An interview with Denis McManus (Class of 2001)

When I think back to the era when Denis McManus (Class of 2001) was on our track team, his “crew” – the sprint/hurdle/jump athletes – are remembered as a particularly “wild ride” of high energy, emotions and remarkable performances. And those performances were in events in which we have/had rarely had ANY athletes, much less quality athletes like Denis and his teammates. Oh man, those guys were a handful, on and off the track. They worked hard, they played hard and they were goaded on by an equally wired, ultra-high-energy young coach who in many cases was their former teammate (yes, Coach Chuck!). 

This edition of the Pandemic Papers was a fun one to do and brought back a lot of fond memories. I didn’t even recall the connection between my former coach, Steve Lurie, and Denis, in high school! Hey, when the first Quarantine Question includes the words “I honestly don’t remember” … you know it’s been a long time.

What’s making this series fun – and the history of this program special – is a little nugget like this: Denis, who graduated from Marist nearly 20 years ago, still following our program so closely that he watched with excitement on Twitter the MAAC indoor 60-meter final with his 9-year-old daughter. That, my friends, is priceless. So as the Pandemic Papers series continues, buckle your seatbelts for the long and wild ride that is the story of Denis J. McManus.  

Tell us about your athletic background in high school, football and track, where you went, and how you ended up at Marist. Did I recruit you? I honestly don't remember ...

Hi Pete, I was not recruited out of high school, as I was a newcomer to track and field my senior year.

I grew up in Westwood, NJ, playing a multitude of sports. I attended St. Joseph Regional High School in Montvale, NJ, where I played football and lacrosse my freshman through junior years. Outside of St. Joe's I stayed active in other sports, such as recreation basketball, baseball and year-round organized roller hockey.  Hockey was my favorite sport at the time, and roller hockey was quite popular in the mid-1990s. St. Joe's was, and still is, a powerhouse in football, along with many other sports programs. My junior year, our St. Joe's football team won the State Championship and was ranked eighth nationally. Going into my senior year, I lost the desire to continue to play football. The rigors of long, intense practices, coupled with a few concussions, made me come to the conclusion that I didn't really enjoy it. I always played sports for the fun of it, and the fun wasn't there. So, I stopped. This ended up being the best athletic decision I ever made, because it led me to track and field.  

During my senior year, winter track had already started and a couple of my friends on the team asked me to join. I didn't know much about track other than my friends enjoyed it, and my brother Pat was a very talented freshman on the team. I figured I'd give it a shot to hang out with friends and my brother. I joined the winter track team a couple of meets into the season, and thought I'd try high jump, only because I could dunk a basketball and I figured I wouldn't have to run too much in practice. I was somewhat successful at high jump, being named honorable mention All-County, which led to being asked to try long jump, triple jump and the hurdles. Our winter track team at St. Joe's won the County Relays for the first time in 25 years. This was a huge accomplishment for the program. I enjoyed winter track and found myself improving every meet, which made me want to see what I could accomplish in spring track. So, I replaced my lacrosse stick for a pair of flats and enjoyed a successful spring track season -- never thinking there was a future for me in college.   

Steve Lurie, a former track coach of Marist College (Pete Colaizzo's college coach), was a local high school coach at the time. Coach Lurie saw potential in me and had Coach Pete give me a call as I was already committed to going to Marist. Not viewing myself as a "track guy," my conversation with Pete was quick, "Thanks Coach for the call, but I don't think I have interest in running track in college." I quickly changed my tune my first semester freshman year at Marist, as I really missed athletics. I made a call to Coach Pete sheepishly asking if he had room for a walk-on. I still vividly remember his welcoming response, "Come on down to the McCann Center, ASAP."  

Being a sprint/hurdle/jump event guy, how did you wind up at Marist and did our lack of facilities bother you at the time?

I chose Marist because it was a strong academic school, had a beautiful campus, had a stellar reputation, the students and staff were friendly, and it was relatively close to home. Athletics was never part of my decision to attend Marist. Plus, my other options were Manhattan College or Seton Hall. Seemed like a no brainer. 

The lack of facilities never bothered me from the athletic point of view. In high school, we practiced hurdles in the school hallways and did sprints in the parking lot. Our outdoor track was concrete at St. Joe’s. I'm dating myself here, but some high schools in the 1990s still had cinder tracks, making the McCann Track a welcome change. Strong athletes will always find a way to get the proper training and succeed, despite lack of facilities or hardships. I am a firm believer that the majority of accomplishments are reflected in your attitude and self-belief.

I'd be lying if I didn't say the lack of facilities bothered my ego somewhat. I always found it tough to tell people I ran Division I Track, but our school did not have a track. Would have been nice to have had a home meet.   

Looking back at your time at Marist, how were you able to manage the facilities issue and excel the way you did? For our younger readers, explain how we used the old "McCann Track" and where else/how else we trained?

