Frank Sabasteanski was a highly respected track and cross country coach at Bowdoin College, serving in that role for 28 years - from 1955 until his death from cancer at age 62 on January 13, 1983.

Sabasteanski, born in 1920 and a native of Portland (often called "Sabe" by his friends), graduated from Bowdoin in 1941. At Bowdoin, he was a pole vaulter and weightman and was twice named All-Maine selection in football. "I was just the opposite of most athletes," he said in 1982. "I went out for football to get into shape for track."

From 1942 to 1945 he served in the Army in Europe as an aerial photographic interpreter, and upon returning to civilian life, he furthered his education at Boston University where he earned a masters degree in 1949. Starting in 1946, he served as assistant track coach at Bowdoin under Jack MaGee, taking over as head coach in 1955.

As Bowdoin's track coach he produced seven All-Americans including four hammer throwers, a shot putter, and two runners. Sabe's cross country teams compiled 57 wins against 43 losses between 1972 and 1980, while his indoor and outdoor track teams had a 72-25 record between 1974 and 1982.

"Win and loss records are not that important. Doing a competent job is important," he said.
But his involvement in track went beyond Bowdoin. In 1960, he was manager/coach of a group of leading American trackmen who traveled to the Middle East. Four years later, he was sent to Ghana by the U.S. State Department to help train that African nation's track team for the Tokyo Olympics.

Then in 1965, he coached a group of top American athletes who competed in the pre-Olympic games at Mexico City, and two years later Syria sent its best hammer thrower to Bowdoin to receive instruction from the master.
Sabe served as president of the Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Association and New England Track Coaches Association and was president of the Maine Amateur Athletic Union.

Starting in 1969 he served as a member of the prestigious U.S. Olympic Men's Track and Field Committee, and in the summer of 1969 coached the U.S. track and field team which competed against Russia and the British Commonwealth in Los Angeles. In 1971, he served at co-director of the US Olympic summer training camp, which brought 30 of the nation's leading jumpers and vaulters to the Bowdoin campus. In 1972, he was co-director of an Olympic training camp held at Bowdoin for members of the U.S. track and field team prior to the 20th Olympic Games in Munich.

In pursuit of success in coaching track, "I think organization is important, seeing that events are covered," he said. "There are no secrets in track and field, and there is easy access to information on coaching." One suggestion for improving the sport, he said, was to keep the frequency of competition down to a reasonable level. "They tend to run too many meets."

Perhaps most important of all, Sabasteanski appreciated having a job that he loved, one that was fun. He never saw it as work. "Its a good way of life. You're doing what you want to do and getting paid for it." He also liked the amateur nature of track and field. He found it to be a sport where, unlike many others, there was time during the contest for athletes and coaches to get to know each other. "Track coaches have a much greater social intercourse because of the nature of the sport. Track and field is one of the truly amateur sports and a lot of its success depends upon the people who come and give their time (track officials)."

Never far from his thoughts were those officials whose time was given generously at his track and cross country meets over the years, and each year he would show his appreciation to them by giving them a lobster feast they would not forget.

Sabe knew that there were others who realized how enjoyable and rewarding this type of work was. He was well aware that there was a long list of people who would do anything to have his job, just waiting for the moment he would retire. "They are out there waiting in line, and I can't blame them. Coaching college track is a good way of life. You're doing what you want and you get paid for it."

Sabe was never too busy to talk with and give advice to others. Rick Krause learned this first hand. Shortly after coming to the air base at Brunswick in 1966, Krause wanted to find out if there were any road races around. He figured that the track coach at Bowdoin might be able to tell him. He went over to the Bowdoin cage and introduced himself to Coach Sabasteanski.

"He extended a handshake immediately and we talked for some time about running," Krause remembers. "He said that the person to look up was Roland Dyer who worked over at Sears at Cooks Corner. I was appreciative that Sabe had taken time out of his busy schedule to talk like an old friend to someone he'd never met before. Not too many years later I ran into Sabe when our track and cross country team at UMaine competed against Bowdoin, and finally in 1982, a year before his death, I interviewed him for an article I was writing for The Maine Paper in Hallowell.