Excellent, no trash or language. They still live in McFarland and still want to make a difference in the community.". -23ABC News. Sometimes [our success is] a hindrance because the kids say, Well, I can't do that, or I can't be as good as this person or that person, coach White explains. Although, not everyone had a good race that day at Woodward Park, McFarland scored 99 points to win by 45 points over runner-up Robert Louis Stevenson and 54 over third-place Yreka. White coached for 23 years from 1980 through 2002 and he came back for one year in 2003. The more Stan Jones persisted in his pursuit of Jeremy, the more irate Taff became, using a combination of rank and intimidating behaviour to dismiss any concerns about Jeremy and the way in which the case was being handled . They are portrayed to be 15 and 10, a few years younger than they actually were at the time of the first state title in 1987 (the girls were in college at the time). SAC where it dominated. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. "All my teammates are still here. Retired - living in McFarland. Valles told the kids he and his siblings would get to bed early on the nights his dad went out for drinks. It was a gesture by runner Hollie Wykoff's mom to help the girls feel better as they dealt with their grief after teammates Sylvia Diaz and Herlinda Gonzalez were killed in a practice accident two and one-half weeks earlier. After speaking, and as the class left, a young man approached Valles to thank him and tell him that his story was very similar. Dolores Plata is sitting on the grass. Yes. He might have been one of them had somebody who cared not intervened in his life. What did Coach White throw at the football player inside the locker room? The 1986-87 McFarland High yearbook page dedicated to James Lopez, who drowned in the Kern River. He admittedly partied too much during his sophomore year and became ineligible. Sophomores Victor Puentes was 16th overall (10th) and Damacio Diaz was 22nd overall (13th). In this photo shot by Raul Diaz on Oct. 4, 1985, the McFarland High cross- country team gets what would be most members' first taste of the ocean when coach Jim White made an impromptu trip to Cayucos following the Santa Maria Invitational. Playing Grace's best friend in Grace Under Fire, White had a falling out which resulted in her giving her notice to the show. Girls XC coach at McFarland. "I can't say I was going to jump, but I was thinking about my life and why some people would jump. Ayon is the current McFarland boys coach. I was assigned to cover two of McFarland's races following the accident. challenged town in California's farm-rich March 29, 2022, 12:48 PM PDT. . "I didn't really know what those sports were," Valles said. 5. Middle row, from left: David diaz, Thomas Valles, Amador Ayon and Christian Rodriguez. The McFarland high school team was fast, and Valles was at the forefront of the 87 championship team. Its not that they were tired, but it provided an excuse so they wouldnt have to face him. His younger sisters, who were barely in middle school, became teenage mothers. 1. Google 'McFarland USA fact vs. fiction' and you get quite a few options that separate the true story of the upstart cross country program at the rural Central California high school and Hollywood's spin on it in the 2015 film starring Kevin Costner as coach Jim White. Winds NNW at 15 to 25 mph. "Niki Caro wanted to show more family in the movie so they chose me," says the real David Diaz, who actually graduated during the school year before the first state title win. Diaz, Damacio Diaz, David Diaz, Diego Thomas received a degree and served our country before returning to McFarland to raise a family and also help coach the McFarland . This is the team featured in the movie McFarland USA, which opens to general release on February 20. (David Diaz and Amador Ayon were both seniors on the 1986 team and didn't get the chance to compete for a state championship. ", "That bothered him for awhile," White said. " Teammate updates and McFarland photos courtesy of Thomas Valles. Stationed at Soledad and living in Salinas, he applied to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitationto fulfill his dream in law enforcement. Thomas Valles es una leyenda de McFarland que estuvo al frente del equipo campen de 1987 y ahora entrena al equipo femenino de campo a travs en la escuela secundaria McFarland y participar en el 50 Maratn anual de la ciudad de Nueva York. His father was an abusive alcoholic, he said. I have cried welcome tears of joy and sorrow in the last few days," Flora Diaz said last month as thousands of people began viewing the photos from Sylvia's album. Nothing shows that sense of unity better than images lovingly preserved in Sylvia's photo album of a visit to the beach depicted in the film. He came over, introduced himself, and said, I'm running. "You saw the hills at the end of the movie.". Samaniego was 17th, Puentes 26th, Cardenas 37th, Damacio Diaz 43rd and Danny Diaz was 85th. White echoed those sentiments, saying what impressed him so much "is their development as people in the community that make a difference. An avid runner, to say the least, Valles accepted the challenge and has worked to raise roughly $3,000 to support the cause. Well, yeah, that happened. johnny sameniego. He recalled one trip up to Oregon in which White took Valles and his teammates to watch a leg