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. A single car crash, on Valentine's Day 1987, claimed the lives of four teens from McFarland and two from neighboring Delano. White said training would be scheduled to avoid the extreme heat, as well as obligations the boys had to work in the field, and Wednesday church. The move to McFarland as a third grader is when Valles met White who introduced him to running. McFarland had four in (31 points) before Stevenson's No. His siblings soon started spiraling into unhealthy behaviors. 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. (David Diaz and Amador Ayon were both seniors on the 1986 team and didn't get the chance to compete for a state championship. Now. His household walked on eggshells around his dad. Samaniego was 17th, Puentes 26th, Cardenas 37th, Damacio Diaz 43rd and Danny Diaz was 85th. As he settled into his new home, he maintained the life of a homebody. 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. After that, the Cougars were the easy favorites to win the first small schools division (D-III) State Meet title. "The tragedy that happened to McFarland cross-country that year (1986), I believe catapulted many of us to run with more heart in the following years," Diaz said. In fact, when the studio gave Valles and his teammates a special sneak preview of the film, he left the theater unimpressed. See Julie White full list of movies and tv shows from their career. "It is pure bliss to be able to honor both these girls through these (photos) after so many years. Pow. Subject from McFarland USA shares life story, Rare endangered animal seen running across Texas road. "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. 1 runner on the 1987 championship team, and asked if he was still close with his high school teammates. In fact, it is memorialized at the 12-acre Jim White "Blanco" Park in McFarland. Valles admits he didnt quite understand at the time. They want to make a difference. Thomas Valles has been running since middle school, and he still hasnt stopped at 52. I grew up in a house with domestic violence, and I didnt feel compelled to share, he said. "Danny, he passed up Jose out there somewhere," White recalled. 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. Added Cheryl: "With him being a pitcher, he would have been straight on.". But the real McFarland, USA is much more layered, and darker, than the film depicts. He retired in 2003 after 23 years of coaching boys cross country. "I didn't ride the Barbie bike," White said. 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. 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. . But then you have some little kidI just met a little boy, Alex, in the market today. ", "Thomas he made a big impact on our life," White said. Bottom, from left: Thomas Valles, Danny Diaz, Victor Puentes, Jose Cardenas. It reminds me of another good one, Glory Road. Very good moviegringos better stop descriminating the Latinosjust like john Lennon saidthe world should live as one. "He had to be wondering, 'Hey, what am I doing up here?' He said the high school had 4,000 students and he "felt like a number." Terms in this set (31) Who was Danny Diaz? We're still here hopefully trying to make a positive difference in our communities.". During cross-country practice on Oct. 27, 1986, Sylvia Diaz, a 16-year-old McFarland High senior, and Herlinda Gonzalez, 14, a sophomore, were struck by a car on Whisler Road in McFarland. "All my teammates are still here. Yes. Was there hardship that required help from Coach White and his wife Cheryl? what happened to thomas valles and julie white. He got into the truck and began to talk with Coach White about his difficulties at home. His mom called White who hopped in his vehicle and set out to find Valles and talked him down when he found him. Quote Tweet. That was my running family, my brothers, my teammates, Mr. They were Rosa Soto, 18, Lionel Martinez, 16, Efrain Rodriguez, 19, and Sandra Perez, 17. Yeah, that happened. That's OK. We're doing it for our kids, we'll do it for you. "We didn't really train like that.". But hours and hours together with nothing to do but run mile after grueling mile together creates a bond. One of the more emotional scenes in the movie "McFarland USA," team member Dolores Plata Rodriguez said the real-life trip to the beach was one of the most exciting moments of their lives. it's not all true but he's okay with that. 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.. Ask TBC: What's the latest on this indicted BPD officer? In the early '90s Thomas appeared as Russell Norton in Grace Under Fire. We still run the same roads, along the same fields, just with different kids. Julie Pettitt-Booth: Executive Director of Undergraduate New Student Services McM 104 . Excellent, no trash or language. None of us could carry a tune even if our lives depended on it. Didn't you get into this fight? They were cross country state champs in 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000 and 2001. White House Farm: Julie tells the police about Marcus. That made us work harder. Little did I know that was our goodbye. He was no fan of homework and was diagnosed with dyslexia creating some additional learning challenges at school but he was motivated to run and to travel. McFarland also had a superb girls' cross-country team. SAC and everywhere we could find competition that could make us better. He showed Valles how . 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 was the one who introduced us to bowling, to miniature golfing, to going to the beach for the first time. I didn't grow up telling my parents I loved them. The film shows White taking the team to fields for simulated hill training on mounds of raw almonds. The Whites had three daughters. PE teacher in McFarland, an economically "We did have hills," White said. |
