An interview with Mike Keegan (Meegan)

Almost from second he arrived on campus, Michael Keegan was graced with a built-in nickname. No, he wasn’t Michael, nor even Mike. He was Meegan. In fact, during his four years here, there were very few times I think I referred to him as anything other than Meegan. It was such a natural nickname. Meegan is the younger brother of Tim Keegan, who everyone called Keegan. Keegan and Meegan. Very simple. Meegan was a loyal member of our team for four years, during the tail end of our “glory years” period when the men finished 2^nd to Iona College in MAAC XC for eight consecutive seasons. His career was somewhat overshadowed by his older and faster brother, but Meegan had many moments of outstanding running and racing, and he was a solid citizen of our team. And like so many, he is now a very loyal alum, which we appreciate greatly.

Upon graduation in 2013, Meegan knew very quickly that he was not suited to a desk job crunching numbers. He wanted to be a police officer. Eventually, he became a proud member of NYPD. During the past three months, there is probably no more volatile, dangerous and emotionally charged job in the country than policing, and policing in NYC. The confluence of the pandemic and the social unrest have made Meegan’s job impossibly difficult. He lost a treasured colleague to Covid (see picture below). And he readily admits that the reason for the massive social upheaval stems from something that all cops recognize was unconscionably criminal behavior by police officers in Minneapolis, who were sworn to protect and serve and clearly did neither. Meegan’s answers are short and to the point and outstanding. Again, during his time on the team here, Meegan kind of flew under the radar. But we treasure his loyalty and his taking time out of his ridiculously busy schedule (no days off in his future for him or any others on the job with the NYPD) to answer our questions. He texted me after he emailed his responses, apologizing for not getting back to me sooner (unneeded!) and thanking me for including him in this series (it’s an honor). “I’ve read them all,’’ he texted, “it’s been something I’ve looked forward to during these difficult times.”  

How and when did you begin running? Was your brother an influence in getting you started?

I started running in middle school because my parents wanted me to be involved in an extracurricular activity after school. My dad ran in high school and Tim was having success running so I figured I might enjoy running. I quickly realized there’s a rather direct correlation to the amount of work you put into running and the faster times you run, which made me want to continue to get better.

Talk about your high school running career -- highlights and favorite memories.

I ran with a bunch of great guys that I am glad to still call close friends to this day. We all pushed each other and going into my senior year we knew we had a chance at winning the county championship. We were the underdogs going into the meet as powerhouse programs like Northport and Smithtown were expected to win. We pulled off the upset and it was the exclamation point on a great season. In the spring, I broke 10 minutes in the two mile which had been a goal of mine. 

How did you wind up at Marist? Was your brother being on the team an influence or deciding factor either way?

I knew Tim was enjoying his time at Marist so I had firsthand knowledge that Marist would be a good fit. I didn’t get into Binghamton and the other schools I applied to were too pricey so it just worked itself out that I went to Marist.

What was it like being on the same team as your brother? Did it make things easier, harder, different?

It really didn’t make things all that different. Tim was consistently in the top 7 during cross country and I was just hoping to improve my time every meet. Whenever I finished a race, the first thing I tried to do was see how Tim ran and if I didn’t have a good race, but he did, it cheered me up.

What was your major at Marist and talk a bit about your academic career here?

I double majored in Accounting and Finance. I was a pretty good student and enjoyed working with numbers. Going to the library after dinner with friends and getting into that routine helped me stay on top of my courses. 

What are some of your running highlights of your time as a student-athlete? What are some of your fondest memories of your four years as a Running Red Fox? 

I had the privilege of running for Marist when we finished second in the MAAC in cross country all four years I was there. It was almost ingrained into the culture that we expected to finish second behind Iona from the moment we arrived on campus for preseason. Although I was never a scorer, being part of that environment, everyone was always driving the next guy on the team to do better and better. I remember enjoyable races at indoor MAACs in the 3k and in outdoor track a really great race with Mike Nicoletti where we traded taking the lead each lap throughout a 5k. He ended up outkicking me on the home stretch but it was a great memory.

Talk about your post-collegiate career path and specifically how you wound up with the NYPD?

The summer after I graduated, I was applying for jobs in the accounting and finance field but in the back of my mind I thought being a cop would be rewarding as you get a chance to work outside, it's something different each day, get a nice pension upon retirement, and most importantly you get a chance to help people and make a positive difference in people’s lives. In 2013, the NYPD exam was being offered every day.  I went into the city one day and took the test on a whim. I then got a job in accounting and each passing day I sat behind a desk, the more I realized I would go crazy if I had to do this every day for the rest of my life. When the NYPD contacted me to begin the application process, I knew for sure it was what I wanted to do and I entered the police academy in the fall of 2016. I currently work in East Harlem, and although like most jobs there are good days and bad days, I truly do enjoy being a police officer.

The past several months have been extremely challenging for everyone. How did your job change -- first in regards to the pandemic?

Due to the nature of police work, we are engaging with hundreds of people on a daily basis. Even with social distancing measures, this led to coronavirus spreading rapidly within my precinct. I have been fortunate to stay healthy throughout the pandemic, but with the number of cops out sick, it created increased stress on us who were working due to short personnel. We had more than 30 percent of cops out sick late March. Tragically, a cop who had been assigned to my unit lost his life due to health complications from coronavirus. He was a really great guy and it was hard to cope with his passing. 

The past week or so, the level of civil unrest in our country has reached heights not seen in decades. I'm sure your job now is even more stressful and dangerous than ever. How have you coped with that and what specific challenges have you faced?

Policing has always been a dangerous job, but I’m trying now to be more vigilant and cognizant of my surroundings as our safety has become an issue. We have been backing each other up on jobs and I fortunately work with great cops who I trust. It’s hard to say how I’ve coped with it as I have to do my job regardless of the increased challenges. I have a lot of faith in God and it’s helped in these times.  I’ve been using Citi Bike to get home after work and the few miles I ride home as the sun rises is what I look forward to after a long night of work to help decompress.

Have you been working more hours and have you been deployed to different areas and shifts to cover this crisis?

At the time of me writing this, we just switched to 12-plus hour tours and we no longer have any days off for the foreseeable future. Because Harlem isn’t the epicenter of any protests, some of the cops stay in the command to handle radio runs while the rest are sent downtown to work at the protests.

Anything else you'd like to add about the current situation?

There's not a single cop I work with that isn’t disgusted by what happened in Minneapolis. Certainly, there needs to be changes in our country in regards to racial injustices. More accountability and oversight are needed so that the bad cops, who reflect negatively on the department, are rooted out. Personally, I’ve just tried to live by the golden rule, which we were are all taught as children. Treat others as you would like to be treated. I know I’m not perfect, but I believe it’s guided me in the right direction. 

Lastly, as I ask all in this series, what can you say to our recently graduated seniors who lost the final few months of their senior year?

You got dealt undeniably a tough hand, but I’d say try to not let half a year ruin the other three and a half years you spent at Marist. Cherish the times you spent with your friends and make it a point to stay close with them after graduation. You’ll notice there wasn’t a question about my post collegiate running career because frankly there is none to speak of. I was burnt out after graduating and it's been seven years since I’ve run a race. That being said, the beauty of running is that it’s always going to be a part of who you are. Pete’s pandemic papers have really brought to light how special it is to be part of the Marist track family.