” I really hope I don’t let them down” was Mick’s concerned comment as we drove to the GPS Track & Field Championship being held at Nudgee College, Brisbane in November 1999. Mick, my youngest son, went on to say, “The coach has got me running the anchor leg of the relay, even though I am the team’s slowest runner – I just don’t get it!” When we arrived at the stadium Mick went over to his school’s tent at the far end of the oval. He met up with his teammates who were doing their stretching and warm up exercises. I mingled with the various school supporters and watched with interest as the programmed track events were contested and concluded that afternoon. The resulting points from each event were added to each school’s running total that was displayed on the large scoreboard positioned in the centre of the grounds. The scoreboard showed that this particular year’s inter-school competition was close fought – a fact greatly contributing to the afternoon build up of supporting crowd numbers and their vocal intensity. Not only was Mick’s run in the Open 4×400 meters relay one of the last events on a close fought day, but it was also the last competitive run for all the seniors who were to be completing their secondary school studies in the next few weeks. This fusion of emotions tended to raise this particular event’s profile, it in the eyes of many seniors at least, to an almost Olympic-type status. 1999 had been a disappointing year for Mick, in that he had been selected earlier in the year to play for the First XV Ruby Team but sadly had to pull out due to a reoccurring dislocated shoulder injury. Unperturbed, he turned his interests and commitment to the Track & Field activities in an optimistic attempt to make the school team – in spite of never having had any formal athletics training or coaching. He was thrilled when word came that he had been named in the GPS Brisbane Grammar team as the school’s representative for the 400 meters Open hurdles as well as being selected as a member of the 4×400 Open relay. As was the tradition, Mick was well supported on the day by members of the broader Baskerville family fraternity. Grammar old-boy uncles Tom and Pip were there along with their future grammar sons Mitchell, Stephen, William and Tom. Chris, Mick’s older brother and past Grammar student, had also came along to support Mick’s effort, although I thought he had later left the grounds before the running of Mick’s Open relay event. Chris had also been a member of the Brisbane Grammar Track & Field team that had won the championship by just half of one point two years earlier – A team also competing with Mr Howes as the head coach. Mick’s first event, the 400 meters hurdles, was held soon after the lunch break. In a mighty effort he outran the best hurdlers from 7 other schools, but finish 2nd to an outstanding state champion from Ipswich Grammar School. Still, he did run a personal best time and finished with the 2nd fastest time ever recorded by a Grammar athlete for this event. A result that simply amazed hurdles coach Mr Stanaforth and the other coaching staff who knew full well that Mick had only taken up hurdling some 4 weeks earlier. Even more elated at this result were the other Grammar athletes who came out of the team tent to personally congratulate Mick and acknowledge the fact that they had just witnessed a run quite special. Now, there was only an hour or so before Mick had to ready himself again for competition – this time in the Open relay. He had no real time to enjoy or reflect on his achievement in the hurdles as he now had to focus on “The Main Event” In the Nudgee tent close by, things were also being readied for the up coming 4×400 Open relay. Their coaches decided to strengthen their relay team by replacing their program nominated anchor runner with a their long time champion athlete named Butler. Butler was a nationally ranked runner at schoolboy level – he was the 1998 State & GPS 100m Champion and he held the U15 100m time record. As all the teams gathered in the centre of the oval for the start of the 4×400 relay it became apparent to Mick’s teammates that the anchor switch with Butler had been made by Nudgee. The significance and impact of this switch was rather lost on Mick, given that he had not witnessed Butler’s domination of the track over the past five years – unlike his long-term team mates. Finally the time had arrived for the start of the 4×400 Open Relay. Now, the first leg of the relay was run in a staggered formation with individual lanes allocated to the runners from each school that were given differing starting points. However it became obvious by the timing of the 1st changeover, that Grammar’s starting runner had given his team the lead. Grammar’s second runner was competing against one of Nudgee’s best and in spite of running a personal best time he handed the baton to Sharn with the team now slipping back to second position some 5 meters behind Nudgee. Sharn was Grammar’s fastest runner and knowing the challenge facing Mick later, valiantly turned the tables on Nudgee and delivered to Mick a 10 meter lead at the changeover for the final leg. By this time the relay had become a ‘two horse race’ with the Grammar and Nudgee teams well out in front of the other competing schools. Now, while Mick and Butler stood at the start line waiting for the baton to be pass, Mick did an extraordinary thing. He leaned across and wished his Nudgee competitor ‘all the best’ and extended his hand, not in a “Carl Lewis” play of gamesmanship but simply out of sporting respect. Butler shook Mick’s hand but I think he mentally resolved to blow this ‘up-start’ right off the course as soon as possible and re-establish the track’s rightful pecking order – and that is exactly what happened. No sooner had Mick rounded the first bend than Butler had made up the lost ground and continued to sprint hard at full pace past Mick down the back straight until he was some 20 meters in front. I watched as the race unfolded down my movie camera lens and was reminded again of those anxious words spoken by Mick at the start of the day. My heart sank. “OH NOOOO” was heard from one of the Grammar athletes standing near the school’s tent right behind me. They all knew the significance of Butler being 20 meters in front on the final leg. They were resigned to the outcome that they had witnessed so many times before when Butler takes the lead. Unbeknown to them, Mick was also thinking “OH NO” but more in the context of “OH NO YOUR NOT!” Mick managed to maintain the distance between himself and Butler at the 20 meters mark all the way down the back straight. Now, what happened next will live with me forever. See, at the far end of the oval was gathered the largest contingent of Grammar supporters and it included Masters, Girls Grammar borders, BGS students and their parents. Mick spirits were clearly lifted by their passionate encouragement and he seemingly set his resolve at that very moment to cut down Butler’s lead. I saw it in the movie pictures that I was making. Mick was no longer holding