Danny Diaz was not overweight, but he was the seventh runner on the team. Photo courtesy of Flora Diaz and Raul Diaz. My wife reminds me who I am when I get home.. Terms of Use Stationed at Soledad and living in Salinas, he applied to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitationto fulfill his dream in law enforcement. It was a bit of a surprise when she exited the . "We were a very good team in 86," White said. Herlinda was bound for greatness and every year during cross-country season, when the hot summers start to dissipate and the leaves start to change colors, I am reminded of how sensitive life really is. The McFarland girls arrived for the CIF Central Section South Area meet on Nov. 13, 1986 in a limousine. On Sunday, Valles, a former Salinas resident who now lives in McFarland and coaches girls cross country at McFarland High School, will participate in the 50th annual NYC Marathon. Standing, from left: coach Gary Pierson, Norma Torres, Norma Lopez, Delfina Herrera and coach Jim White. Did they run over piles of almonds to simulate hills? Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. After the Disney film came out, Valles was asked to speak at McFarland Junior High and was nervous. Thomas Valles went on to become a prison guard (LA Times). potential at the predominantly Latino high A female carer working with autistic children who bit off part of a pub landlady's ear during a boozy bar brawl has been jailed for 14 months. And both CBN and Fox News announced that the "Asbury Revival" had spread to other schools, including Cedarville University. The film also shows a chubby runner named Danny Diaz rallying late to secure the team title. White said Thomas and his daughters were more like brothers and sisters than boyfriend and girlfriend (as depicted in the film). Danny Diaz, daughter Delia Diaz, Gabriel They met at my house for practice. She eventually concluded that it was good for them as long as they still worked. Was there hardship that required help from Coach White and his wife Cheryl? David Diaz says the memory of the accident that took Sylvia and Herlinda more than 28 years ago "feels like it happened last cross-country season. We all have opportunities to inspire every person we meet every day. The photo was taken with Raul's camera by a teammate. 2023 2019 ABG-SI LLC. 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. We treated them just like our kids. " Inspired by the irony of his last name, "Blanco" was one of the nicknames that the kids and their families gave Jim White. "We had no idea, with him not performing that day, if we'd actually won it. 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. Dave Thomas. He came over, introduced himself, and said, I'm running. Thomas gives her a bracelet that his grandmother made. Jim was known for being a tough coach by his runners but also for his selfless acts of helping out with the boys, the town and the church. His older brothers started getting mixed in the wrong crowds and experimenting with drugs. Heck, we girls could have beat them up," she says, delivering a good-natured salvo to her former teammates. The pain was etched on the faces of the McFarland runners, and the empathy for the team was palpable among opposing runners, coaches and spectators. Yes. He admittedly partied too much during his sophomore year and became ineligible. White would take his teams to train in Yosemite at elevation. It was enough to get him back on track. We became a real family, and we're still family.. November 06, 2021. 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. 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. That's OK. We're doing it for our kids, we'll do it for you. As Valles wrapped his speech to the kids, he encouraged them to take steps toward reaching their goals by getting an education, going into a trade or joining the military. Sylvia Diaz at work in the agricultural fields of McFarland in 1985. children ran for Jim White and all seven The six-part series . Some, like David Diaz, became teachers themselves. His marathon goal falls in line with the releaseof McFarland USA on Disney+ last month. 5, was not in the picture. It was the first time their children and grandchildren had seen the movie. You have permission to edit this article. The team placed second in 1989 with Samaniego placing eighth and getting on the podium. By Carlo Vellandi Nov 22, 2022. E-7Sergeant First Class - United States Army. Winds light and variable. He offers the kids a chance John Harte is a photojournalist and teacher who spent decades on the staff of The Californian. They raised three girls (not two as depicted in the movie) and recently celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary. Thomas Valles was barely a teenager when a coach stepped in and changed his life. But the depiction of him in the film prompted him to make a t-shirt showing him as he actually was: "This is the real Danny Diaz.". White retired in 2002 but returned to coach the 2003 team. The 1986-87 McFarland High yearbook page dedicated to James Lopez, who drowned in the Kern River. Did the boys have to get up with the sun to work in the fields only to return later in the day to train there? To see additional photos of the McFarland boys and girls teams competing in the 1986 Kern Invitational five days after the tragic accident that took the lives of their teammates, please visit the post McFarlands never-ending heartache.. She began going through her sister's photo album as interest in McFarland increased in advance of the film's release. Their legs were shot by Friday, the day before State.". They worked hard. And that pain would come back. It was an emotional and . A young girl approached Thomas Valles, McFarland's No. He and his wife Cheryl met at Magic Valley Christian College in Idaho. White House Farm has been criticised by Essex police for the way in which Taff is portrayed. Top, from left: Johnny Samaniego, Luis Partida, Damacio Diaz and Coach Jim White. Sophomore Johnny Samaniego was 12th overall (sixth in scoring). Additionally, Coach White would be there for counseling and fulfilling needs beyond what their parents could afford. Primary filming took place in McFarland, California in 2013. Jose Cardenas, McFarland's expected No. 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. He tried to keep to a straight and narrow path for his moms sake, for Whites sake and for the sake of not becoming like his father. Eventually sophomore Danny Diaz crossed in 91st (68th) to close out the scoring. Thomas Valles, a former member of the McFarland, Calif. cross-country team that won a state championship in 1987, . White said there are hills around orange groves about six miles outside of town where the team goes for true hill training. Thomas Valles. Despite a strong group returning from the '87 championship team, McFarland only placed fifth in 1988. 