Larry Byrne, who passed away on Thursday, shows the gold watch he received in 2012 as a recipient of the Donald Potts Award at the Penn Relays for his outstanding contributions to track & field.
It's a sad time for Rhode Island high school track & field.
Just five days after the death of beloved sports writer Bob Leddy, we have learned that another legendary figure of our great sport has gone before us. MileSplit RI learned just a short time ago that longtime track & field historian Larry Bryne has passed away. He was 88.
Ever since moving to Warwick, R.I., several decades ago, the New York native has been our go-to guy when it comes to stats and records of high school track & field athletes in the Ocean State. Byrne is also well respected among his peers beyond the borders where he's wore many hats during a long and dedicated career when it comes to the oval. For more than 30 years, he was the Primary Invitation Director of the high school mile at the Millrose Games, a race that now bears his name. He was also a longtime meet director of the IC4A Championships and had been involved with the historic Penn Relays Carnival for nearly six decades where he served as an official and was a member of the "split crew" in Press Row.
Bryne, a proud New Yorker, always took pride in his R.I roots, too. In a conversation back in April for a feature story for MileSplit RI, Bryne talked about his fondest memories of high school track & field. Among his most cherished moments was witnessing first-hand La Salle Academy's victory in the Championship DMR of the Penn Relays in 2015.
Our heart goes out to Byrne's family and his wife, Bernice. Rest in Peace!
