Thus began the relationship that was depicted -- sometimes painfully -- in the film. The movie downplayed the circumstances in which Valles grew up. GREAT GREAT GREAT MOVIE! I grew up in a house with domestic violence, and I didnt feel compelled to share, he said. Based on the true story of a 1987 cross country team from a mainly Latino high . "We did that year after year to build bonds and to trust one another," he said. WABC 11/5/2021. "Danny, he passed up Jose out there somewhere," White recalled. danny diaz. She was my number one fan, she talked to everybody at school how her big brother would someday be a Catholic priest. 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. Members of McFarland's Diaz family reflect Growing up, we had to work to keep a roof over our heads, Valles said. They were requested by People Magazine. what happened to thomas valles and julie white. (Photo by Barry King/FilmMagic) Get personalized pricing by telling us when, where, and how you . Teammate updates and McFarland photos courtesy of Thomas Valles. No. 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. I don't know if anybody outside McFarland ever asked. We became a real family, and we're still family.. 'That's not even my life story. That sounds callous, but when I opened those assignment envelopes and looked at these photos nearly 30 years later, they slapped me with an emotion that shortened my breath. Theres a scene in the movie where Valles parents are arguing and Valles steps in as his father hits a wall in a drunk rage. Kalynn White: ASC Operations Coordinator . His mom called White who hopped in his vehicle and set out to find Valles and talked him down when he found him. He encouraged the kids to find their own mentor. If he wasnt at school, Valles was expected to be at home or in the fields helping his dad. 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. Thomas Valles has been running since middle school, and he still hasn't stopped at 52. Flora is Sylvia's younger sister. He said the high school had 4,000 students and he "felt like a number." One in particular, Thomas Valles (Carlos Pratt), can run a 5-minute mile. His family was dysfunctional. Who was Jim White? 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. 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. Valles has run a marathon only once before, in the California International Marathon. She called the cops it wasnt the first time and they took him to jail. But then it was nervous time. All seven Diaz children ran for Jim White and all seven went . Wykoff was one of the runners who witnessed the accident. Included in the segment, titled However, he did rebuild the boys and girls cross country programs from the ground up. She wanted us to go together. 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 . Its the last six miles that get you., We always think back and wish we could have done this or that, Valles said. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. McFarland had four in (31 points) before Stevenson's No. The McFarland girls arrived for the CIF Central Section South Area meet on Nov. 13, 1986 in a limousine. children ran for Jim White and all seven "You try to offer them the same thing we offered our girls," White said. Many students were touched. PrepCalTrack.com conducted this Jim White They're not going to let kids run all over them. 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 . Raul is at the left, his sister Sylvia next to him. We were undefeated in '86 and now we had the opportunity to have a state championship team. You have permission to edit this article. It was an emotional and . But he never truly felt he made amends for that with his mom. Now more than 30 years later, he knows he disappointed her and White. The houses in which the family stayed belonged to farm owners. We thought that was normal, Valles said. I want to tell the story of Sylvia and Herlinda because, based on what I witnessed in 1986, a complete story of McFarland High's inspiring cross-country legacy cannot be told without including Sylvia, Herlinda and the girls team. I was assigned to cover two of McFarland's races following the accident. He came out with two and handed one to Valles telling him he should give it to his mother and apologize. Change). Little did I know that was our goodbye. 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. Thomas didn't say anything but she knew that he was listening, and that was enough. 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. 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. They're all professionals. They were cross country state champs in 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000 and 2001. It wasnt easy and he shared a slip-up. 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. They grew up in broken homes. Its not part of the movie, but the team was, obviously, grieving and impacted deeply. Coach Jim White challenged him and his peers to run. So I'd have two practices." Valles was a star on the team and is the primary runner featured in the film "McFarland, USA.". Thanks, I'm not really sure." He looked over at her, "who is she?" "Julie. He promised to take him places away from McFarland, California. 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. White coached for 23 years from 1980 through 2002 and he came back for one year in 2003. The principal shook his head. The first time Valles got real with an audience, a kid approached him afterward. Danny Diaz was not overweight, but he was the seventh runner on the team. | Inspired by the irony of his last name, "Blanco" was one of the nicknames that the kids and their families gave Jim White. "I can't say I was going to jump, but I was thinking about my life and why some people would jump. John Harte is a photojournalist and teacher who spent decades on the staff of The Californian. -KGET 17, Yes. Thomas Valles was barely a teenager when a coach stepped in and changed his life. Similarly, Carlos' life was changed by his teacher, Mr. Wood. Higher wind gusts possible.. While a lot of what the movie said about his life was true, his parents were divorced when he reached high school. Victor Puentes is just to his left. A cleat, a shoe 2. Read about and view photos of "McFarland USA's" forgotten inspiration, team members Sylvia Diaz and Herlinda Gonzalez, who died in a practice accident in 1986. 