LEWISTON – The high hurdle race in the Maine State Intercollegiate Track & Field Championship will be named after long-time state meet announcer Al Harvie.

The Allen Harvie High Hurdle Race will be contested annually in the state meet beginning Saturday night, Feb. 7, at 7 p.m. at Bates College. In this year’s state meet, Southern Maine will be trying to defend its team championship against strong challenges from Bates, Bowdoin and Colby.

Harvie was the 1960 New England High School 120-yard high hurdle champion while running for South Portland High School. His winning time of 14.5 was a New England record. Harvie enrolled at Bates College in the fall of 1961, and won the 120-yard hurdle title in the Maine State Meet four years in a row from 1962 through 1965. He was captain of the 1965 Bates track team that won the Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship at Garcelon Field in 1965.

“The home crowd loved to watch Al race at Bates,” said Bowdoin College Coach Peter Slovenski, who never missed a Bates meet while growing up in Lewiston. “There were two hurdle races in every meet, and Al would electrify the crowd by beating the hurdlers from the big schools such as Boston University, Northeastern, Maine, and UNH. He was always ranked among the top two or three hurdlers in New England.”

Following graduation, Al taught biology at Kents Hill, Edward Little and Leavitt high schools. He coached more than 90 teams during his tenure at Edward Little including state championship teams in skiing and track. He was also an assistant track coach at Bates for 10 years.

Harvie has been the public address announcer for hundreds of football games, motorcycle races, and track meets. He became the voice of Maine college track in 1968, and has been the announcer for 40 consecutive Maine state meets.

“Al has made a significant and lasting impact on Bates College, and on track & field athletes all over the state of Maine,” said Bates Coach Al Fereshetian. “Al’s long term commitment to the sport, and specifically to this great State of Maine Championship as a runner, coach, and official makes him a perfect recipient of this recognition.”

There are only three other named events in the indoor state meet. The honor is bestowed on long-time state meet officials by unanimous vote of the head coaches of Bates, Bowdoin, Colby and University of Southern Maine. Other named events are the Al Nicholson Shot Put, the John Corcoran Mile Run, and the Warren Randall 600 Meter Run. The Maine Intercollegiate Athletic Association began contesting state track meets in 1895.