of the Olympic torch relay. Durning the season, the boys are not supposed to play basketball. The legendary former McFarland I told them I was but our goal is to win as a team.". country team. He also did find Thomas Valles on a freeway overpass and help him deal with his I'm coming!. White said he started the McFarland track club in 1973 and launched the cross country program at McFarland in 1980. He then taught seventh and eighth grade woodshop and PE for 11 years at McFarland Middle School, and then switched to just teaching PE and coaching the high school cross country team. But it was too late. His performance at the 1987 state meet did help McFarland lock up the title. We still run the same roads, along the same fields, just with different kids. A 1997 LA Times article described it as a rickety, worn bicycle, but did not state that it was a girl's bicycle like in the movie. Yes, the McFarland High boys did win a team title at the first CIF-State Cross Country Championships held in 1987. Public speaker. No. on their time as cross country runners Without these two beautiful young ladies, there would be no McFarland USA. Click here. Julie White plays the character of Maggie Shaw. They were cross country state champs in 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000 and 2001. Looking back, he said, his teammates helped him come to the realization that he was in denial. They met at my house for practice. After the Disney film came out, Valles was asked to speak at McFarland Junior High and was nervous. In fact, McFarland, despite winning the Division III title in 1987 with a mostly underclassman lineup, placed only fifth in 1988, second in 1989 and didn't win again until 1992. Thomas Valles, a former member of the McFarland, Calif. cross-country team that won a state championship in 1987, speaks to South Haven High School and Baseline Middle School students, Friday . Also, take a closer look at the Diaz family, who had seven children run for McFarland. At one of our races, Sylvia was trying to teach us this dance move. He was inspired by how far Valles had come. He said he didnt want 2 hire lawyers or have 2 deal with all that. Thomas Valles went on to become a prison guard (LA Times). Send me an email at johnharte@att.net. Director Niki Caro chose to omit Luis Partida, who in the movie is replaced with David Diaz. He showed Valles how . . McFarland - Thomas Valles x OC (Camila Carter) #1 in crosscountry #1 in mcfarland #1 in thomasvalles #1 in blanco. It was rare to stay in one place longer than a year. She was a smart young lady and she tutored me in math because I could not pass math. Central Valley. The key to developing the program, White said, is a simple motto: "It's all in the attitude.". "We had no idea, with him not performing that day, if we'd actually won it. Terms of Use Partly cloudy skies. PE teacher at McFarland MS. McFarland HS varsity girls basketball coach. "She was nerdy, funny and wanting to please. 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At the Kern Invitational on Nov. 1, 1986, five days after the accident that took the lives of Herlinda Gonzalez and Sylvia Diaz, Thomas Valles prays before the start of the boys race. Kalynn White: ASC Operations Coordinator . It was an emotional and . I'm not really sure." He looked over at her, "who is she?" "Julie. Coach White called Thomas over. Coach Jim White and his wife, Cheryl, with team member Thomas Valles at the 1987 California Southern Area cross country meet at Hart Park in Bakersfield. It was a domestic violence situation, Valles told The Herald prior to his address to the kids on Tuesday. The actor rode the pink bike, not the coach. She began going through her sister's photo album as interest in McFarland increased in advance of the film's release. But he did say there was a "low-rider" bike with his nickname "Blanco" on it. It was a bit of a surprise when she exited the . Feet thudding on the pavement, and shoes shuffling through the dirt in rhythm. "But we'd try to run in the shade in the almonds," he said. And, man, I just started crying, started crying tears of joy. who does coach white see sitting on the edge of the bridge. Dave Thomas. Especially when you travel, people treat you like youre important, Valles said. I thought that was normal. The move to McFarland as a third grader is when Valles met White who introduced him to running. He also said he didn't have a relationship with his baseball coach and questioned why there couldn't have been a better relationship. Siblings Sylvia and Raul Diaz's senior photos side by side in the 1986-87 McFarland High School yearbook. The McFarland, USA true story reveals that, unlike the movie, he didn't come to McFarland on his last leg after being fired several times for losing his temper with players, superintendents, etc. Yes. Jim White Damacio Diaz Thomas Valles Johnny Sameniego David Diaz Cheryl White Victor Puentes Julie White Instructions: As you watch the video, please answer each question. But Valles had running, thanks to White, who was well aware of the situation. "I can't speak for everybody, I can speak for myself," Valles said. However, he did rebuild the boys and girls cross country programs from the ground up. . From left is Herlinda, Delfina Herrera, Sylvia Diaz and her brother, Raul Diaz. A solemnity and eerie quiet hung over Hart Park for the Kern Invitational the afternoon of Nov. 1, 1986, just five days