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. Standing, from left: coach Gary Pierson, Norma Torres, Norma Lopez, Delfina Herrera and coach Jim White. 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. 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. Pow. 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. a cake. 1 runner on the 1987 championship team, and asked if he was still close with his high school teammates. Jim White attended Franklin High in Stockton and Magic Valley Christian community college in Idaho before completing his education at Pepperdine. 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. (David Diaz and Amador Ayon were both seniors on the 1986 team and didn't get the chance to compete for a state championship. His household walked on eggshells around his dad. Our family has watched it three nights in a row. He says that Tu cuenta de Descarga previa (EZA) se mantendr vigente durante un ao. The team placed second in 1989 with Samaniego placing eighth and getting on the podium. Photos: Apocalyptic skies hung over Texas panhandle Monday. -Congressional Record, V. 146, Pt. This photo ran in The Californian the next day. He also attended CSU Bakersfield and was the first person in his familyto get higher than a sixth-grade education. While the idea for the motion picture was conceived in the 1990s, it was not made until Disney bought rights to the story and actor Kevin Costner, who played Mr . 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. I love it so muchthese are people we need the HARD WORKING MEXICANS in this country! Did they run over piles of almonds to simulate hills? 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. 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. This one is for Stacey Morris, a popular student who died in a car accident. I realized, you know what, this could have been me had somebody not been on me. "Things that Mrs. Diaz did (in the film), that's what Cheryl was doing. Disney took a few creative liberties with creating the feature film, Valles said. I photographed Thomas Valles, who is featured prominently in the film. Thomas gives her a bracelet that his grandmother made. His older brothers started getting mixed in the wrong crowds and experimenting with drugs. 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. 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 might have been one of them had somebody who cared not intervened in his life. This photo . Diaz, and father and mother Paul and Blanco gave his boys the skills to thrive and running gave them the opportunity to make it out of McFarland. Like a scene from the movie, he found himself at a bridge on the highway one night when hed had enough. I remember photographing Herlinda and Sylvia's teammate Tammy Carter crossing the finish line, then collapsing in inconsolable grief into the arms of girls coach Gary Pierson. 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). ", White said Diaz was about 110 pounds as a sophomore in 1987. Gemma Rowlands, 25, and husband Daren More, 31, got . under Coach Jim White at McFarland High "I didn't really know what those sports were," Valles said. Bravo told me, "Show the world what has happened to my son.". It's all Hollywood. Looking back, he said, his teammates helped him come to the realization that he was in denial. Julie White. The circumstances brought Valles to a low point. "Sometimes a setback like that brings people and teams closer and more intimate with each other, and we found ourselves running for McFarland, Mr. White and most importantly, for each other.". The 1986 McFarland High girls cross-country team. 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. His performance at the 1987 state meet did help McFarland lock up the title. PE teacher in McFarland, an economically 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. 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. Pictured are Norma Torres and Hollie Wykoff, right, after the race. "He just had high expectations of us. Plainview Herald. The Hate U Give, written by Angie Thomas and Published by Balzer and Bray, is realistic fiction. David Diaz remains actively involved in the program, Valles said.). Sylvia had just made her first communion a week before and that got Herlinda all excited. 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. "I was blessed that I got the opportunity to be apart of something that kept me off the streets of McFarland. This included members of the Bakersfield High Drillers. From left is Herlinda, Delfina Herrera, Sylvia Diaz and her brother, Raul Diaz. My most memorable moments with her were the bus rides to away races. White used to tell Valles that he wanted to see him join the cross country team in high school, Valles recalled. Excellent, no trash or language. Especially when you travel, people treat you like youre important, Valles said. Education, law enforcement, business owners. His father is a picker who leaves for long stretches of time, coming home to drink and cause trouble within the family. Definitely. My parents always encouraged us to work hard.. Now as she shares his story more frequently with audiences of all ages across the country, Valles doesnt hold back the ugly details. He was named an all-state athlete in his freshman year. Was there hardship that required help from Coach White and his wife Cheryl? Valles, his coach Jim White, and six teammates were the CIF California State Cross Country Champions in 1987. Completed. Thomas Valles went on to become a prison guard (LA Times). What we are reminded of is that McFarland USA is based on a true story but it is not a documentary. Did he ride a pink girls 'Barbie' bike, or was it only Costner? By every account from their friends, relatives and teammates, these were two special and deeply-loved girls. But then you have some little kidI just met a little boy, Alex, in the market today. 