Seagull Westerly Track & Athletic Club, Inc.

Nick Bottone, Jr.  Ellison "Tarzan" Brown  Henry "Buddy" Grills  Larry Hirsch
 Mary Janiszewski  Tom McCoy  Clem McGrath  Larry Orlando

 

Runners' Profile - Nick Bottone, Jr.

Nick had to work until his senior year in high school. He then went out for track and in one short year had an impressive record. He set the Westerly High School Record for the mile at 4:35.08. They ran 12 dual meets and finished a ½ point behind powerhouse Classical for the state division championship.

After high school he ran for an AAU club in the mile and 1500 meter. Although not his distance, he once ran the Boston Marathon at 3:24:32. At Manchester, CT in 1987 he ran 26:25 for about a 4¾ mile race. He was running even with a girl named Karen Smyers and finally pulled away from her at the finish. Karen went on to become a world class professional triathlete, winning the Hawaii Ironman and the Triathlon World Championship.

Nick ran other races such as the Lawrence Memorial and the Elks, where his best overall finish was 4th. His PR's include: 5K- 16:41, 4mile- 22:23, 5mile- 27:56, 10K- 34:55, and 15K- 54:55.

Nick wanted to give something back to the sport so he help establish SNERRO, Southern New England Road Race Officials. He always works with Tom McCoy on the fun runs and puts on the Nick Bottone, Sr. timed track mile. He helps out with other local races such as the Shoreline Biathlon and the beach run.

Nick feels his best race was the Manchester race but he feels his greatest victory came at the age of 52 when he married his wife Barbara.

(written by Buddy Grills (July 2006))