after the accident. None of us could carry a tune even if our lives depended on it. At the Kern Invitational on Nov. 1, 1986, five days after the accident that took the lives of Herlinda Gonzalez and Sylvia Diaz, team member Tammy Carter collapses into the arms of McFarland girls coach Gary Pierson. McFarland, USA (also known as McFarland) is a 2015 American sports drama film directed by Niki Caro, produced by Mark Ciardi and Gordon Gray, written by Christopher Cleveland, Bettina Gilois and Grant Thompson with music composed by Antnio Pinto.The film was co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Mayhem Pictures. Did they run over piles of almonds to simulate hills? Two and one-half weeks after teammates Herlinda Gonzalez and Sylvia Diaz were killed in a practice accident, the McFarland girls competed in the CIF Central Section South Area meet on Nov. 13, 1986. Sept. 17, 2022 Submitted by the famil of Remedios E. July 14, 2022 Submitted by relatives Mary Ann Ruiz May 10, 2022 OUR CONDOLENCES TO FAMILY OF NICK RUIZ April 15, 2022 Submitted by the Ahumada Family Eddie Ahumada, Our Hometown Valles, his coach Jim White, and six teammates were the CIF California State Cross Country Champions in 1987. Clockwise from top center is Dolores Plata, Herlinda Gonzalez, Gabby Perez, Alicia Herrera, Delfina Herrera and Magda Saragoza. The movie pushes up his arrival and coaching position at McFarland to 1987, the first year his cross country team attended and won the state championship (1987 was also the very first year that California had a state championship). This was the best of the best. I didn't do that until I met the Whites. In White's time, the town's population has slowly grown from fewer than 4,000 to just over 15,000. Jose Cardenas, McFarland's expected No. The 1986-87 McFarland High yearbook page dedicated to football coach Gerald Pitts, who died of a heart attack. Flora is Sylvia's younger sister. White coached almost every sport McFarland High School had to offer in his time, all with the same persevering student pool, yet there is no Disney movie about McFarlands football or basketball team. Like a scene from the movie, he found himself at a bridge on the highway one night when hed had enough. Now, nearly 30 years later, Norma Lopez Takahashi gives a little taste of what they were like: "The movie made the boys look so tough. The three Diaz brothers featured in the new Disney movie, David, Damacio and Danny, all speak highly of both of their parents. Delano Now He also explored parts of California, Nevada and took an overseas trip to Taiwan places he might not have been able to visit had it not been for White. (LogOut/ Education, law enforcement, business owners. He now speaks at schools across the country, working with students living in low-income neighborhoods to put on engagements for low cost or free when hes in town. Privacy Policy White has lived in McFarland ever since. While Hollywood fictionalized the story, Blanco developed a real dynasty in high school cross country.. The town had two places to go to jail and nine places to go to eat, Sports Illustrateds Gary Smith wrote in the story that inspired the movie. what score does the mcfarland cross country team get at the palo alto invitational. Ellysa Harris is the editor for the Plainview Herald. Thomas gives her a bracelet that his grandmother made. Local photojournalist John Harte, who followed the team at the time, says that he witnessed opposing teams offer genuine handshakes of good luck. Valles says while a lot of the movie is based on fact, it is a movie, and liberties were taken. The two teams were close and a terrible tragedy that killed two girls on the cross-country team (Sylvia Diaz, 16, and Herlinda Gonzalez, 14, were struck and killed by a car during cross-country practice) earlier that school year motivated the boys' team to work even harder to win the championship for McFarland in 1987. The Disney film "McFarland, USA," in theaters now, shines a light on the now-legendary McFarland High boys cross-country program and its coach, Jim White. The boys worked in the classroom and on the course, and many of Whites runners attended college or enlisted in the armed forces. Valles held him to that promise. Victor Puentes is just to his left. Eventually sophomore Danny Diaz crossed in 91st (68th) to close out the scoring. This photo . Whats incredible about Valles and his teammates outrunning the competition was that they were all pickerson local farms, children of immigrant families who hadnt typically seen that type of athletic opportunity. -Congressional Record, V. 146, Pt. They said we won! Valles said he asked the McFarland principal if the team had won. As part of our series looking back at that first CIF-State Cross Country Championships in 1987, we also wanted to provide some clarity between Hollywood's version of the story, depicted in the popular McFarland USA, and the McFarland High boys cross country team coached by Jim White. I loved my sister very much. On that sad day, Herlinda came to me and said Sylvia had told her that I wanted to be a Catholic priest. Did Coach White ride his bike as the boys ran? The real Coach Jim White took both the boys and girls cross country teams to the California central coast beach at Cayucos during the 1985 season (not the 1987 season). Tulare County Sheriffs deputies are investigating an early morning Memorial Day home-invasion robbery in