Artie Lopez '72, Track and Field

In its storied history, there have been few members of the Xaverian Track and Field program who have experienced the broad success enjoyed by Artie Lopez '72, an incredibly versatile runner who excelled in Sprints, Middle Distance and Cross Country.  As a sprinter, he was part of the record-breaking 880 relay team. Individually, he earned a gold medal in the Half-Mile at the Brooklyn Championships and secured silver and bronze medals in the Mile Relay at the prestigious Penn Relays in Philadelphia. His excellence extended to cross country, where he broke the Xaverian Brothers Meet course record by 23 seconds, completing the 2.5-mile course in 12:33.

In addition to his track achievements, Artie was also a member of the JV baseball team and a standout in local sandlot football. Initially joining the track team to stay in shape for baseball, Artie soon shifted his focus entirely to running after Coach Frank McCartney encouraged him to dedicate himself to the sport. This decision proved pivotal, and Artie thrived, becoming a key leader on both individual and relay teams.

“Artie was certainly a great runner,” said Coach McCartney. “But more than that, he was a terrific leader. It’s why he had as much success in relays as he did individually.”