We still run the same roads, along the same fields, just with different kids. His response, "Well, they're not just my friends. 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.". 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. "We did what we could to help him. Education, law enforcement, business owners. No, the real Coach Jim White actually started coaching cross country at McFarland High School in 1980. White's daughter." Thomas laughed, a strange bitter sound. By every account from their friends, relatives and teammates, these were two special and deeply-loved girls. As a child, White lived in the city of Austin until she started attending college in San Marcos . 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. Jose Cardenas, McFarland's expected No. children ran for Jim White and all seven Thus began the relationship that was depicted -- sometimes painfully -- in the film. "I was standing there. I grew up with domestic violence and that's what I knew. It features a bridge with silhouettes of runners, and a water tower with a running mural. Coach Jim White challenged him and his peers to run. All seven Diaz children went to college and all seven returned to McFarland where they live today. ", "It was a great accomplishment," White said. "McFarland's Family of Champions," are Yes. His first teaching position in the district was instructing fifth grade science, which he did for nine years. It was gold to us, but complete torture for the guys and probably Coach White as well. Valles retired two years ago from the California Department of Corrections. 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. 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. The McFarland girls arrived for the CIF Central Section South Area meet on Nov. 13, 1986 in a limousine. It's all Hollywood. After the Disney film came out, Valles was asked to speak at McFarland Junior High and was nervous. I guarantee I wouldn't have missed. A former . 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. They said we won! Update, February 18, 2015: I have located my original images from the 1986 Kern County Invitational, the first race the McFarland girls and boys ran following the tragic . Find where to watch Julie White's latest movies and tv shows "You saw the hills at the end of the movie.". All of a sudden I saw these headlights and it was Mr. White in his '59 Chevy." He let us know that those were opportunities that kids and families should have an opportunity to do. Without these two beautiful young ladies, there would be no McFarland USA. Click here. Sergeant First Class - United States Army. Additionally, Coach White would be there for counseling and fulfilling needs beyond what their parents could afford. White, a newcomer to McFarland when he coached the team to the state championship, still lives there. "But we'd try to run in the shade in the almonds," he said. Hes excited about the opportunity to run again and do it for a cause. I thought that was normal. No. 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. But his dream would be realized. Raul went on to become a priest and is pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Dinuba. Diaz, Damacio Diaz, David Diaz, Diego Tu cuenta de Descarga previa (EZA) se mantendr vigente durante un ao. They're not going to let kids run all over them. I wish it had told a little more about the truth of Blanco and who he was and why he was there. That made us work harder. February 27, 2023 new bill passed in nj for inmates 2022 No Comments . And that pain would come back. 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. Stationed at Soledad and living in Salinas, he applied to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitationto fulfill his dream in law enforcement. Samaniego was 17th, Puentes 26th, Cardenas 37th, Damacio Diaz 43rd and Danny Diaz was 85th. Though Sylvia and Herlinda and the rest of the girls team are omitted in the recent media publicity generated by "McFarland, USA," they've never been forgotten by their teammates or their home town. As stated above, the real Jim White started teaching in the McFarland School District straight out of college in 1964. I have never forgotten what it was like covering 1980s McFarland, from the image of those girls posing in front of the limousine and trying to look happy to the night one year later when Ernesto Bravo saw me photographing his 14-year-old son, Mario, in his casket, the town's sixth cancer victim. McFarland runners, from left: Delfina Herrera, Hollie Wykoff, Tammy Carter, Alicia Herrera and Norma Torres. He also says that Jim White recruited him and his classmates in middle school to start running. Sylvia Diaz at work in the agricultural fields of McFarland in 1985. compositor Karina Benesh . In fact, when the studio gave Valles and his teammates a special sneak preview of the film, he left the theater unimpressed. November 15, 2021 / Vanessa Villalvazo. He was a baseball player, a pitcher, in high school and in college. He cared and he showed it. The team placed second in 1989 with Samaniego placing eighth and getting on the podium. Immediately after the race, Valles said he was taken with a group of top finishers for awards and media but didn't know if the team had actually won. In the least, such scenes seem to have been exaggerated by the filmmakers. He promised to take him places away from McFarland, California. -LA Times. Yes. Thomas Valles. The program, which is run by Eddie Subealdea, chief juvenile probation officer for Hale County, is an alternative placement program. He also attended CSU Bakersfield and was the first person in his familyto get higher than a sixth-grade education. It was a bit of a surprise when she exited the . Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Terms of Use what happened to thomas valles and julie white Sylvia had just made her first communion a week before and that got Herlinda all excited. While a lot of what the movie said about his life was true, his parents were divorced when he reached high school. 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. Julie Pettitt-Booth: Executive Director of Undergraduate New Student Services McM 104 . All seven Diaz Thomas Valles is a McFarland legend who was at the forefront of the 1987 championship team and now coaches the girls cross country team at McFarland high school and will be participating in the 50th annual New York City Marathon. Yes. What is it about distance running that not only allowed seven kids to dominate, but brought a whole community together? No. Girls XC coach at McFarland. Julie and Jami are depicted in the McFarland, USA movie. Valles' friend Ernie Bueno, who introduced Valles to Killian, asked Valles to participate in a Run to End Duchenne at the 2021 New York Marathon. I don't know if anybody outside McFarland ever asked. He and his wife Cheryl met at Magic Valley Christian College in Idaho. "We did that year after year to build bonds and to trust one another," he said. inspired to strive for something beyond He got drunk one day with some senior teammates after practice. Thirty-five years ago, the unlikely squad of seven children of Latino fieldworkers, short in stature but strong in character, won the first of McFarland High Schools nine State Championships and 23-straight championship appearances, establishing an untouchable dynasty. I didn't want to go home," says Thomas. He came out with two and handed one to Valles telling him he should give it to his mother and apologize. "That's how we developed that. In the early '90s Thomas appeared as Russell Norton in Grace Under Fire. His marathon goal falls in line with the releaseof McFarland USA on Disney+ last month. Here was the star runner, just a kid, bringing his hands to his face in prayer and keeping them there for what seemed an eternity before the start of his race. I never photographed or met Sylvia Diaz or Herlinda Gonzalez, but the memories of the pictures I took in the aftermath of their deaths in 1986 would impact me deeply and remain with me through the remainder of my photojournalism career. The six-part series . those boys were heroes to many. Similarly, Carlos' life was changed by his teacher, Mr. Wood. 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. What did Coach White throw at the football player inside the locker room? Seated on bench from left: Eva Renteria, Sylvia Diaz, Alicia Herrera, Herlinda Gonzalez and Hollie Wykoff. picking in the fields. . We were undefeated in '86 and now we had the opportunity to have a state championship team. 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. "I didn't ride the Barbie bike," White said. Thomas Valles, a former member of the McFarland, Calif. cross-country team that won a state championship in 1987, . 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. : 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. Jeffrey Parenti, jeffrey.parenti@flosports.tv, Contact Us ", "Thomas he made a big impact on our life," White said. ', "After awhile, I realized there is some hints of my true story.". Many students were touched. Sylvia Diaz is in the middle. Excellent movie. 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. Herlinda said that was cool. Pictured are Norma Torres and Hollie Wykoff, right, after the race. In 1964, after graduating from Pepperdine, White was hired to teach middle school science in McFarland. ', "But as people started asking me about the movie and telling me 'Hey, Thomas, but didn't this happen? It wasnt easy and he shared a slip-up. This book is about the chain affects of the shooting of Khalil and what Starr does after to protect his. Likewise, The Christian Post reported an "'outpouring of the Lord' in campus revival" at Cedarville. She eventually concluded that it was good for them as long as they still worked. (LogOut/ He occasionally hit more than just the wall. Et que tu t'enfuies la queue entre les jambes aprs qu'on t'ait expropri pour rcuprer notre d, celui que ta classe exploiteuse nous a vol ! 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 A young girl approached Thomas Valles, McFarlands No. Coach White would tell me to imagine a line when there's that point of too much pain, and then I would try to run through and pass that line, Valles said. And both CBN and Fox News announced that the "Asbury Revival" had spread to other schools, including Cedarville University. The actor rode the pink bike, not the coach. They took him home and knocked on his front door. Valles eventually enlisted in the U.S.Coast Guard. 