Considered to be among the top five track & field athletesin school history according to Hall of Fame Bill Iannicelli '48,Lou Martucci was a four-year letterman for Franklin & Marshalland marks he 15th men's track & field coach/athlete named tothe Hall of Fame. During his four years at the College, he helpedlead the team to a 42-3 record and was a member of the then schoolrecord holding 440 yard, 400 meter, mile and 1600 meter relays andcontinues to hold the school 400 meter (48.3) and 440 yard (48.6)records. The only track & field runner to qualify for theNational Championship meet all four years, he made an immediateimpact as he was named the team's MVP as a freshman in 1976.
At the Penn Relays, he was part of a then school record 1600meter relay team which crossed the line in 3:19.3, which placedsecond in the Middle Atlantic Conference heat. At the MACChampionships, he set two school records as he won the 440-yarddash in a time of 48.6 and led the mile relay team to first placeand a record time of 3:20.0. He continued his roll at the NCAAChampionships by placing fifth in the trials (48.7). As a sophomorein 1977, he was part of school records in the 440-yard (43.4),1600-meter (3:17.4) and mile relays (3:20.0) and led the Diplomats1600-meter relay team to a second place finish at the Penn Relaysin a time of 3:18.9.
At the NCAA Championships, he placed fourth in the trials(48.53) and fifth in the semifinals (48.8) of the 400 meter dashbefore anchoring the team of Kevin Locklin '77, Tom Sarisky '79 andLloyd Moore '79 to a fifth place finish in the trials of the 4x400meter relay (3:18.8). His best season came as a junior in 1978 ashe helped establish a new 440 yard relay record (43.34) that stillstands and anchored Franklin & Marshall to a second placefinish at the Penn Relays in a time of 3:17.9. The time is thesecond fastest F&M 1600 relay time at the Penn Relays as the1980 team eclipsed the mark by one-tenth of a second (3:17.8).
Martucci again qualified for nationals in 1978 as he placedthird in the trials (49.13) but did not advance past the semifinalsin the 400-meter dash. In the 1600 meter relay, he anchored theteam of Sarisky, Paul Lyons '81 and Ed Pottmeyer '78 to a schoolrecord time of 3:15.96 and second place in the trials beforerecording a 47.6 split in the finals to help the Diplomats tofourth place and All-America honors. Injured most of his seniorseason in 1979, Martucci returned to the track to anchor the1600-meter relay to first place at the Penn Relays in a time of3:18.2. At the NCAA Championships, the team of Sarisky, Lyons andMoore place third in the trials (3:26.0) and sixth in thesemifinals (3:22.46) of the 1600-meter relay to close outMartucci's four-year career at the College.
A native of Spring Heights, New Jersey and a graduate of theHill School, Martucci resides in Abilene, Texas and is Director ofthe Command and Control Division at Dyess Air Force Base.
