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 . They came back. The anchor of the cross country team and the reason they won state. Life went on.. But his dream would be realized. Following McFarlands legendary championship, Valles went to College of the Sequoias in Visalia to study and run for their cross country team. -Congressional Record, V. 146, Pt. We knew we had the potential coming into '87. Sylvia had just made her first communion a week before and that got Herlinda all excited. 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. My most memorable moments with her were the bus rides to away races. Thomas Valles has been running since middle school, and he still hasn't stopped at 52. She eventually concluded that it was good for them as long as they still worked. Valles, a senior, placed seventh overall and second among scorers. His response, "Well, they're not just my friends. Thomas Valles went on to become a prison guard (LA Times). They worked hard. Unlike the movie implies, White didnt just show up and train an award-winning cross country team in a year. Although the State Meet has always been held at Woodward Park in Fresno, the film includes the Griffith Park Observatory in Los Angeles in the background of what was portrayed as the State Meet course. Retired as a correctional officer. By the time he hit junior high, he was one of the fastest runners among his peers and White took notice. This photo ran in The Californian the next day. David Diaz remains actively involved in the program, Valles said.). As a boy, Thomas Valles could never have imagined that his running ability would shape the . Thomas Valles: Director of Financial Aid McM 1st Floor East 406-657-1617 thomas.valles@msubillings.edu . Didn't you get into this fight? "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. His household walked on eggshells around his dad. She never held back when it came to laughing, making people laugh, and just being downright silly. Sergeant First Class - United States Army. 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. The legendary former McFarland 12, Not exactly. Raul Diaz is now Father Raul Diaz, pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Dinuba. Julie Pettitt-Booth: Executive Director of Undergraduate New Student Services McM 104 . "I was getting interviewed by the Bakersfield Californian (newspaper). Their mom and dad worked hard and pushed the boys even harder to succeed and do well. The photos I made of the teams in the aftermath of the accident were the first I would shoot of McFarland's string of tragedies in the 1980s. "You try to offer them the same thing we offered our girls," White said. "We did that year after year to build bonds and to trust one another," he said. If one or two of those boys couldn't make practice at four o'clock 'cause they're just gettin' in from work, then I might practice at 6 or 7 o'clock with those boys. White continues to be present in Valles life after high school and after the McFarland Cross Country teams historic run. 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. what happened to thomas valles and julie white. 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. That made us work harder. His marathon goal falls in line with the releaseof McFarland USA on Disney+ last month. The boys of McFarland, like all in their community, had more than their fair share of lines to break through. "I can't say I was going to jump, but I was thinking about my life and why some people would jump. Kalynn White: ASC Operations Coordinator . Those kids were good students. Did Coach White ride his bike as the boys ran? McFarland High School is actually just down the road from the Central Valley Correctional Facility, not across the street. White and his wife, Cheryl, welcomed the boys into their own family, many of whom did not have a traditional family at home. Coach Jim White (Kevin Costner) is the new They were requested by People Magazine. -KGET 17. But White tells the story that one day a "lady from Hanford brought her daughter" to the school where Danny worked. Teammate updates and McFarland photos courtesy of Thomas Valles. 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. Middle row, from left: David diaz, Thomas Valles, Amador Ayon and Christian Rodriguez. Thank you for reading! Pow. Growing up, we had to work to keep a roof over our heads, Valles said. 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. He came out with two and handed one to Valles telling him he should give it to his mother and apologize. Especially when you travel, people treat you like youre important, Valles said. Eventually sophomore Danny Diaz crossed in 91st (68th) to close out the scoring. Flora is Sylvia's younger sister. You set goals and keep positive.. McFarland also had a superb girls' cross-country team. Coach Jim White challenged him and his peers to run. 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. Top, in tree: Luis Partida and Victor Puentes. But, no, that title did not immediately begin the school's run of state championships. I didn't want to go home," says Thomas. After that, the Cougars were the easy favorites to win the first small schools division (D-III) State Meet title. While a course at Griffith Park has been used for meets in the past -- meets White said that included McFarland -- it was never used for the CIF-State Meet. Today, hes a motivational speaker. Fuel your hometown passion and plug into the stories that define it. Any one of those tragedies could form the basis of a retrospective, but there's another story, one I just rediscovered, that bears retelling because of the effect it had on the town and the high school cross-country teams of that celebrated era. Members of McFarland's Diaz family reflect I grew up in a house with domestic violence, and I didnt feel compelled to share, he said. . But he did say there was a "low-rider" bike with his nickname "Blanco" on it. Central Valley. His younger sisters, who were barely in middle school, became teenage mothers. 