Harrison Dillard, Diane Dixon, John Thomas, Greg Foster, Doug Padilla, Horace Ashenfelter, Stephanie Hightower, Don Paige, Slaney, Renaldo Nehemiah, Marcus O'Sullivan, Joetta Clark-Diggs, Marty Liquori, Gwen Torrence, Joni Huntley, Billy Olsen, Dwight Stones and Cheryl Toussaint.
"Tonight is not just a celebration of the Millrose Games, I think, but of track and field," commented Coghlan.
The oldest continuously contested indoor track meet in the United States, the Millrose Games has "stood the test of time," said master of ceremonies, Bruce Beck, a local sportscaster. At least 88 world indoor records were equaled or broken at Millrose and 200 Millrose champions have also been Olympic gold medalists, organizers said.
Schmertz, whose fondness for Slaney was no secret (he has a photo of him hugging her after she set the world indoor record for 1500m at the meet in 1980), said that his affection for the athletes that competed under his reign was universal.
"I'm not really partial to any of my athletes," he said. "I love you all."
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