JANE WELZEL

A Liberty member in the early 1980’s, Jane Welzel was a pioneer in women’s long-distance running and a top national athlete. She was a five-time Olympic Marathon Trials participant – in 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, and 2000.

After the 1984 Olympic Trials, she was in a serious car accident that put her in a body cast for three months. She did not let this stop her, and came back to run the Olympic Trials again in 1988. That year she was named “Comeback Runner of the Year” by Runner’s World magazine.

Originally from Hopkinton, MA, Jane went on to UMass-Amherst, where she participated in four sports and co-captained the cross-country team in 1977. She was inducted into the UMass Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017.

She was a strong marathoner, with a personal best in 1992 of 2:33:01 at the Grandma’s Marathon in Minnesota. She was the US National Marathon champion in 1990.

Dave McGillivray, race director of the Boston Marathon, noted that Jane was a role model for many female runners and helped spark the early movement of women’s running, saying “Jane helped crumble the walls of intimidation for thousands of women to not only run but to participate in races.”

Sadly, Jane passed away in September 2014, at age 59.

(Photo credit: Jeff Johnson)

CHARLENE FRANCIS

Charlene Francis ran with Liberty for years as a masters long-distance runner. Former Liberty President Mary Harada says that in the late 1990s and early 2000s, “I started ‘poaching’ masters runners who belonged to other Boston-area running clubs,” especially those who didn’t offer much support for female masters runners. Mary notes, “There were so few Black female masters runners until maybe 20 years ago when former college runners aged up to masters track and field. There now are some wonderful Black female masters sprinters and field event athletes. Still not many Black female masters distance runners.” Charlene was the exception.

Cathy Utzschneider, former Liberty coach, remembers Charlene as a “beautiful person -- a role model for all: humble, optimistic, loving, courageous.... a wonderful friend, always there." Charlene’s training partner, Sue Gustafson said, “Every time I looked at Charlene, I saw the youngest one of us, not the oldest. She was always going toward the next great thing.” At the November 2019 Run For all Ages 5K, at the age of 78, Charlene ran the race in 33:41. We miss Charlene, who passed away in February 2021.

PATRICIA (PAT) MELTON

Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Pat came east to attend Middlesex School in Concord, MA, and later Yale University (class of 1983). A standout athlete in multiple sports, Pat ran with Liberty following her Yale collegiate career. She qualified for the July 1988 Olympic Trials in the 800-meter run and was a finalist in the event. At the Trials, she ran the 800 in 2:05.55 in the initial heats, then 2:04.20 in the semifinals, and finally, 2:04.88 in the finals, which earned her 8th place.

In 2012, Pat became the executive director of New Haven Promise, a non-profit which aims to make the promise of college a reality for local high school students.

Check out Yale University Athletics’ recent profile of Pat—https://yalebulldogs.com/news/2020/2/14/general-celebrating-black-history-month-at-yale-patricia-melton-83.aspx

DARLENE BECKFORD

One of Liberty’s strongest middle distance / distance runners, Darlene began running with Liberty in 1977 while a high-school student at Cambridge Rindge and Latin. Her running achievements while still a teenager were impressive -- she was the US Junior Olympic champion in multiple distances (mile, 800m, and 1500m). Her best times in high school were: 2:04.6 in the 800m, 4:19.6 in the 1500m, and 4:41.9 in the mile.

Darlene attended Harvard University (class of 1983), where she continued to excel. She was the National Collegiate Champ in the indoor 800m (first Ivy League woman to win a national title in track) as well as in the indoor mile, setting the National Collegiate indoor mile record in 1980. She was a multiple All-American and never lost a meet on the famed Harvard indoor track. Her PR’s in college were: 2:05.75 in the 800m, 4:14.0 in the 1500m, and 4:32.3 in the mile. In 1998, Darlene was inducted into the Harvard Varsity Club Hall of Fame. Harvard still considers Darlene to be one of their best all-around runners ever.

After college, Darlene was the US Indoor Mile Champion in 1983 and 1987. She was a finalist in the 1500m at the US Olympic Trials, both in 1984 and 1988, placing 6th in 1984. At the 1987 World Indoor Track and Field Championships, she finished 7th in the 1500m with a time of 4:13.57. She ran 15:53 to set the US women’s 5K road race record. Her final personal best performances are very compelling: 2:02.93 for the 800m, 4:04.81 for the 1500m, and 4:30.12 for the mile.

