The note below from John Bork to a Friend came across the desk last week.
I was not aware that Disney films was about to release a film on the great cross country story from McFarland, CA. Mr. Costner hasn't done much in film since his hits with Field of Dreams, Dances with Wolves, and Bull Durham, so let's hope the sports genre will get him and McFarland back on the map. Our co-bloggist Roy Mason supported the McFarland program financially for a number of years and put me on to their story a long time ago. George
From John:
From John:
Every time I head North on Hwy. 99 and see the City of McFarland Sign, I think of the great cross country teams that came out of there.
The Sports Illustrated article on McFarland Cross Country was Great. I hope that the movie does at least as well.
Very good trailer. (See link herwith) https://www.youtube.com/
I also, get a nostalgic feeling a little farther North when I see the sign for LeMoore, CA. where Tommie Smith hailed from:.
1968 - 200M Gold Medalist.
Finally, all those miles and miles of Oleander bushes that grow in the median of Hwy. 99 still remind me of my trip in 1960 from
Berkeley to Bakersfield with my teammate Dick Pond. Can you believe two guys hitch hiking from the NCAA Championships
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| Dick Pond |
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| Drake Relays John Bork, Western Michigan from Dale Story, Oregon St. and ahead of Jerry McFadden, Missouri |
in Berkeley to the AAU Championships at Bakersfield.I could not believe that a highway could be lined with flowers for hundreds of miles.
Dick passed away about 18 years ago but, was inducted into our WMU Athletic Hall of Fame last weekend in Kalamazoo.
Life goes by so quickly!
In December we also get treated with the Louis Zamperini Movie!
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| Don Lash, Louis Zamperini, Tom Deckard the three who made the US team for 1936 Olympics 5000 meters |
1 comment:
The fact the story seems to be based on Mexican migrant worker kids has me hooked! Brought up all the stories my father and uncles used to tell me of their work in the fields of Texas and Michigan. I've never heard of this team though. What athletes came from this team? Even if they didn't reach the stratosphere of Olympics or International competition, like most of us, it is evident the mere chance to train in running, especially XC, changed their lives forever.
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