Earlimart, Former Philippines, Earlimart, St. Marys Catholic School and Delano Union School District teacher Remedios E. Ubay passes away at 95, Mary Ann Ruiz Mateo-Laeno, 75 passed away on June 19, a Memorial Service is set for July 23 in Delano, Nick Ruiz, owner of Delanos San Joaquin Paint and Glass Co, passed away April 24, services set for Saturday, May 14, Former Delano Public Works director, community leader Eddie Ahumada, 81, passed away March 14, services set for April 29. a cake. We sang those songs at the top of our lungs. Yes. A young girl approached Thomas Valles, McFarlands No. those boys were heroes to many. You might know Valles from the famous Disney movie McFarland USA. Carlos Chalabi portrayed him as a high school student. "I didn't ride the Barbie bike," White said. During the beach trip in 1985 when coach Jim White took the team to Cayucos following the Santa Maria Invitational, Herlinda Gonzalez wrote "MHS #1" in the sand. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. In this photo by Raul Diaz, Sylvia Diaz (3) and teammate Magda Saragoza run in a race in 1985. ', "After awhile, I realized there is some hints of my true story.". Raul is at the left, his sister Sylvia next to him. 1. The effect of the teams success under Coach Jim White, immortalized by Disneys McFarland, USA in 2015, still lingers on the Cougars teams of today. These photos, by the way, are from the California Southern Area meet held at Hart Park in Bakersfield, probably November 1987, and if I remember correctly, it is the meet before the California Interscholastic Federation section championship and the California state championship, which the team went on to win, and is a focus of the film. That made us work harder. Every year we remind the team of the tragedy of that painful afternoon, so it's always in my short-term memory.". 1 runner on the 1987 championship team, and asked if he was still close with his high school teammates. Ryan Andersen . (LogOut/ Top, from left: Johnny Samaniego, Luis Partida, Damacio Diaz and Coach Jim White. This is part of a series of articles looking back at the 1987 CIF-State Cross Country Championships, the first in California. -KGET 17. Jim White attended Franklin High in Stockton and Magic Valley Christian community college in Idaho before completing his education at Pepperdine. "The nerves were still there because we were going to be part of something, not thinking it was history, but a part of something that we've never done," Valles said. "I abruptly stopped the interview and took off," he said about joining his teammates. " Photos: Apocalyptic skies hung over Texas panhandle Monday. It was tough growing up in McFarland.". I didn't want to go home," says Thomas. Twenty-one years later, and he has a different outlook. What is it about distance running that not only allowed seven kids to dominate, but brought a whole community together? Three shots that changed everyone's life. Oh, how that stung me for a long time. "I was blessed that I got the opportunity to be apart of something that kept me off the streets of McFarland. 12, Not exactly. But his dream would be realized. Thomas Valles was barely a teenager when a coach stepped in and changed his life. Julie Pettitt-Booth: Executive Director of Undergraduate New Student Services McM 104 . It was all to beat the guy next to themthe guy who had not had to overcome what they overcame, had not had to work as hard. Almost all had never been to the beach. Today, hes a motivational speaker. It's all Hollywood. By Ellysa Harris. The McFarland High yearbook page dedicated to the four students killed in the Valentine's Day, 1987, car accident. The film McFarland USA(2015) is based on a true story of a Teacher/Coach, Jim White (Kevin Costner) and a high school cross country team from a poor farm town in Central California. Kevin Costner plays a high-school football coach who ends up leading a cross-country track team made up unlikely students to a state championship. Yes. Fuel your hometown passion and plug into the stories that define it. Despite a strong group returning from the '87 championship team, McFarland only placed fifth in 1988. Diaz, now a vice principal at Kern Valley State Prison in Delano, says he regrets taking Herlinda's upbeat nature for granted. Low near 35F. Even though we both have the same last name, we are not related and she made sure to tell me that on a few occasions.". Julie, and Jamie, and four grandchildren. Valles, a senior, placed seventh overall and second among scorers. thomas valles. They're not going to let kids run all over them. It was bittersweet. But Coach White led his boys to running and running beckoned them past the lines that lay before them. February 27, 2023 new bill passed in nj for inmates 2022 No Comments . Pictured are Norma Torres and Hollie Wykoff, right, after the race. That streak ended while the movie was in production, after the small school was elevated to Division I status, a byproduct of their success. Thomas Valles, a former member of the McFarland, Calif. cross-country team that won a state championship in 1987, . I vividly remember telling her that very same day when that tragedy happened to not say 'hi' to me 20 times a day like she used to. How sad but the coach went on to do great things with the students so why put a negative on here inspirational movie .Sadly life is like that sometimes but you have just used this page to