Editor's note. I received this heartfelt letter from Darryl Taylor on October 6, 2023 while I was on leave for a few weeks in Ohio. No one could have written this tribute to Gene Gurule better than Darryl. Our sympathies go out to the Gurule family. P.S. if you read further down you will also get a lot of historical info on the Cerritos College days in the 1960's from Darryl. Further there is a story about the Cerritos coach Dave Kamanski and a controversial call he made when he was a referee at the Rose Bowl in 1969.
Billy Mills and Gene Gurule 2016
MY FRIEND GENE GURULE PASSED AWAY THIS AFTERNOON
A Brief Summary of This Outstanding Runner's History
*****A special Thank You to Larry Knuth's Massive "Community College T&F Hall of Fame" research which contains over 450 pages of California JC History
Eugene Gurule, know to me as “Geno”, passed away peacefully this afternoon around 2:00 PM, October 7th, after spending the final few years of his life fighting the disease that finally beat his efforts at winning one more battle. That disease, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, proved to be more powerful than the guttiest teammate I ever had. Geno’s list of accomplishments is long and impressive. I first met this future life-long friend in February of 1959. Cross-Country season was over and track season was still a couple of months away as we filled our winter break with easy work-outs after school. On February 14th, as I walked out to the track, I saw my Coach, Jack Newman, standing on the start finish line with another coach, one I recognized as Coach Uliberry from Artesia High School, located 2-3 miles from my own school, Excelsior High School on Norwalk, California. Coach Newman came over and told me that Artesia’s ace distance runner, Gene Gurule was here to run a 1-mile Time Trial and our top five Cross-Country runners were going to join him in a little fun. I knew that Gurule was a sub 4:30 miler at a time when that was still a rare achievement while as a half-miler I had never run a mile in a race. We warmed up, stood on the starting line and off we went. I led for the first three laps before Gene stepped on the gas and sprinted away. In the end, I finally had a mile time in my training log and thanks to Gene, I was surprised and satisfied with the effort. Gene seemed bored throughout the excise and left the field after shaking hands after what must have been a puzzling afternoon work-out. My Dad happened to be in the stands with an 8mm movie camera and caught the whole race on film. Later, during track season, Gene won the CIF-1320 at Vets Stadium, Long Beach, while I was nosed out for 5th place in the Varsity 880. One year later, had a sterling Senior year, winning the CIF Small School’s Cross-Country title and making it to the California State Meet in Track, placing 5th in the mile at 4:17.5 behind Bruce Bess and Harry McCalla.
I next met Gene Gurule in my second year at Cerritos College, a newly built JC right across the street from Excelsior HS. Gene and I became instant friends, as we were both willing to do whatever it took to improve our track times. Gene was there to lead our Cerritos team to the 1960 Southern California Cross-Country Championship in an upset over Jim Bush’s talented Fullerton College team that featured Harry McCalla, Leroy Neal and Jan Underwood. In an all-out effort at winning this title, my coach, Dave Kamanski, held Gene back with the rest of the team until the half-way mark before cutting him lose to chase after the leaders. Gene gave up a real chance of winning that title, as he came all the way back from 12th place to 3rd place on that long straight finishing sprint at Pierce College. While at Cerritos, Gene set school records of 4:21 and 9:21.
There is one race Gene ran that is seared in my memory that I will never forget. It was the Western State’s Conference Finals held on our home track. A very short five weeks prior to that meet, Gene broke his foot, had a cast placed on it, stripped it off after a couple of weeks and gingerly began a gradual build up for his chosen event, the two-mile. We ran side by side through those intervening three weeks so that by the night of the championships, we were up to 12x440 just under 70 seconds each with a 440 jog. We both felt that if he could manage to finish in the top three, he could have another week of training to prepare for the Southern California Championships, held at Bakersfield College. The competition that night was headlined by Julio Marin from LA City College. Marin would go on to stardom at USC when he won both the NCAA 3-Mile (14:24.9), the 6-Mile (30:32.9) and placed 4th in the Steeple-Chase in his first ever attempt at that event, leading USC to the NCAA Title. Gene would have his hands full on this night.
I had already run my 880, placing 2nd to earn a trip to Bakersfield so I was able to watch Gene’s race from the infield. Julio Marin and Glendale’s talented Frank Muller traded the lead over the first 7 ½ laps, with Gene trailing, catching up, trailing and catching up until the final lap. Frank and Julio were fighting hard for the win. Suddenly, coming off the final turn, Gene busted past the both of them to win the race and proved to me to be the toughest little dynamite runner I ever teamed up with. In Gene’s second year at Cerritos, he led a relay team to the 5-man, 3-mile team championship that was sponsored by Track and Field. By chance, my little brother, Lynn Taylor was a member of that ranked 3rd Nationally and 1st among Junior College teams, taking 39 seconds off the old mark my Houston.
On graduating from Cerritos I went down to the beach and ran for Jack Rose at Long Beach State 1961 to 1964. I naturally was hopeful that the next year we would add a very talented Gene Gurule to our growing team. It was not to be as Gene joined a team of Super-Stars at San Jose State, the right choice for someone with Gene’s talent and dedication. A cross-country highlight came in 1962 when Gene helped San Jose State win the NCAA Championship before repeating that win in 1963 while becoming the first California school to win that coveted crown.
In 1964, with the Tokyo Olympics on the horizon, Gene earned a trip to the Olympic Trials in the 10,000 meters on a sloppy, wet track at the University of Oregon, with water so deep in a couple of places that the athletes ran out into the second lane. Gene’s 29:56.4 under terrible conditions was good for 3rd place and a trip to Los Angles, while he finished 7th in the 5,000 in his best ever 14:19.8.