The lack of a track and facilities at Marist has been a talking point for years. However, I know of athletes who ran track at some of the larger schools who had to take public busses to their facilities as their campus was spread out. I always equated this to Marist Track athletes having to jump in a van, or car, and drive to a track at Spackenkill or Arlington high school. Though I'm guessing the larger school athletes on the public bus did not have the same fond memories and bonding moments that we had on the Marist van/car rides.  

Let me stress, I loved the old McCann Indoor Track mainly because of all the great memories and friendships I made there. I'll try to explain the McCann Track for your younger readers: It was a 160 meter-ish, smooth/slick rubber track that circled around the main basketball court. The athletic department at the time would request that we not wear spikes on the track (though I can honestly say everyone wore spikes every practice, as it was hazardous to your health not to wear them). The McCann Track was also a central meeting place for the team. During the winter months, sprinters, jumpers and field event athletes would stay indoors to work on their starts, hurdles, throws, and jumping techniques. The McCann Track even had a pole-vaulting pit, where we had three pole-vaulters on the team at one time. The distance runners going off for long runs would ultimately end up back at the McCann Track to stretch, ice, or just socialize as a team. Practicing at the McCann Track also presented the opportunity to meet with and form relationships with members of other sports programs, such as the basketball team as we would have common practice times.

As a sprinter/jumper, I would concentrate on explosion and utilize the weight room. I practiced my long jump takeoffs and popups into high jump mats which diminished the wear and tear on my legs compared to that of a sand pit. I hope the team is still doing some Mid-rise hill sprints today, those always paid off. Plus, misery loves company. Over the course of four years on a team, we would continuously find alternative ways to push ourselves and find new ways to train, by going to different local tracks or doing plyometrics on the North Field. 

Give us some of your career highlights at Marist: Your best times and marks, school records you had and your favorite memories of your time at Marist?

I have so many great memories, hard to reference them all. I can start with my first day showing up at the McCann Track and quickly embarrassing myself by introducing myself to whom I thought was a coach, however it was senior team captain Eric Deshaies, who played along. That same first practice I also met Joe Parizo, who was the high jumper on the team. I realized that first practice I was going to be, at best, the second-best high jumper on the team and should concentrate on long and triple jump. Joe and I hit it off that first day and remain close friends today. I always enjoyed experiencing new locations for meets every weekend and spending time with teammates, coaches and friends on these trips. Looking back, I was proud of how I improved every year. With only one-year experience in high school, to being named captain my senior year, breaking two school records, and receiving the coaches award (MVP).  In the words of a great Track Coach ... "Neat!"  

As for track itself, I always prided myself in being an all-around athlete. I enjoyed doing as many events as possible. During my time at Marist I competed in all three of the jumps, ran the hurdles and an occasional sprint relay. Pete used to ask me to try the decathlon, but I always declined as the 1,500-meter run would have done me in.  

My career highlight and favorite athletic memory was my senior year 2001 outdoor MAAC Championship, where our team had the highest finish in school history and also set the school record for points scored at the time (third place with 86 points). The team really came together that day. We were ultra-competitive and cheering each other on right up until the final 4x400m race. This meet was also a personal highlight as I was able to place in all five events I was entered in for the meet, capping my senior year and career off on a positive note.    

Some of my times/marks: (that I remember)

Triple Jump:  44'8" (school record, 2001 … since broken)

Long Jump:  22'3"

110 Hurdles:  15.88

High Jump: 6'2"

I think I am still part of the Shuttle Hurdle relay record we broke at Penn Relays in 2001. I assume we still hold that … because who actually runs that race? (Editor’s note: Yes, he is still part of the shuttle hurdle relay record, and yes, it is a rarely run event)

You were at Marist during a time in our men's track program where we had a growth and an explosion of success in the non-distance areas. Are you proud of your contributions and how you all managed to succeed despite our lack of track facilities?

I was very proud of the Track program during my time at Marist. Marist was always known for our very strong cross country program. I remember my freshman year feeling like an outsider at first, because all the cross country guys just had a season together and I didn't know anyone. My freshman year had a strong track core, we had sprinters in Mike McCarthy (400m), field event guys like Joe Parizo (HJ), Seth Tyminski (PV), Jeremy Smith (SP) and myself. I remember wanting to distinguish ourselves from just being an offshoot from the cross country program. We even had shirts and knit caps that read just "Marist Track." It then seemed like each year we would get a couple more pure track guys, and by the time of my senior year we had a very formidable squad with depth in all the events. We built an identity and team chemistry through camaraderie and leadership, which the cross country guys loved, because you guessed it ... they were track guys too. Some of which were college housemates of mine, and still dear friends to this day. 

What advice would you give to our current team members?

Sounds cliché, but enjoy every minute and give it your all. This is a great period of your life, soak it in and enjoy it. I'm writing this 19 years after graduating but it feels like yesterday. Your time at Marist goes quickly. These memories, meets, accomplishments, and friendships will stay with you a lifetime. Don't look back and wish you did something differently.  