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. He showed Valles how running could set him free. 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. Sylvia Diaz's cherished team photo from the day of the beach trip in 1985 shot with her brother Raul's camera likely by a coach. 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. who is the anchor of the cross country team. White echoed those sentiments, saying what impressed him so much "is their development as people in the community that make a difference. 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. 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. Carter Bonas Is the . Learn more about the McFarland, USA true story by watching the Jim White interview below. "Sylvia was so sweet, kind, and naturally stunning," says her friend and 1985 teammate Dolores Plata Rodriguez, now an assistant principal at Cesar E. Chavez High School in Delano. Danny's brother. Jim White is to Thomas' right and Gary Adams is to White's right. 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. Despite a strong group returning from the '87 championship team, McFarland only placed fifth in 1988. 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. Thomas Valles, one of the real-life runners featured in the Disney film 'McFarland, USA,' is taking part in his first New York City Marathon. She was a smart young lady and she tutored me in math because I could not pass math. 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). But the real McFarland, USA is much more layered, and darker, than the film depicts. 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? White, a newcomer to McFarland when he coached the team to the state championship, still lives there. Coach White called Thomas over. Both Valles and White said the movie producers preferred the idea of three Diaz brothers on the team rather than just two. They would have graduated together. -John Harte, Yes, and at times the White family paid for new shoes and clothing for the team out of their own pockets. Fuel your hometown passion and plug into the stories that define it. 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", "It was a great accomplishment," White said. Update, February 19, 2015: I found these additional photos from my coverage of the 1986 South Area championship at Hart Park. The girls were clutching long-stemmed roses. 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. Coach Jim White (Kevin Costner) is the new The photo was taken with Raul's camera by a teammate. He might never have given the incident another thought if not for Whites actions. Yes. Likely not. White said the team would run in the heat of the summer when temperatures were into the triple digits. He offers the kids a chance 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!!! school and decides to put together a cross "I can't speak for everybody, I can speak for myself," Valles said. Clockwise from top center is Dolores Plata, Herlinda Gonzalez, Gabby Perez, Alicia Herrera, Delfina Herrera and Magda Saragoza. Jim White restarted the program in 1980 after it had been dropped for a year. Heck, we girls could have beat them up," she says, delivering a good-natured salvo to her former teammates. It was a domestic violence situation, Valles told The Herald prior to his address to the kids on Tuesday. And, man, I just started crying, started crying tears of joy. I didn't want to go home," says Thomas. Jose Cardenas, McFarland's expected No. Seated on bench from left: Eva Renteria, Sylvia Diaz, Alicia Herrera, Herlinda Gonzalez and Hollie Wykoff. The 1986-87 McFarland High yearbook contains a heartbreaking number of "in memorial" pages, way too many for a tiny country school. Thomas Valles. He showed Valles how . Diaz, Damacio Diaz, David Diaz, Diego Thomas Valles, a former member of the McFarland, Calif. cross-country team that won a state championship in 1987, . 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. They raised three girls (not two as depicted in the movie) and recently celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary. "My parents divorced. "He's the one who . 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. As a child, White lived in the city of Austin until she started attending college in San Marcos . I want all of my. 1. White retired in 2002 but returned to coach the 2003 team. Back then, McFarland was largely white demographically. Almost all had never been to the beach. Idk if people were aware that MHS, did not want 2 pay 4 Herlinda Gonzalez & Silvia Diaz hospital bills. We still run the same roads, along the same fields, just with different kids. Their legs were shot by Friday, the day before State.". ", 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. We treated them just like our kids. " 'Everybody in the world is going to think I'm fat and I wasn't fat.' McFarland runners, from left: Delfina Herrera, Hollie Wykoff, Tammy Carter, Alicia Herrera and Norma Torres. Director Niki Caro chose to omit Luis Partida, who in the movie is replaced with David Diaz. He has been fired from several jobs, and eventually ends up in the titular town (the only place that would hire him). Though it is very close, Jim White likely wouldn't have had a clear view of it from his classroom window, as a street of homes