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. I remember shooting the pictures, but I'm disappointed in myself for never learning about the girls. Clockwise from top center is Dolores Plata, Herlinda Gonzalez, Gabby Perez, Alicia Herrera, Delfina Herrera and Magda Saragoza. Heck, we girls could have beat them up," she says, delivering a good-natured salvo to her former teammates. 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. Jim White attended Franklin High in Stockton and Magic Valley Christian community college in Idaho before completing his education at Pepperdine. We treated them just like our kids. " 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. children ran for Jim White and all seven Good men and woman can make a huge difference in the lives of others. Was enlisted in the armed services. "He just had high expectations of us. We thought that was normal, Valles said. It wasnt unusual for his father. "(That) fixed it where I could never see my parents on Thanksgiving," White said. Dad didnt want us in the calles, in the streets, Valles said. 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. Thomas Valles, a former member of the McFarland, Calif. cross-country team that won a state championship in 1987, . She was the real (team) mother hugging their sweaty bodies when they came in.". A young girl approached Thomas Valles, McFarlands No. But enjoy the moment. Today, Valles coaches girls cross country coach at McFarland and travels around to speak and share his story. McFarland runners, from left: Delfina Herrera, Hollie Wykoff, Tammy Carter, Alicia Herrera and Norma Torres. At 31 years old, Valles said he was fulfilling his dream of qualifying for the Boston Marathon. In this photo likely shot by a teammate with Raul Diaz's camera, the McFarland boys and girls cross-country teams pose on the beach at Cayucos after coach Jim White made an impromptu stop following the Santa Maria Invitational in 1985. He showed Valles how running could set him free. Stationed at Soledad and living in Salinas, he applied to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitationto fulfill his dream in law enforcement. "Sometimes I helped them work in the fields," says the real Coach Jim White, "but more importantly, I had practice at a different time. He also did find Thomas Valles on a freeway overpass and help him deal with his I'm coming!. My wife reminds me who I am when I get home.. In fact, it is memorialized at the 12-acre Jim White "Blanco" Park in McFarland. But Valles had running, thanks to White, who was well aware of the situation. This was the best of the best. "Doesn't she get enough attention already?" She often brought along a music magazine that had all of the current top hits' lyrics inside. Sylvia Diaz at work in the agricultural fields of McFarland in 1985. The McFarland girls arrived for the CIF Central Section South Area meet on Nov. 13, 1986 in a limousine. 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. "We did have hills," White said. Julie White plays the character of Maggie Shaw. Not unlike many McFarland kids, she worked in the fields to help support her family. "All my teammates are still here. Just like that, the town's emerging bright light -- a cross-country program enjoying success even before 1987, the year depicted in the film -- was immersed in heartbreak. Terms of Use This mantra propelled the boys of McFarland High School to their the first California State Cross Country Championships in 1987. Well, yeah, that happened. I actually realized what true love was. SAC and everywhere we could find competition that could make us better. Valles, his coach Jim White, and six teammates were the CIF California State Cross Country Champions in 1987. Perhaps one of the most endearing parts of Valles is his humility. experience coaching the team. McFarland had four in (31 points) before Stevenson's No. . picking in the fields. "She was nerdy, funny and wanting to please. "We achieved what we set out to do. Grandchildren to see this wonderful film. Bottom row, from left: Herlinda Gonzalez, Delfina Herrera, Sylvia Diaz, Gabby Perez, Dolores Plata, Magda Saragoza, Norma Lopez and Raul Diaz. 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. what score does the mcfarland cross country team get at the palo alto invitational. Find where to watch Julie White's latest movies and tv shows He said he didnt want 2 hire lawyers or have 2 deal with all that. This photo . The houses in which the family stayed belonged to farm owners. He offers the kids a chance What we are reminded of is that McFarland USA is based on a true story but it is not a documentary. Well acted and tremendously inspirational. "(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.". But the real McFarland, USA is much more layered, and darker, than the film depicts. Left: Delfina Herrera, Hollie Wykoff, Tammy Carter, Alicia and! Nov. 13, 1986 in a limousine at the palo alto invitational had the potential into! Of state championships he said. ) be present in Valles life after school. Downright silly White said. ) well aware of the McFarland girls arrived for the Boston marathon was nerdy funny... 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