   

You still follow our program, which is greatly appreciated. What would you like to see out of your old team and your old school?

Selfishly, I would love to see some jumpers! I regularly follow the track results. This indoor season was particularly exciting for me as I would follow the results real time, as I wanted to see what sprinters Glenmour and Jeremy would do. My 9-year-old daughter, Grace, and I watched the MAAC championship 60-meter finals race on Twitter. Isn't technology great? Congrats Glenmour on the championship!  Coaches Pete and Chuck have been the mainstay of the program for years. I was lucky enough to have Coach Chuck as both a teammate and coach of mine throughout my four years at Marist. Their dedication and loyalty to the school reflects in the character of their student/athletes and alumni. Keep up the great work! 

What would you tell a high school student and/or student-athlete who was considering Marist?

Given how highly I speak about Marist to potential students, I would like to think there is a future for me in the Admissions Department. I would tell any high school student Marist is a fantastic choice. I am of the firm belief that the Marist College's liberal arts education better prepares a person to transition into a consistently evolving and globalized world. It doesn't hurt that the campus is beautiful and scenery of the Hudson Valley is amazing. There is nothing like viewing the scenic Hudson River on your walk to class. If you are an athlete, Marist is consistently the best overall athletic program in the MAAC.  If you are a potential XC/Track athlete, you have a fantastic group of coaches who care about you as a person and student first and foremost. The individual athletic results speak for themselves with the record books being broken yearly.

How do you feel Marist prepared you for your post-collegiate life?

Marist is a strong academic school. I majored in Business Administration with concentration in Marketing, and parlayed my degree into a career in finance. However, I think Marist prepared me for post-collegiate life in other ways than just academics. My college years were the first time in my life where I was independent. It was during this time I was able to mold myself into the person who I wanted to be, and set goals for the life I wanted to live. Marist provides a great culture, lifestyle, and support structure which assists young adults into the first phase of their independent life. In short, my experience at Marist helped ease my transition into the "real world." 

Tell us a little bit about what you are doing now -- career/job, family, where you are living?

I work in finance at a large global institutional bank named BNP Paribas, on the Asset and Liability Management & Treasury desk (ALMT). ALMT is the bank within the bank where liquidity is managed. As a Director within ALMT, I work on the Wholesale Deposit Line team where I utilize my relationships with external institutional liquidity providers to help fund the bank prudently and soundly. I enjoy my career a great deal, it is a dynamic and ever-changing working environment. Similar to my life in sports, you have to have the ability and willingness to adapt in this field of work. Happy to help guide or talk with any Marist students who have questions or interest in finance. I think it's important to bridge generations of Marist alumni and build networks.  

Although I love my job, I'd much rather talk about my family than work. I am blessed with a beautiful and loving family. We live in Bergen County, NJ, approximately a mile away from where I grew up in Westwood, NJ. My wife, Jill, is the rock of the family. Jill works in education as a learning consultant where she is adding value to the community daily. We have three fun loving children (Grace 9, Maggie 7, and Colin 4). Grace and Maggie are very studious and extremely athletic playing soccer, basketball, volleyball, and softball. This was supposed to be Grace's first season of track. Unfortunately, we know how that panned out. Colin is your typical 4-year-old boy, jumping off one couch to the other and always finding a way to make the family smile.  I am a very proud and blessed father and husband. 

You have still remained active athletically ... what sports are you playing and what keeps you going? Are you worried about middle-aged injuries?

I do remain active playing basketball, softball and even Sunday morning flag football with a group of dads in town. The real reason I keep active athletically is there is a youthfulness that comes from playing sports that I don't always get to enjoy in my regular day to day life. As for middle-aged injuries, I'm too old to worry about them. Though people are surprised being a former track athlete that I don't work out or go on training runs.  Running a 5k or a marathon has never been a goal of mine. I feel guilty being a "Running Red Foxes Alumni" as I never took up distance running. However, if you throw a ball and a score into the equation, I can run for hours.   

How are you and your family coping with/managing the Coronavirus? How has it impacted your work and school life?

First, my thoughts and prayers go out to those whose families have been directly impacted by the COVID-19 Coronavirus. It is a horrible situation that unfortunately the entire world is facing. It is an unprecedented pandemic that I never thought we would have to experience in this day and age. My family is managing similar to many others. We are practicing strict social distancing, which is hard and scary to explain to my children as their daily habits and social interaction with friends changed overnight. My mother, who recently beat cancer, lives close to me but we haven't seen her as we feel it is important she is not potentially exposed to the virus. I worry about my brothers, who live in Manhattan. It is human nature to worry in times like these. It is also human nature to rally together (though not physically) and push through these hard times.          

Anything else you'd like to add ...

Yes, thank you for inviting me to reflect and share on the great experiences I had at Marist. It was a pleasant exercise to get away from the current news in the world. Keep up all the great work Pete and Chuck! Stay safe, stay well, stay healthy, Go Red Foxes!