MARY HARADA

Mary Harada is a long-time member of Liberty, former Liberty board chair, and world-class athlete. Now in her 80s, she is an inspiration to all of us. Mary has shown us all how to continue to run through the different stages of life, keeping on going despite the inevitable slowing down that happens to all of us and doing it with humility and wit. As Mary notes, "If I hadn’t taken up running, I would have become an ax murderer.”

Originally from Newton, MA, Mary came to running later in life. In 1968, as a mother of 2 boys and a fulltime college professor, she started running simply to stay in shape. As Mary described in an article in Lifetime Running, “I took up running mainly because it did not require finding someone to play tennis with, or a group for other sports.” She found friends within the local running community and began competing at a range of distances, everything from the 100m to the marathon. Mary notes, “As I started running track meets, I would meet the Liberty masters women who were always there in a group having a good time. Eventually, I joined Liberty.”

While she has run since her 30’s, and raced since her 40’s and 50’s, her best athletic achievements came after retirement, in her 60’s and 70’s. In her 60’s, Mary won 15 national titles in track and field and cross country. In her 70’s, Mary won 4 world titles and 15 national titles. At age 70 she set a world record in the mile -- 7:12.59 -- breaking the world mile mark of 7:19.44, set by American Toshiko D’Elia. Later she went on to become the world-record holder in the mile in the 75-79 age division. She’s competed around the world and won World Masters Athletics gold medals including 4 x 100m (2009 Lahti, Finland); 4 x 400m (2007 Riccione, Italy); a cross country team title (2005 San Sebastian, Spain); and first place in the 5K race at the World Masters Games (2009, Sydney, Australia). In 2009, Mary was inducted into the USATF Masters Track & Field Hall of Fame.

BETTY SELMAN

As a high-school student, Betty Selman was one of Liberty's top sprinters in the mid to late 1970s. She was also a star for Lexington High School. The Boston Globe selected Betty as an All-Scholastic in the 220-yard dash in 1977 and 1978.

Betty attended the University of Nebraska (class of 1983) and was a sprinter on their 1979-1980 track and field team (her Nebraska teammate was Merlene Ottey, nine-time Olympic medalist). Some of Betty’s best race times as recorded by former Liberty coach Ken McKenna for the years 1975-77 include:

60-yard dash – 7.07 seconds
100-yard dash – 11.00 seconds
100-meter dash – 12.70 seconds
220-yard dash – 25.10 seconds
200-meter dash – 26.20 seconds
300-yard dash – 38.20 seconds
440-yard dash – 57.40 seconds

KATHIE LAWSON

Kathie Lawson began running with Liberty in 1971 while still in high school, as a way of expanding her competitive horizons. (One of her high-school times still stands as a New Hampshire high school track record, 50+ years later – 24.44 seconds for the 200m.) Kathie qualified for the US-USSR dual meet in 1971 and went on to become a member of the US Travelling Team for the next three years. She was undefeated in the 100m and the 200m in Europe in the summer of 1971.

Kathie went on to study at U-Mass Amherst in fall 1971, where she trained with the men’s track team, since there was no women’s equivalent. Word has it that she anchored the men’s 4x100 team. She unfortunately missed the 1972 Olympics due to a torn fascia in her right foot (an injury that would eventually end her running career).

KATHI GUINEY

Kathi moved with her family from Canada to Massachusetts when she was 12 and joined Liberty. She had already been running for years and held a long list of Canadian age-group sprint records. In spring 1971, she qualified for the AAU National Girls Championship meet in Bakersfield, CA, having run 220 yards in 24.5 seconds. Unfortunately, she false-started out of her race. But later that year, she turned in a time of 23.9 seconds for the 220y, a new National Junior Olympic record. Ultimately, she decided to switch to the hurdles. One month after starting to hurdle, she set a Junior Nationals 100m hurdles record.

After high school, Kathi went on to the University of Oregon. She is listed in the Oregon Track and Field record book as 1976 Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women All-American in the 440y relay. And in 2016, she was inducted into the Massachusetts State Track Coaches Association Hall of Fame for sprints and hurdles.