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? Teammate updates and McFarland photos courtesy of Thomas Valles. There were times while doing that job that he said he thought about what might have been had it not been for Jim White and cross country. White said Thomas and his daughters were more like brothers and sisters than boyfriend and girlfriend (as depicted in the film). Jim White coaching photo by Kirby Lee/Image of Sport. SKOTY. Both girls witnessed the practice accident that took the lives of Herlinda Gonzalez and Sylvia Diaz two and one-half weeks earlier. Dave Thomas. Hey were in a Gifted class and were doing a Documentary in National History Day and wed like to interview you for a primary source for McFarland, USA. His mom called White who hopped in his vehicle and set out to find Valles and talked him down when he found him. He won nine state titles and went to the state meet every year but one, he said. Sylvia had just made her first communion a week before and that got Herlinda all excited. While the Disney film "McFarland USA" depicts the inspirational story of the team and . Today, Valles coaches girls cross country coach at McFarland and travels around to speak and share his story. Oh, how that stung me for a long time. "We couldn't go out there and run those things," White said. By Sahil Kapur. Coach White called Thomas over. Wykoff was one of the runners who witnessed the accident. 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. She never held back when it came to laughing, making people laugh, and just being downright silly. "Sylvia and Herlinda became good friends during cross country, and they would often run together. Coach White took the orders and delivered them. He showed Valles how running could set him free. Their legs were shot by Friday, the day before State.". 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 . McFarland also had a superb girls' cross-country team. By A mass of athletes, competing in the purest level of competition racing. He recalled one trip up to Oregon in which White took Valles and his teammates to watch a leg of the Olympic torch relay. We were recruited young. 5. David is represented in the McFarland, USA movie along with two of his brothers, Damacio and Danny. That's the legacy I see with that time. Quote Tweet. "He was our second dad. Read rest of the answer.In this regard, who is Thomas Valles married to? We'd love to share your memories of that meet and that experience. He was the one who introduced us to bowling, to miniature golfing, to going to the beach for the first time. 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. Jim White and Thomas Valles Reflect on 35 Years of McFarland Track. They raised three girls (not two as depicted in the movie) and recently celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary. In fact, it is memorialized at the 12-acre Jim White "Blanco" Park in McFarland. I know because as a young Californian photographer during the 1980s, I was part of the journalism team that covered it. Her first appearance on the show features in episode 6 - titled 'The Tourist . 2h. He recently retired as a California State Correctional officer supervising adult males. Cookie Preferences / Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Generated by 10.1.2.159 from cache (3498 ttl) in 11 milliseconds. "She might hate me now. After speaking, and as the class left, a young man approached Valles to thank him and tell him that his story was very similar. His team's won nine CIF-State cross country titles, five in a row between 1992-96 and three in a row between 1999-01. Photo credit: ITV. Thirty minutes later, they were hit by a vehicle on Whisler Road. "Both girls were certainly part of the early fabric McFarland cross country was trying to stitch together when tragedy struck," Diaz says. 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. It soon became a dominant program among small schools in Northern California. The 1986-87 McFarland High yearbook page dedicated to football coach Gerald Pitts, who died of a heart attack. 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. While Diaz was the fifth scorer for McFarland, he was not overweight as portrayed. Delano Now Partly cloudy skies. When Valles entered third grade in 1979, his dad bought a home in McFarland. Carter Bonas Is the . Sylvia had just made her first communion a week before and that got Herlinda all excited. Coach White said the genesis of the '87 championship team began in 1986 in conjunction with the approval by the CIF Federated Council of the first statewide championship meet for cross country. Good men and woman can make a huge difference in the lives of others. Danny's brother. "We did have hills," White said. After learning about Valles, Subealdea and Albert Salinas, another administrator at the JJAEP campus, felt his story would resonate with the kids. 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 . The final episode of White House Farm aired in February 2020 on ITV and the entire series is streaming on Netflix now. However, similar to the film, Jim White had never been a runner himself and used the bike to follow the team during their workouts. On Tuesday, Valles shared a more in-depth version with students at the JJAEP with the hope of inspiring them. So, White relocates his family to a new town taking on a lowly post teaching science and P.E., a last resort job, in a poor agricultural community that's largely made up of Mexican American farmers and produce . 