The program, which is run by Eddie Subealdea, chief juvenile probation officer for Hale County, is an alternative placement program. 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. 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. Their mom and dad worked hard and pushed the boys even harder to succeed and do well. Fuel your hometown passion and plug into the stories that define it. 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 . 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. This is part of a series of articles looking back at the 1987 CIF-State Cross Country Championships, the first in California. Julie White poses during the arrivals for the opening night performance of "Red" at the Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum on Sunday, Aug. 12, 2012, in Los Angeles, Calif. (Photo by Ryan Miller . Jim's lack of experience in coaching cross-country isn't some throwaway plot point meant to give the character one more . White. "When the movie came out, I was kind of in denial. All seven Diaz 1 runner on the 1987 championship team, and asked if he was still close with his high school teammates. Brief Version. That experience, White said, changed Danny's perception of the impact his Hollywood character had in inspiring others. Public speaker. Dolores Plata is sitting on the grass. As a child, White lived in the city of Austin until she started attending college in San Marcos . White sees the athletic Julie and Jami are depicted in the McFarland, USA movie. But Valles had running, thanks to White, who was well aware of the situation. -Congressional Record, V. 146, Pt. This race occurred two and one-half weeks after two teammates on the girls team, Silvia Diaz and Herlinda Gonzalez, were struck by a car and killed while practicing. I guarantee I wouldn't have missed. On occasion, he said, the boys would have to work in the fields on a Saturday morning before going off to a meet that afternoon. Completed. johnny sameniego. At about 3:30 p.m. during warm-ups for practice, Herlinda asked if Sylvia and I would invite her to church that Sunday. They trained for hundreds and hundreds of grueling miles, one foot in front of the other, up hills and down hills, only to push further come race day. It was indeed the first time that many of the kids ever saw the ocean. Sophomore Johnny Samaniego was 12th overall (sixth in scoring). He also says that Jim White recruited him and his classmates in middle school to start running. what score does the mcfarland cross country team get at the palo alto invitational. 12, The real Jim White and wife Cheryl White actually have three daughters, Tami, Julie and Jami. But his dream would be realized. Three shots was all it took and Starr's life changed forever. But enjoy the moment. cross country coach talks about what it what happened to thomas valles and julie white Sylvia had just made her first communion a week before and that got Herlinda all excited. He got drunk one day with some senior teammates after practice. I had positive people in my life through sport, Valles said. It was bittersweet. Well acted and tremendously inspirational. I broke my moms heart at 13, he told the kids. 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 . World Premiere Of Disney's "McFarland, USA". Both Valles and White said the movie producers preferred the idea of three Diaz brothers on the team rather than just two. 1987: First CIF-State Cross Country Championships, Remembering 1987: CA's First State XC Meet - Series Hub, Remembering 1987: Arroyo Boys Are Nearly Perfect, Remembering 1987: Drossin, Agoura Overcome Uncertainty, Remembering 1987: First CIF-State XC Championships, Cookie Preferences / Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. "Neither did I throw that shoe at that young man. 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. "She might hate me now. Diaz, Damacio Diaz, David Diaz, Diego 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. All seven Diaz children ran for Jim White and all seven went . Sylvia was pronounced dead at Delano Regional Medical Center; Herlinda died the following day. The girls were clutching long-stemmed roses. "I was getting interviewed by the Bakersfield Californian (newspaper). Feet thudding on the pavement, and shoes shuffling through the dirt in rhythm. Victor Puentes is just to his left. Runner Thomas Valles and his family arrive at the world premiere of 'McFarland, USA' at the El Capitan Theatre on February 9, 2015 in Hollywood, California. "We ran at Mt. Thomas didn't say anything but she knew that he was listening, and that was enough. Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. This is the team featured in the movie McFarland USA, which opens to general release on February 20. Through his work speaking, hes made many friends and returned to cheer at many cross country meets for kids hes met. "Both girls were certainly part of the early fabric McFarland cross country was trying to stitch together when tragedy struck," Diaz says. 