This is not the end of the story. After graduation from San Jose State, Gene moved back to Southern California, took the reins at the opening of a brand new high school in a brand new community, Mission Viejo High School. While there, Gene’s track and cross-country teams combined for five CIF Championships, his distance teams scoring in multiple events from the 880 to the 2-mile run. In 1982, his Mission Viejo T&F team won the California State Championship.
I was honored to spend a couple of hours with “Geno” and his family a few days before his passing. Anyone who has a close friendship that lasts 60 years has much to be grateful for. I am the beneficiary of that friendship, and thanks to my dedicated father, I have digitized film clips, not only of that first meeting at Excelsior High School in 1959, but many more of the Cerritos College races, both Cross-Country and Track that we both took part in. Gene was a genuine friend in every sense of the word and I will miss his friendly smile and his warm sense of humor. Rest in Peace my Friend.
Gene Gurule is the middle photo at top
Wow! I remember Gene Gurule’s name from high school. He went to Artesia High School, as I recall. It was in the same league (Rio Hondo League) as San Marino, which I attended. I ran the 100 and 220 in those days, so he was not one I ran against in high school.
Dennis Kavanaugh
ed. note You will observe that this is Vol. 13, Number 99 for 1013 and we're already up to Number 109. We've been waiting for Darryl Taylor to get home from a photography expedition in the American west so that he could add more material to his remarks above. We're happy to say that Darryl returned safely and has now sent the additional material he promised before his departure.
George-this is the photo where Gurule wins the conference Mile with Frank Muller and Julio Marin setting the pace.
Here, in LA you can see Gurule just behind and over Gerry's head shot. Houston runner is Polish emigre John Macy.
Somehow I was chosen Athlete of the year at Cerritos my 2nd year at Cerritos. Gurule was chosen Athlete of the year the next year. Kamanski must have had some pull in the office!
Kamanski created the BELLFLOWER NATIONAL RECORD RELAYS at Bellflower HS where Roy coached some fine runners in the early 70s. Right off the bat, with great talent abounding in the SC area, National records were set often in this rare night meet under the lights.
Art Pitman was a team mate at Excelsior, ran 4:28 as a 10th grader, joined the marines and came back to run pretty well at Cerritos.
The Glendale course was a tough one with this ugly hill in the first mile. Here you see Juliio Marin in 3rd place coming off the hill.
In this image you can see Gurule jumping over the barrier. Kamanski told him to run with the top five for the first 1.5 miles before taking off and winning the race.
This is the finish of the 880 vs Occidental Frosh. That's Gurule screaming at me to let me know that Jeff Neighbors is right on my heels.
I hope there is enough here to get you across the finish line my friend. THe work you do is a labor of love that is truly impressive!
Darryl
George to Darryl,
Wanted to ask you a question about Coach Kamanski. Roy Mason once told me a story about Kamanski refereeing at a Rose Bowl game and missed a call when a guy crossed the goal line but had dropped the ball before going over the line. Coach/ref K called it a touchdown, and it was later shown in photos and newsreels that it was not a TD. He made a comment like, "The camera got it wrong." I've copied Roy on this. Maybe he remembers the story if I got it right. These photos are the first I've ever seen of Kamanski.
George, I did hear some version of that story, but then, that was over 60 years ago. I believe Kamanski worked the PAC eight, or nine or 10 or 11 or 12 or whatever it was back in the 60s. Hard to think of him now running up and down the field on television. He was a great guy and a super promoter and organizer. Turned out that I was much harder on the team workouts than he was. We used my car to drive out to the hills every weekend for a tough 10 miler. Coach never said much about weekend workouts other than “you’ll be stronger if you train on the weekend. “
I was at the state made qualifier, held at Cerritos College when I looked down and saw Ty Hadley sitting in front of me. I introduced myself and told him of our mutual connection to Coach Kamanski. We had a nice conversation and then he told me that Coach was not expected to live out the month. All the photos I just sent to you were the result of a calling together of our cross country team that won the southern California championships over Jim Bush’s Fullerton college team. Yes, we had a Gene Gurule but they had Leroy Neal, Harry McCalla, Jan Underwood and a fair back up squad. Gurule was held back for the first half of the race before setting free and chasing down everyone except McCalla and Neal. I managed to gather our top five and we visited Dave in his home just a few days before he passed away. Larry Canova, was the one non-distance runner who came with us.
I quickly gathered these images, put the titles on them, and gave everyone a copy. Frankly, I had forgotten all about them until your request so thanks for that.
Darryl
I did a google search and the game involving an official named Kamanski was the 1969 Rose Bowl. However the intro of officials says his name is Paul Kamanski. The game can be seen at this youtube site
1969 Rose Bowl link
If you go to the end of the game at the 2hour 09 min mark one of the last of USC's plays is a pass into the end zone. It looks as if the Ohio State defender intercepted the ball out of bounds in the back of the end zone. The ref calls it a touchdown for USC. Really bizarro. No instant replay available. Officials just confer with each other. Did not affect outcome as OSU still had a 27-16 lead and USC missed the two point conversion which still would not have made any difference. It was OJ' Simpson's last game with USC. It is also interesting to see how football coverage was much different in those days without the availability of replays.
There is some of that tech available but it is very limited then and the announcers really had to be on top of every play and make their own interpretations almost instantaneously. I would say it was much more demanding of Curt Gowdy and Kyle Rote back then to bring the game to the public. Much less info and stats
available and almost nothing about other games that day. Although in those days the Rose Bowl was the last one played on New Year's Day.
1 comment:
Gratitude for shedding light on this topic with such clarity and depth.
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