Craig Masback

A figure in sports who's just as comfortable on the field, in the boardroom, and on the sidelines, Craig Masback began his athletic career running the 1500 meters. Born in White Plains, New York, Masback attended Princeton University, graduating in 1977. He would go on to attend Oxford University for two years on a Keasbey Foundation Fellowship and received an NCAA postgraduate scholarship after graduating college. By this time, Masback was already impressing fans of track and field, winning the bronze medal in the 1500 metres at the AAA Championships in 1978. He would repeat this feat in 1981, and later went on to win the bronze at the Pacific Conference Games in 1984 as well. Having logged a personal best in the 1500 meter in 1978 in Oslo at 3:35.28, Masback eventually began transitioning into a less hands-on position in the sports world, graduating from Yale Law School in 1994. He would work in sports law for a short time before he was hired as as CEO for USA Track & Field in 1997. Masback would stay with the organization for several years, during which time he began doing commentary for track and field events for NBC, CBS, ESPN, and ABC. By 2008, Masback was ready to leave Track & Field and join NBC as an analyst for the middle and long distance events at the London Olympics.