Massey Quicker Than Competition

 Junior Rob Massey, a distance runner at has quickly become  a necessary asset to the track team. Massey can often be seen on the boys’ 4 x 800 meter relay team, as well as any race from the 800 meter run to the two-mile. However, Massey has clocked his best times in the mile.

Massey, who got his start to running in the track club, chose to continue running over playing soccer upon entering high school. Despite plans to play lacrosse in the spring, Massey found that he liked track, and stuck with it year round.

The decision seems to have been the right one. Spring track his freshman year was when the training began to pay off for Massey, and he gained a competitive edge while racing.

“My freshman year, around spring, I really started getting better. I qualified for states,” he said.

In his freshman year, Massey placed eighth at the Merrimack Valley Conference meet in the mile with a time of 4:38.12. This winter, despite being sick for most of the season, he ran a personal best time of 4:25.17, and placed 11^th overall at the All –State Meet.

“It started off pretty good,” said Massey of his winter season. “I hit 4:29 at the Reggie. Then I got sick for most of the season, and I didn’t get over it until All-States, when I ran a PR.”

This winter, Massey qualified for the MSTCA Elite meet, where he placed fifth. He finished seventh in the fast heat of the mile at the MATCA Boy’s Invitational. Massey also placed 18^th overall at the prestigious Dartmouth Relays in Hanover, N.H. this January.

So far this spring, Massey has scored points in every dual meet that he has run in; in Chelmsford’s against Central Catholic, Massey scored 18 points, ten for his first place finish in the two mile, and eight for his second place finish in the 800 meter run. Massey won the mile at the Haverhill Invitational, and placed second in the Nashua North Invitational with a time of 4:34.85.

“Right now, we’re about halfway into the season,” said Massey. “It’s been tough because we’ve had some bad weather lately.”

With the more competitive, end of season meets still weeks away, Massey has plenty of time to make this spring his best season yet. He said that working hard at practice and running with his teammates has helped him step up to the next level of competition. He also explained that he just always tries his best in every race.

“I’m hoping to get around 4:20, and if I can break that, it would be awesome,” said Massey. Of his long term goals, he said, “If I can’t do it this spring, I’d (also) like to get the school record.”

Currently, Chris Brown holds the 4:19 record from 2008.

Massey, who is also a standout on the cross country team, hopes that his squad can place first or second in the Eastern Mass meet next November. This past fall, the Lions finished third.

“Hopefully we can move up in the divisional meet, take the number two or number one spot. If we get first, Crane (Head XC Coach) said we can all get mohawks for all states,” said Massey.