1. Members of McFarland's Diaz family reflect 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. I think the school shouldve paid because it was during school practice. Ellysa Harris is the editor for the Plainview Herald. school and decides to put together a cross "The best part wasn't winning a state championship or winning medals," Valles said, "it's what we did afterward, our education, our careers, my family. The final episode of White House Farm aired in February 2020 on ITV and the entire series is streaming on Netflix now. My most memorable moments with her were the bus rides to away races. "You try to offer them the same thing we offered our girls," White said. "But we'd try to run in the shade in the almonds," he said. They were requested by People Magazine. What you don't see in the film is sixth runner Luis Partida, who was replaced on the team in McFarland USA by David Diaz, who had actually graduated in 1986. All seven Diaz children went to college and all seven returned to McFarland where they live today. "Sometimes I helped them work in the fields," says the real Coach Jim White, "but more importantly, I had practice at a different time. Valles said he asked the McFarland principal if the team had won. I wouldn't feel anything. All Rights Reserved. "All my teammates are still here. Nine boys state titles is tied with Jesuit (SJ) for the most boys team titles in state history. "Jose Cardenas had had a bad race," Valles recalled recently about his teammate who was the team's seventh runner that day, finishing 148th. We thought that was normal, Valles said. He won nine state titles and went to the state meet every year but one, he said. Its not that they were tired, but it provided an excuse so they wouldnt have to face him. To make up for the time they couldn't work in the fields due to cross country practice, Jim White would sometimes give his time to them by helping them pick in the fields. 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. 1 runner on the 1987 championship team, and asked if he was still close with his high school teammates. The first 20 miles are easy, Valles said. Excellent, no trash or language. 1. She has also received three other Tony Award nominations for her performances in Airline Highway in 2013, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus in 2019 and POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive . Now more than 30 years later, he knows he disappointed her and White. At about 3:30 p.m. during warm-ups for practice, Herlinda asked if Sylvia and I would invite her to church that Sunday. ", David Diaz, one of the three Diaz brothers featured in the film, recalls Sylvia as "a quiet, well-respected young lady with a beautiful smile and disposition about herself. Yes, the McFarland High boys did win a team title at the first CIF-State Cross . We still run the same roads, along the same fields, just with different kids. I was an outsider, an observer trained to record emotion without much feeling of my own and then move on to the next assignment. The program, which is run by Eddie Subealdea, chief juvenile probation officer for Hale County, is an alternative placement program. Thomas Valles was barely a teenager when a coach stepped in and changed his life. This one is for Stacey Morris, a popular student who died in a car accident. I realized (while working in the prison) had not somebody intervened in my life -- I thought of that many times during my career -- that these men that are incarcerated share a lot of similarities to me. He later taught woodshop and physical education. His household walked on eggshells around his dad. The film shows White taking the team to fields for simulated hill training on mounds of raw almonds. David is represented in the McFarland, USA movie along with two of his brothers, Damacio and Danny. On Tuesday, Valles shared a more in-depth version with students at the JJAEP with the hope of inspiring them. Below we tell the story of White, Valles and the 1987 championship team and point out areas of Hollywood fiction. From left is Herlinda, Delfina Herrera, Sylvia Diaz and her brother, Raul Diaz. Julie White plays the character of Maggie Shaw. In this photo by Raul Diaz, Sylvia Diaz (3) and teammate Magda Saragoza run in a race in 1985. That was my running family, my brothers, my teammates, Mr. Send me an email at johnharte@att.net. He might never have given the incident another thought if not for Whites actions. March 29, 2022, 12:48 PM PDT. Hollywood's fictional fingers are all over how the story is framed but in the big picture, the film captures the essence of the main characters and the story quite well on the big screen. What you need to know. Valles was a star on the team and is the primary runner featured in the film "McFarland, USA.". ', "But as people started asking me about the movie and telling me 'Hey, Thomas, but didn't this happen? Visit johnhartephoto.wordpress.com to see John's McFarland cross-country photos following the deaths of Sylvia Diaz and Herlinda Gonzalez, plus his photos of the real athletes depicted in the film "McFarland, USA. He also said he didn't have a relationship with his baseball coach and questioned why there couldn't have been a better relationship. Yes. Where he called home depended on where his father could find work in the fields. "That's their livelihood. You might know Valles from the famous Disney movie "McFarland USA." Carlos Chalabi portrayed him as a high school student. White has lived in McFarland ever since. Good men and woman can make a huge difference in the lives of others. : The actress is best known for her role as Lulu Hogg, the wife of Boss Hogg, on the classic "Dukes of Hazzard." She was also on "The Waltons" and "Step by Step." "Grace Under Fire" would be her last acting job as she retired after the show's cancellation and passed away on February 5, 2011, at the age of 89. I received a nice surprise today when my pal, longtime Bakersfield Californian photographer Felix Adamo, found these photos I shot of the 1987 McFarland boys cross country team. I loved my sister very much. Herlinda Gonzalez's sophomore photo in the 1986-87 McFarland High yearbook. Thank you for reading! WASHINGTON Democrats in Congress are turning up the heat on Justice Clarence Thomas, with some calling for him to step back from cases involving . 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. -KGET 17. Thomas Valles has been running since middle school, and he still hasnt stopped at 52. it's not all true but he's okay with that. ", Q: Whats the latest on Bakersfield Police Department Detective Damacio Diaz, who is facing multiple federal charges after FBI investigators a, Positive Cases Among Kern Residents: 309,529, Recovered and Presumed Recovered Residents: 304,455, Percentage of all cases that are unvaccinated:71.13, Percentage of all hospitalizations that are unvaccinated:83.13, Source: Kern County Public Health Services Department. Essex police for the way in which Taff is portrayed 1989 with Samaniego eighth... 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