the 20 meters – he was actually gaining! The gap was clearly closing as they rounded that far corner. You could sense that each athlete was calling on that deep reserve of spirit and energy to achieve that ultimate glory for their team. The spectators and competing athletes also began to realize that this fluctuating and prestigious race was far from over and they were all drawn to the track’s edge as if by some magnetic power. Sadly I and all the Gammar athletes standing at the team tent lost sight of the final epic struggle. For about 10 seconds we could see nothing of the race – only the cheering of the two team’s spirited supporters. Then we saw the winner – falling – arms flaying – collapsing to the ground as he came through the crush of officials and coaches standing on the running track at the finish line. The winner was wearing the sky blue-dark blue colours of the Brisbane Grammar team – it was Mick! “OH BEAUTIFUL! – OH BEAUTIFUL!” one Grammar athlete kept repeating as coaches and teammates rushed over to pick Mick up from the ground where he lay utterly exhausted at race end. My body was already shaking uncontrollably as I found it nearly impossible to focus my camera with my eyes so full of misty pride. So, when the whole Grammar Track & Field team spontaneously gave “Three Cheers for Michael Baskerville” – folks, I just had to put the camera down and join in as best I could with my rather choking voice. In explaining the decision to run Mick as the anchor, the MIC of Athletics Mr Stephen Howes wrote “The anchor is usually the fastest or in this case someone who I believe will just give everything and pull out something special on the day. This is one of those gut feelings that coaches have and they should be able to make them but usually can’t because of justification requirements sought by athletes, parents and administrators. I made it anyway after consulting Mal Staniforth and history will show it was a good decision. Later Mr Howes gave me a copy of the video taken by the school that day and I was able to witness those final 10 seconds of that race for myself. I watched as Mick closed the gap on the final turn from 20 meters to 15 to 10 to 5. With 80 meters left to run down the final straight Mick had caught up to Butler. I am sure that he could easily have run wide of him down to the finish but you could see in the video that he ran straight at Butler’s shoulder – as if wanting to symbolically dominate Butler’s spirit by running over him rather than just past him. Butler must have thought – “That nobody that I burnt off the track so easily at the opening bend was back and now running step for step within inches of my shoulder – how come?” Butler’s competition expired. His heart gave in to the pain and lactic acid now engorging his legs. Mick on the other hand had stuck to the coaches’ disciplined game plan of a quick start, easy back straight and then turn up the final challenge from the start of the final bend, like an illuminating dimmer switch. The pictures showed him still pushing himself hard for the line least he give hope once more to those conquered runners left in his wake. He fell victorious over the line for the honour of his team and school. Other student’s parents that knew Mick well told me later that they cheered yet cried at the same time. School friends and peers hugged Mick – all crying. Family members gathered round Mick wiping their eyes. I cried. Mick seemed more relieved than elated – “At least I did not let them down” he was heard to say. You did more than that Mick – you set the standard! The usually circumspect head coach’s comment summed it up best when he looked up at me after congratulating Mick, as he rested exhausted against the fence, and said with both thumbs up – “B$%&y good run!” After the race I caught up with Chris and expressed my concerned that he had sadly missed a tremendous race by Mick. “No,no I was there” he said. “I saw it”. He certainly was. In full animated colour, the school video showed Chris as the upfront, on-track, hat waving ringleader of the supporting crowd that had cheered Mick all the way to the finishing line that day. The headmaster later wrote in the school newsletter ” For me one special highlight amongst many was to be standing on the bend before the final straight of the 4×400 Open relay. The team ran wonderfully but in the final leg of this punishing event the Nudgee runner passed Michael Baskerville in the back straight and held a small lead as they rounded the bend. As we watched one could see the spark of determination blaze into light as Michael determined to throw down the gauntlet in the final 10 meters. At a moment when athletes in this event find their legs refusing to respond Michael strode out in a battle with his rival in a tussle that I am sure will remain in his memory as it will in all those who cheered him on. His effort was rewarded and he snatched a wonderful win for himself and hid team mates.” Mr Howes went on to write; “All the boys in the team ran personal best times with Sharn actually running the fastest, but rightly or wrongly people will remember the last leg where Michael ran down Nudgee. All the boys will never forget it. It is always good to win a team event” Mick and I attended the Track & Field team dinner in the school assembly hall later that evening. After the meal the head coach got up to speak and present the special awards for the outstanding athletes of the team. He also used the occasion to announce his decision to stand down from the sport after more than 10 years of successfully coaching the Grammar team. He expressed the honour he felt to be head coach of a ‘bunch of boys’ that made giving of their best for the team the ultimate goal regardless of their finishing position. He spoke of how proud he was to coach a team of supportive ‘try-hard’ boys rather than just a group of special individual ‘stars’. He explained how Grammar’s bunch of boys did not give up just because it got tough – they weren’t overawed by the stars they were competing against from other schools – they weren’t just thinking of themselves in their events but realized that the team depended on their best endeavor. He mentioned that he was particularly proud of the fact that no Grammar athlete won their event with gestures of disrespect to their competing opponents. At the end of his emotional speech he announced his pick of the outstanding athletes in each division. There were a lot of excellent and outstanding performances on the day in the open division but Mr Howes declared Mick ‘the freak’s’ run as the “Most Memorable Performance”, because of the way he ran down Butler in the home straight. As he handed the award to Mick, he verbalized what all the members of the Track & Field family were already thinking – There is no doubt that “Mick’s Run” will long be recounted, and it will ultimately take its rightful place in Grammar folklore. “Michael has cemented his place in Grammar folklore with his two runs at GPS. He is a gutsy young man who has certainly repaid my faith in him.” – Coach Stephen Howes