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. As stated above, the real Jim White started teaching in the McFarland School District straight out of college in 1964. 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. Coach Jim White challenged him and his peers to run. "Things that Mrs. Diaz did (in the film), that's what Cheryl was doing. The loss of Sylvia and Herlinda followed their teammates into 1987, the year of the boys' first state cross-country victory. No contact since high school. 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. ", "It was a great accomplishment," White said. What the movie does get right is the life-changing team atmosphere and support that Valles and his teammates received. Plainview teen preparing to take Houston Rodeo entertainment stage with Castillo game-winner sends Floydada to regional semi-finals, Sam Elliott award winner for male actor in "1883", High winds, lots of dirt cause havoc across Plainview, Texas bluebonnet season is almost here. 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). 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. No. . 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. Ellysa Harris is the editor for the Plainview Herald. Director Niki Caro chose to omit Luis Partida, who in the movie is replaced with David Diaz. 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. Bold, original and fun, her collection of silk scarves & specialty socks are collectable and timeless. "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. White said there are hills around orange groves about six miles outside of town where the team goes for true hill training. "He just had high expectations of us. 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. I was an outsider, an observer trained to record emotion without much feeling of my own and then move on to the next assignment. I was assigned to cover two of McFarland's races following the accident. "Julie felt it was time to move on and do other things." But network and production execs revealed that White had . 12, Not exactly. What did Coach White throw at the football player inside the locker room? "I abruptly stopped the interview and took off," he said about joining his teammates. " 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). Jim White coaching photo by Kirby Lee/Image of Sport. 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. A good student, she dreamed of continuing her education after high school and of visiting Hawaii. 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. "(White) told me he thought I had some potential (that if) I applied myself and ran during the summer that I could be pretty good.". They were requested by People Magazine. Friends remember Herlinda as bright and outgoing. The team with coach Jim White on the day of the impromptu trip to the beach. Higher wind gusts possible.. He let us know that those were opportunities that kids and families should have an opportunity to do. One day his mom had enough, he recalled. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. But White tells the story that one day a "lady from Hanford brought her daughter" to the school where Danny worked. champions. I think the school shouldve paid because it was during school practice. the coach of the cross country team who won 9 state titles in 14 years. Winds light and variable. Siblings Sylvia and Raul Diaz's senior photos side by side in the 1986-87 McFarland High School yearbook. This included members of the Bakersfield High Drillers. Yes. "She was nerdy, funny and wanting to please. Thomas Valles. 5, was not in the picture. All three girls graduated with degrees in education from Lubbock Christian University in Lubbock, Texas; Tami in 1985, Julie in 1988, and Jami in 1991. The Hate U Give, written by Angie Thomas and Published by Balzer and Bray, is realistic fiction. Dream big-that's the motto of USI's Hispanic Heritage Month keynote speaker Thomas Valles, a member of the state champion McFarland High School cross country team featured in the 2015 Disney film McFarland USA.Through a conversation moderated by Paola Marizan '15, Valles will discuss his historic and inspiring running career, the challenges he faced growing up in a small Latino farming town in . Today, hes a motivational speaker. Who was Jim White? Juanita Diaz. Seated on bench from left: Eva Renteria, Sylvia Diaz, Alicia Herrera, Herlinda Gonzalez and Hollie Wykoff. She won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance in The Little Dog Laughed in 2007. . "Thomas didn't have anger management and Danny wasn't fat," White said when asked about inaccuracies in the film. Read rest of the answer.In this regard, who is Thomas Valles married to? He also said he didn't have a relationship with his baseball coach and questioned why there couldn't have been a better relationship. "I started hanging around the wrong kids," Valles said. Almost all had never been to the beach. While still being interviewed, Valles said he noticed his teammates hugging and crying. 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. No. Yes. Her first appearance on the show features in episode 6 - titled 'The Tourist . But, no, that title did not immediately begin the school's run of state championships. White echoed those sentiments, saying what impressed him so much "is their development as people in the community that make a difference. David is represented in the McFarland, USA movie along with two of his brothers, Damacio and Danny.
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