All The Miles Mattered

Episode 10: The perfect race

In sports, perfection is rarely reached. The nature of competition is that it is messy: Shots are missed, interceptions thrown. In cross country, perfection is possible in team scoring: the perfect 15.
That moment occurs in dual meets with some regularity; it rarely happens in championship races. For Largo in 1983, it happened two consecutive weeks. This is the story behind the show's cover image, along with stories about the results, cultural changes of the 1980s, and the 1984 Largo-Leto trip to Wet N Wild. Music credit: Bob Bedell; interview with Largo Band of Gold director Bob Cotter found on YouTube

Episode 11: Roger

The legend of Roger Letchworth started with his second-place finish in the state cross country meet as a sophomore, and it continued with his national age-group records for 10K and 15K. Letchworth was on fire in the 1986 cross country season; the flame was extinguished rapidly.

Episode 12: Van Cortlandt Park

Countryside’s 1986 team was loaded: It had Roger Letchworth and Chip Backus, both major Division I college prospects, along with a bevy of talented runners just behind them. This is the story of the Cougars’ unforgettable trip to an iconic course in New York, the site of a big invitational. It was, briefly, record-setting, and now it’s time to set the record straight.
 
 

Episode 13: We’re gonna be state champs

Michael LeValle didn’t run for Leto or Largo, but he’s an important part of the story in the mid-1980s. He expected to have Roger Letchworth and Pat McDonough right on his shoulder. That didn’t happen at the 1986 state cross country meet. What did happen at that meet: A familiar name comes back from injury, and the Long Red Row comes back from region-meet disappointment to take the lead for most championships in the decade.
Music credit: Out On My Skateboard, Mini Vandals

Episode 14: A slight ’nother gear

On May 10, 1986, at Showalter Field in Winter Park, neither of the two favorites in the state meet 2-mile race won. The race was supposed to be another LeValle-Letchworth showdown. It’s tough to say at this point in the story that any Largo runner could be overlooked, but Pat McDonough was a sophomore running against a stacked field that evening. He ran eight just about perfect laps to secure an unforgettable victory.
 
YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_69-Dy-hl8
 
Music credits:
Out On My Skateboard, Mini Vandals
Slowly Until We Get There, Joey Pecoraro
 

Episode 15: Camcorders and Calendars

Largo and Leto were set for a showdown in the state cross country meet at Dunn Airport in 1987. The Packers had the state’s top runner; the Long Red Row had impressive depth and recent history on its side in the state meet. The day ended with a course record, a Titusville toast, and a vow never to lose again.Thanks for coming along for the run!Music credit: Good Friend, Audionautix; ATMM theme by BK Productions

No Ribbons at the Mile

The formal structure of All The Miles Mattered concluded with the end of the Largo-Leto rivalry in the late 1980s. But the lessons from those programs and other runners carry on today. Here is the first of two bonus episodes, with clips that didn’t make it into the main show. You’ll hear the voices of Chris Palmer, John Perlette, Dan Middleman, Keir Breitenfeld and others.Photos and videos mentioned are in posts on the All The Miles Mattered Facebook page, or you can email me at neilamato@gmail.com.Music credits: Out On My Skateboard by the Mini Vandals; BK Productions

I Wanna Be One of These Guys

The formal structure of All The Miles Mattered concluded with the end of the Largo-Leto rivalry in the late 1980s. But the lessons from those programs and other runners carry on today. In the second of two bonus episodes are clips that didn’t make it into the main show. You’ll hear the voices of Tommy Hampton, Pat McDonough, Trey Culbertson, Nick Radkewich, and others.Photos mentioned are on my Instagram page or on the public All The Miles Mattered Facebook page.
Music credits: Out On My Skateboard by the Mini Vandals; BK Productions

Coach Z: Muscles and magnetism

Leto's cross country program in the 1980s was on par with Largo's. The Long Red Row won five 4A state titles in the decade, just ahead of the Packers' four championships. Leto had a disadvantage then against Largo when it came to developing talent: It was a three-grade school, and Largo had four grades. So while Largo coach Brent Haley could develop freshman runners, Leto's Bobby Ennis had to wait for them to show up after spending their ninth-grade year in junior high.
That's why the subject of this ATMM bonus episode was so important. His name is Phil Zimmerman, aka Coach Z, and he developed generations of runners at Webb Junior High, sending the "raw material" to Ennis. This episode is mainly an interview with Coach Z, but it also teases another critical moment in the history of the Leto program, one that can be called forgettable and memorable at the same time. Thanks for coming along for the run!
 
Music: Mini Vandals (Out on My Skateboard; Fingerprint)

Track Tribute, Reunion Reminiscing

Welcome to the start of Season 2 of All The Miles Mattered. This is as close to a news episode as you’re going to get for a story 50 years in the making. Last month, at halftime of a Largo High School football game, the track at the stadium got a new name and also a familiar name.It was the first of two nights honoring Coach Brent Haley. Come along for the run!
Sound:Turn3 ProductionsLargo High School PAMusic:Mini Vandals (Out On My Skateboard)BK Productions