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. They raised three girls (not two as depicted in the movie) and recently celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary. Nine boys state titles is tied with Jesuit (SJ) for the most boys team titles in state history. In 1964, after graduating from Pepperdine, White was hired to teach middle school science in McFarland. You have permission to edit this article. 12, The real Jim White and wife Cheryl White actually have three daughters, Tami, Julie and Jami. Plainview Herald. 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. Inspired by the irony of his last name, "Blanco" was one of the nicknames that the kids and their families gave Jim White. His siblings soon started spiraling into unhealthy behaviors. At about 3:30 p.m. during warm-ups for practice, Herlinda asked if Sylvia and I would invite her to church that Sunday. His father was an abusive alcoholic, he said. 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. Starring Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Carlos Pratts, Hector Duran, Copyright 2023 HistoryvsHollywood.com, CTF Media, Coach Jim White Interview & the Diaz Family Looks Back, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. "You try to offer them the same thing we offered our girls," White said. Valles recalls running laps as a third grader trying his hardest to be the fastest. 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. Not unlike many McFarland kids, she worked in the fields to help support her family. Finally a great movie, no mayhem, no killing, no swearing, no hanging boobs..this puts some of the other lollywood trash where it belongs In the trash.. Great movie, I cried, wonderful acting and the best inspiration for our young generations!!! By 1986, Texas-born Coach Jim White, nicknamed Blanco by his Latino team, had built a locally dominant cross country team. 'Danny made a big difference in my life.' "I abruptly stopped the interview and took off," he said about joining his teammates. " Send me an email at johnharte@att.net. Yes. Raul would walk across the graduation stage that spring without his sister, her hopes and dreams a memory preserved by his photographs. Feel free to email jeffrey.parenti@flosports.tv. Thomas gives her a bracelet that his grandmother made. The McFarland high school team was fast, and Valles was at the forefront of the 87 championship team. "I was getting interviewed by the Bakersfield Californian (newspaper). 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. The girls were clutching long-stemmed roses. One day his mom had enough, he recalled. Life at home was rough. From left is Herlinda, Delfina Herrera, Sylvia Diaz and her brother, Raul Diaz. By Carlo Vellandi Nov 22, 2022. I love it so muchthese are people we need the HARD WORKING MEXICANS in this country! "(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.". ", 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. He has been fired from several jobs, and eventually ends up in the titular town (the only place that would hire him). Change). Upset that his wife put him in jail, he got out and filed for divorce. under Coach Jim White at McFarland High However, he did rebuild the boys and girls cross country programs from the ground up. His household walked on eggshells around his dad. Herlinda Gonzalez's sophomore photo in the 1986-87 McFarland High yearbook. He and his wife Cheryl met at Magic Valley Christian College in Idaho. "I can't speak for everybody, I can speak for myself," Valles said. There is much excitement and anticipation in McFarland about the film, which stars Kevin Costner as coach Jim White, and as I mentioned in my previous posts that dealt with the enormous heartache this town endured in the 1980s Show the world what has happened to my son, Prom night, a crash and six teens lost and McFarlands never-ending heartache this close-knit town deserves some good will and national love. His mother answered and immediately saw the signs. My most memorable moments with her were the bus rides to away races. Members of McFarland's Diaz family reflect The circumstances brought Valles to a low point. -KGET 17, Yes. I didn't do that until I met the Whites. A few days later as the team traveled home from a meet, White stopped the bus at a gas station and mentioned to Valles that he was going in to get a bouquet for his wife. As he settled into his new home, he maintained the life of a homebody. He might never have given the incident another thought if not for Whites actions. But he did say there was a "low-rider" bike with his nickname "Blanco" on it. She was on the 1985 team and became a cheerleader in 1986, but her teammates wanted her in this photo. Gemma Rowlands, 25, and husband Daren More, 31, got . You guys actually-" Stacy covered her friend's mouth with one hand, and used the other to hold up a finger to her own lips. Playing Grace's best friend in Grace Under Fire, White had a falling out which resulted in her giving her notice to the show. 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. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, Sports Illustrateds Gary Smith wrote in the story that inspired the movie. Its the last six miles that get you., We always think back and wish we could have done this or that, Valles said. 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