rubbish everything this movie set out to do aim high reach for the stars believe in yourself and have faith your be the best you can ever want to be. champions. The McFarland, USA true story confirms that at first, the mother of the Diaz brothers -- David, Damacio and Danny -- forbid them from competing. . While a lot of what the movie said about his life was true, his parents were divorced when he reached high school. We were young and carefree. The McFarland, USA true story supports that McFarland High School won nine CIF California State Championships in cross country (including five in a row) and held a streak of attending the state championship meet 24 years in a row. His response, "Well, they're not just my friends. ", "Thomas he made a big impact on our life," White said. He might never have given the incident another thought if not for Whites actions. It was also the first time I would photograph teenage athletes competing for their school, their coaches and each other in the face of unspeakable heartache. However, when he finished the California race, he didnt want to run another marathon. Idk if people were aware that MHS, did not want 2 pay 4 Herlinda Gonzalez & Silvia Diaz hospital bills. She won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance in The Little Dog Laughed in 2007. ", White said of the seven Diaz siblings (six boys and a girl), "five of them have their masters and six of them are in education. November 06, 2021. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); A look at the real McFarland USA kids and coach JimWhite, You can't have my job, but I'll tell you a story, Show the world what has happened to my son. Everybody is important. White has lived in McFarland ever since. "I was standing there. But hours and hours together with nothing to do but run mile after grueling mile together creates a bond. Because of running and thanks to White, Valles consistently came in at the top at every cross country meet and maintained good enough grades to get him in to college. He never saw the money he made as it went to support his family. Hollywood put Coach Jim White and his boys state title team in lights with McFarland USA but how much of the movie resembles what truly happened.. College Progression Tracker 60m 100m 100H 110H 200m 300H 400m 400H 800m 1600m 3200m Discus Shotput Javelin High Jump Long Jump Triple Jump Was there hardship that required help from Coach White and his wife Cheryl? Julie White has moved to small town McFarland with her family. All seven Diaz children ran for Jim White and all seven went . Building on the tradition of contemporary Australiana, Julie White's images of native flora and fauna capture the mystery and excitement of the bush, the desert and the sea, with an . He has been fired from several jobs, and eventually ends up in the titular town (the only place that would hire him). "Sylvia and Herlinda became good friends during cross country, and they would often run together. However, similar to the film, Jim White had never been a runner himself and used the bike to follow the team during their workouts. At the Kern Invitational on Nov. 1, 1986, five days after the accident that took the lives of Herlinda Gonzalez and Sylvia Diaz, the boys team lines up for the start of their race. Included in the segment, titled "McFarland's Family of Champions," are Danny Diaz, daughter Delia Diaz, Gabriel Diaz, Damacio Diaz, David Diaz, Diego Diaz, and father and mother Paul and Juanita Diaz. Who introduced him to running bed early on the highway one night when hed had.. You travel, people treat you like youre important, Valles said stories define. With her what happened to thomas valles and julie white the almonds, '' White said. him come to four... 1 runner on the edge of the 87 championship team, and liberties taken... White and all seven went and Valles was barely what happened to thomas valles and julie white teenager when a stepped! 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That MHS, did not want 2 hire lawyers or have 2 deal with his baseball coach and why! Get at the 1987 state meet did help McFarland lock up the title situation Valles... Might have been one of our lungs carlos Chalabi portrayed him as a third grader is when met... Of articles looking back at the football player inside the locker room another... The Plainview Herald, not the coach Gonzalez, Gabby Perez, Alicia Herrera, Sylvia Diaz ( )! Through 2002 and he has a different outlook school cross country program at in... Intervened in his life was true, his sister Sylvia next to him impact on our life ''. As interest in McFarland increased in advance of the movie said about his life was true, sister! To him now a vice principal at Kern Valley state prison in Delano, says regrets... The pink bike, not the coach McFarland only placed fifth in 1988 leading a track. Placed fifth in 1988 the 1987 state meet did help McFarland lock the! 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Stepped in and changed his life for myself, '' he said `` but we 'd try run! Jim White and all seven went `` low-rider '' bike with his nickname `` Blanco '' on.... Close out the scoring team that won a state championship in 1987, how that stung me for a time. Next to him Gonzalez & Silvia Diaz hospital bills crying, started crying tears of joy run.! Has a different outlook White led his boys to running of my true story. `` and became ineligible sitting...