Mel Embree: Job, Injury Can't Keep Him On The Ground

Despite an erroneous announcement to the contrary at last weeks' Greater Boston Track Championships, Mel Embree's GBC and Harvard indoor high jump record of 7-ft. 2 1/4 in., still stands. And despite an achilles tendon injury and a successful law career, Embree is still jumping.

The holder of the Crimson outdoor record as well when he graduated in 1976, Embree put the team ahead of his individual exploits, according to field events coach Ed Stowell. "Mel was just one solid individual, and quite an all-around athlete, a high jumper, long jumper and triple jumper," Stowell says. "In a meet against Army his senior year, he triple-jumped even though he was hurt because the team needed it--and the Olympic trials were only two or three weeks away. He was quite a team player."

Now working at the Los Angeles Law firm of Gibson and Dunn, Embree says he misses the team aspect of college sports most. "It was very nice to be involved in a team where you could root for the other guys," he says. "The track team was one of my most enjoyable experiences at Harvard."

Moving on to Harvard Law School with a personal best of 7 ft., 3 3/4-in., the current Harvard record, Embree continued jumping and has not stopped since moving West except for the time lost from the injury last year. "Between my achilles tendon problems and us not going to the Olympics. I didn't work as hard as I should have to heal it," Embree says, but adds that he is nearing full strength again, and jumping over seven feet.

Embree looks ahead to a career incorporate law, emphasizing sports and entertainment-related legal matters, and he is also in the forefront of the formation of the Association of Track and Field Athletes.

But his work won't keep him from jumping. "I plan to keep competing as long as I'm physically able," he says.

"Mel Embree was a prodigious worker," Stowell says. "He just worked his tail off."