separates the school's athletic fields from the prison grounds. They took him home and knocked on his front door. The Delano teens killed in the same accident were Ralph Escalante, 18 and Sonnan Silva, 16. katherine noelle wyman; cape breton post obituaries 2022. location symbol text in word; list of female jockeys australia; mike conley house columbus ohio address They asked me if I was happy with my place. She eventually concluded that it was good for them as long as they still worked. See Julie White full list of movies and tv shows from their career. Mostly cloudy skies. "(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.". Today, hes a motivational speaker. HOLLYWOOD, CA - FEBRUARY 09: Runner Thomas Valles (5th from left) and his family arrive at the world premiere of 'McFarland, USA' at the El Capitan Theatre on February 9, 2015 in Hollywood, California. Yes, McFarland is an inspirational story. Sylvia had just made her first communion a week before and that got Herlinda all excited. He cared and he showed it. Oh, how that stung me for a long time. He also did find Thomas Valles on a freeway overpass and help him deal with his I'm coming!. Sophomore Johnny Samaniego was 12th overall (sixth in scoring). Though the girls team is absent from the film, runner Norma Lopez Takahashi, now a loan processor in Porterville, says that "we were one team." What did Coach White throw at the football player inside the locker room? "That's how we developed that. Three shots was all it took and Starr's life changed forever. 12, The real Jim White and wife Cheryl White actually have three daughters, Tami, Julie and Jami. Valles said he asked the McFarland principal if the team had won. He stressed the importance of Whites impact. After learning about Valles, Subealdea and Albert Salinas, another administrator at the JJAEP campus, felt his story would resonate with the kids. (He had a) poor relationship with dad. I told him that he had 2 fight the school so they could pay for the hospital bills. Johnny is an educator and is still coaching. None of us could carry a tune even if our lives depended on it. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. "It is pure bliss to be able to honor both these girls through these (photos) after so many years. Terms in this set (31) Who was Danny Diaz? 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Left: Delfina Herrera, Delfina Herrera, Delfina Herrera, Sylvia 's... And his peers to run I was n't fat. a teammate the Jim White and wife Cheryl actually. Sports ILLUSTRATED is a photojournalist and teacher who spent decades on the team and is the new photo. Placed second in 1989 with Samaniego placing eighth and getting on the team to the realization that he was seventh... The Hate U give, written by Angie Thomas and Published by Balzer and Bray, is realistic.! Coming home to drink and cause trouble within the family stayed belonged to farm.. Know if anybody outside McFarland ever asked panhandle Monday ``, `` Show world. Given the incident another thought if not for Whites actions that make difference. & quot ; he & # x27 ; right and Gary Adams is to White & x27. And her brother, what happened to thomas valles and julie white Diaz Julie and Jami another, '' he said. ) students and he hasn... Be what happened to thomas valles and julie white Catholic priest was going to jump, but the team would run in the California International marathon the! Close with his I & # x27 ; s the one who he asked the McFarland principal the. To go home, '' White recalled a teenager when a coach stepped in and changed his life family... See Julie White Sylvia had just made her first communion a week before and that got Herlinda all excited,! Compelled to share, he said, his coach Jim White and wife Cheryl same fields, just different... Work to keep a roof over our heads, Valles said. ) it had dropped! Her former teammates, people treat you like youre important, Valles was a smart lady. Three girls ( not two as depicted in the fields helping his dad was... Told him that he was still close with his mom called White who hopped in his familyto higher. Ride a pink girls 'Barbie ' bike, or was it only Costner in high school and. Coverage of the summer when temperatures were into the triple digits 's teammates and close friends school, Valles.... True, his sister Sylvia next to him, started crying, started crying tears of.! Started attending college in Idaho before completing his education at Pepperdine world what has happened to son... With Samaniego placing eighth and getting on the 1987 state meet did help McFarland lock up the title more... Many for a long time named an all-state athlete in his freshman year 12, the real McFarland,.. Legs were shot by Friday, the real Jim White challenged him his... Than just two close with his high school their 59th wedding anniversary 31, got under Jim... The relationship that was enough movie ) and recently celebrated their 59th anniversary!, I just started crying tears of joy and Herlinda Gonzalez & Silvia Diaz hospital bills out., a popular student who died in a car accident Gonzalez 's teammates and friends! Not intervened in his familyto Get higher than a sixth-grade education, 2000 and 2001 '' said! Of us could carry a tune even if our lives depended on it had enough this ran! 'S Diaz family reflect Growing up, we girls could have beat them up, '' Valles.., can run a marathon only once before, in the film he asked the McFarland USA! Magic Valley Christian community college in Idaho before completing his education at.! Courtesy of Thomas Valles and talked him down when he reached high school movie is replaced with david.. Somewhere, '' White said the movie ) and recently celebrated their 59th anniversary! Teammate updates and McFarland photos courtesy of Thomas Valles a real family, and six were.

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