Once Upon a Time in the Vest

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Vol. 2 No. 60 LATC club members identified


In an earlier posting we asked if anyone could identifiy all of the LATC cross country runners in the photo sent to us by Paul Ebert.



A response came from Orville Atkins and Ron Larrieu on the website
www.tracktalk.net/showthread.php?t=10838

I know 6 or 7 of the runners in that picture.  They are all very accomplished racers.  The picture must have been taken in the first half of the 1960's.  I did not begin to train under Coach Mihaly Igloi and with the Los Angeles Track Club until after the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.  I think that by then 4 of those pictured had left the Club.  I contacted Ron Larrieu and here is whaqt we have come up with.  In one or two cases we may be incorrect and our spelling may not always be right.

The top row from left to right appears to be:  Dennis Carey.  If number two'sw name is Ebert, we do not remember him.  (Paul Ebert of Sparta Wisconsin, U. of Oklahoma, and U.S. Army, actually supplied the picture.  He was a 4:06 miler and won the Drake Relays open mile in 1962.  Ed.)

Merle Magee, the hardest trainer I ever knew.  He was the only running coach 800 meter runner Johnny Gray had.


Wilbur Williams, I trained with him for 9 years.  We ran as a team in several 10 mile 2 man road relays.  In 1973 Wilbur ran 1500 meteres in 4:05.9 and a mile in 4:24.3 at age 40.  Both times were US Masters Records. 

John Pittman?
Coach Igloi.

The bottom row,  left to right goes like this: 

Peter Mundle, he was one of Coach Bill Bowerman's  "guinea pigs" at Oregon,  He and I travelled together to see several Olympics.  Pete kept US age graded records for many many years.

Tom Rodda, a fine friend and a fine runner.

Jim Grelle, Also trained with Coach Bowerman at Oregon.  Was 8th in the 1960 Rome Olymic 1500 final, Was edged out for 3rd place by 17 year old Jim Ryun in the 1964 Olympic Trials.

Ray Hughes

Ernie Schultz  Sp??

The race pictured may have been in Inglewood's Centinella Park.  In those days there were many S.P.A.A.U. cross country races in Sept., Oct. and early Nov.  The Championship Meet was held at Pierce College beginning in November , 1961 through to about 1970.

The Los Angeles Track Club was sponsored by the Losangeles Atheltic Club which at that time was an elite male Club in downtown LA.  A few days before races we were sent there for steam baths.

Orville Atkins
  #15 
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Last edited by OrvilleAtkins : 06-23-2012 at 05:43 PM.

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