Archives: Cross-Country | McQuaid Invitational | Indoor Track | Outdoor Track
Note: Each section can be downloaded in its entirety by selecting all.zip file.
The McQRun.com archives are a rich library of running history at McQuaid Jesuit High School spanning over 50 years of cross country, indoor and outdoor track. Records date from 1959, the earliest recorded by Coach Bradley’s predecessor, Terry Foley, who started McQuaid’s team in 1957 and coached it until Bradley took over in 1962. The majority of material you will find here was meticulously compiled and maintained in Coach Bradley’s records from 1962 until his retirement in 2006.

Below are a few pictures from different decades of his coaching and a career summary written by his son Rob, ’93 after his death in December, 2019. His contributions to McQuaid running and in the lives and development of his student-athletes have been profound. He certainly was proud of his career and the influence his leadership has had on others (in his own very down-to-earth way) but one of his greatest accomplishments was the transition of his stewardship of the McQuaid running tradition. In 2006 his protégé, then-assistant coach Todd Stewart, took over head coaching duties of both the cross country and indoor track programs. He has mirrored his mentor’s success, adding 1 New York State Cross Country title and 5 Sectional titles to the storied McQuaid program since then. In Indoor track, Coach Stewart has amassed 10 Section V titles, 6 individual event New York State Champions and 1 National Champion (Tomarris Bell, 2008 High Jump).

As Coach Bradley would say, “Peace & God Bless” from the many volunteers who have made the posting of this archive of records possible. Our notable contributors (in addition to Coach Bradley of course) include: Scott Paterson, ’86, Dave Warth, ’85, Coach Todd Stewart, Coach Bill Quinlisk, ’69, Christine Glavin, and Rob Bradley, ’93. Enjoy it!


The earliest known coaching picture of Bob Bradley, with the 1962 Cross Country Team

About Coach Bob Bradley & the McQuaid Invitational:

After moving from Jersey City, New Jersey to Rochester in 1960 to take a teaching position at McQuaid, Coach Robert J. “Bob” Bradley began coaching cross country at McQuaid in 1962. His predecessor, Terry Foley had suggested a few times that Coach Bradley start a replacement for the recently defunct Brighton Invitational and run an event at McQuaid. The ultimate catalyst, though, for starting the meet in 1965 was star runner Eric Kendrick. Bradley was intent on helping showcase Kendrick’s talents and increase his visibility in hopes of helping him earn a college scholarship. In addition to winning that first McQuaid Invitational, Kendrick went on to win the individual Penn Relays Mile in the spring of 1966 and won a track scholarship at Maryland State (now University of Maryland Eastern Shore). Coach Bradley had said many times, “If there had been no Eric, there probably would have been no McQuaid Invitational.” The coach and athlete remained friends for over 50 years through Coach Bradley’s passing in December, 2019. Eric Kendrick passed away just 10 months after his coach in October, 2020 after a long and courageous battle against multiple cancers.


Eric Kendrick & Dan Lesser - McQ's only Invite Individual Varsity Champions

After its humble start, with just 10 complete teams in that first 1965 varsity race, Coach Bradley continued to grow the Invitational as its director until 2001. The next 18 years he remained active as an assistant meet director and served as the meet’s announcer through his final invitational, in 2019, while fighting terminal cancer. As announcer, his deep, resonating voice with that trace of a New Jersey accent had been a hallmark of the meet for its first 55 years. Many have observed how appropriate it was that, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Invitational was forced to take, in effect, ‘a year of silence’ in 2020 – the first year in its history that its founder would not be deeply involved in the meet.


McQuaid Invitational Win 1980

Despite his nature to deflect credit, Coach Bradley amassed an outstanding coaching record over 44 years as head cross country coach at McQuaid (1962-2005), 30 seasons as Outdoor Track and Field coach and 17 seasons as Indoor Track & Field Coach. After retiring from McQuaid, Coach Bradley volunteered to run a middle school cross country program at nearby Siena Catholic academy and coached another 8 seasons there, bringing him to 99 total seasons coached. In addition to founding the McQuaid Invitational (as of 2019 it was the largest high school cross country event in the United States) other career highlights include:

  • 10 Section V Cross Country Team Champions, Coached 4 Individual Section V winners
  • 2 New York State Cross Country Championship teams in 1984 and 1992. (New York State records also count Bradley’s 1981 team as State Champion, which Coach Bradley & McQuaid do not recognize as it resulted from a ‘technical & irrelevant-to-the-outcome’ disqualification. McQuaid gave the 1981 State Championship plaque to Corcoran of Syracuse).
  • 6 Section V Track Team Champions
  • 4 New York State Track Event or Relay Champions
  • 3 Section V Indoor Track Team Champions
  • 2 New York State Indoor Individual or Relay Champions
  • 2 National Championship Relays - Indoor Track (4 x 800, ’88, ’89)
  • 1 Outdoor Track National Champion (Brad Sumner, 800m, 1989)
  • Totals: 19 Section V Team Championships, 8 New York State Team or Individual Championships, 3 National Champion Teams or Individual.


    1984 Cross-Country State Champions
    Bradley, Mack, Rapp, Paterson, Lyboldt, Smillie, Warth, Schell

    Coach Bradley always considered the McQuaid Invitational to represent the “glory of the sport” at its finest. It is a highlight of the season and an always special and amazing day. As a devout Catholic and man of faith throughout his life, it is fitting to close our review of Coach Bradley’s career by sharing his favorite poem. It’s one we think about and remember him fondly by, most especially on the day of the McQuaid Invitational:

    i thank You God for most this amazing

    by. E.E. Cummings

    i thank You God for most this amazing
    day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
    and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
    which is natural which is infinite which is yes

    (i who have died am alive again today,
    and this is the sun’s birthday; this is the birth
    day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay
    great happening illimitably earth)

    how should tasting touching hearing seeing
    breathing any—lifted from the no
    of all nothing—human merely being
    doubt unimaginable You?

    (now the ears of my ears awake and
    now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

    Thank you for taking the time to read about his life, career and how the McQuaid Invitational started.


    Photo Gallery

    McQuaid Breaks CBA Dual Meet Streak 1970


    Team Prayer, Track 1968


    Regional High School Coach of the Year with wife, Ann Marie, New Orleans 1987


    1989 Indoor National 4x800 meter Champions
    Stone, Fahy, Romanowski, Sumner


    2001 USA Track & Field Hall of Fame Induction


    Celebration of 50th McQuaid Invitational 2014


    McQuaid Invitational 2018


    1992 Cross-Country State Meet Results Posted!


    Tony Canali, Coach Bradley, Todd Stewart, Dave Yendryzski 2005



    McQuaid Invitational 1984


    Siena Girls Team 2013


    Note about this Site
    This page/site was created and is hosted by Scott Paterson, '86. Rob Bradley, '93, provided the written content and photos, Scott just put it together on a page :-). Coach Bradley inspired Scott to begin coaching himself when his daughter wanted to try running as a 4th grader (she has since moved on to volleyball). However, Scott continues to coach and is in his 11th season of coaching girls and boys cross-country, track, and road racing (K-8th, 110 runners from 14 different schools) at RunClubMenloPark.org (USATF Youth Club) including the founding running of the Run Club Invitational youth cross-country meet in Menlo Park CA on November 13th, 2022.


    Run Club 8 & Under Girls Team in Bumblebee Uniforms
    1st Run Club Invitational Team Champions 2022
    Front: Lily, Laylah, Emmi (1st Meet Champion), Sami, Lucy (7), Ada
    Back: Maesie, Audrey, Lianna, Coach Scott, Emelia, Bella