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03/06/2019 11:00 PMSenior Matt Daley is in the midst of an impressive career that’s seen him contribute to a slew of school-record performances as a runner at Branford High School. Matt led the boys’ cross country team as a captain last fall and then turned in an excellent campaign with the indoor track team this winter. In the spring, Matt will lead the outdoor track squad as one of its captains.
Although he’s played a few other sports for Branford, Matt ultimately found his niche as a year-round runner. Matt likes how running provides an escape from the stress of everyday life, while also giving him an opportunity to bond with his friends.
“It does relieve stress. You get in your own mind and don’t have to worry about anything else,” Matt says. “You get to run with your friends. Most of the time, we just joke around, hang out, and have fun. But if you have a bad day, you can go out for a fast run, and get your mind off everything else.”
Matt ran cross country at Walsh Intermediate School for three years, before joining the team at the high school. He earned his spot in the varsity pack as a freshman and then worked his way up the ranks to become Branford’s top runner in his senior season. Along the way, Matt trimmed his best time for a 5K from 21 minutes to 18 minutes. He improved by a full minute in his senior season alone.
“I was happy with how I improved,” says Matt. “I came into the year wanting to be faster. I ran more distance, built up my endurance, and did much better my senior year.”
Matt wasn’t a distance runner when he joined the Hornets’ indoor track squad. Matt started off doing the 55 and the long jump, but transitioned to the 1,600 and the 3,200 during his sophomore year. After competing for the swim team as a junior, Matt came back to the track with a full head of steam this season.
On Jan. 12, Matt broke the school record in the 600 by finishing with a time of 1:25.12 at the Yale Track Classic. It was the first time Matt ran the event this year and only the second time in his career.
“I was just trying to make states for the 600. I didn’t have the school record in mind,” Matt says. “I didn’t think I did that good, but I ended up breaking it, and the whole team went crazy.”
Matt also competed for three relays that set school records this winter: the 4x400 relay (3:34.61), the 1,600 sprint medley relay (3:43.41), and the distance medley relay (10:56.32). He also helped the sprint medley relay take sixth place at the State Open after it had finished second in the Class M State Championship.
While it meant a lot to break the record in the 600, Matt feels there’s something special about achieving great feats alongside his teammates in relays.
“It’s awesome to be with your best friends in school and then go with them and have success in the relays,” says Matt. “It’s nice to be on a team where we’re all close with each other. We know that we all have to go fast every single time we do it. It’s good to know that I’m doing something good not just for myself, but for the team and the school.”
Matt experienced that same feeling with the outdoor track team last spring, when he helped his 4x400 relay break the school record with a time of 3:28.06 at the Class MM State Championship. Matt delivered a personal-best split of 52.0 seconds in the relay.
“When I took the baton, the coaches were screaming that we were on pace for a school record, so I knew I had to run my best. It was a lot of pressure,” Matt says. “We were all huddled around the finish line waiting for the last guy to come in. When we saw that we had set a new record by hundredths of a second, we started freaking out. We were hugging each other, the coaches were going crazy. It was awesome.”
One of those coaches is Rich Biondi, who is the head coach of the Hornets’ boys’ indoor and outdoor track teams. Biondi has been coaching Matt since Matt started running in the 5th grade. It means a lot to Biondi that Matt has established himself as a top-tier runner and a first-class student-athlete at Branford High School.
“Matt is a talented kid and a good citizen who works hard. He’s a kid of great character who does the right things all the time. He’s a positive role model for the young kids on the team, and it’s really been a pleasure to coach him,” Biondi says. “I’ve always wanted Matt to achieve greatness. The school records and the places at the championship meets speak for themselves. Matt has truly earned the right to be called one of the best runners in this part of the state.”