what happened to thomas valles and julie white 21 Nov what happened to thomas valles and julie white

Yet 35 years later, coach White and all seven boys from the 1987 team are back making a difference in the city they love: McFarland, USA. 'What's going on?' "But we'd try to run in the shade in the almonds," he said. White said there are hills around orange groves about six miles outside of town where the team goes for true hill training. He also said he didn't have a relationship with his baseball coach and questioned why there couldn't have been a better relationship. the coach of the cross country team who won 9 state titles in 14 years. "We did what we could to help him. They're men of color. Yes. Send me an email at johnharte@att.net. White coached for 23 years from 1980 through 2002 and he came back for one year in 2003. McFarland - Thomas Valles x OC (Camila Carter) #1 in crosscountry #1 in mcfarland #1 in thomasvalles #1 in blanco. We still run the same roads, along the same fields, just with different kids. However, it happened a little differently than in the movie. Not long after, their car is confronted by a group of punks that bother Javi. "Both girls were certainly part of the early fabric McFarland cross country was trying to stitch together when tragedy struck," Diaz says. Local photojournalist John Harte, who followed the team at the time, says that he witnessed opposing teams offer genuine handshakes of good luck. In the least, such scenes seem to have been exaggerated by the filmmakers. Hes excited about the opportunity to run again and do it for a cause. Not unlike many McFarland kids, she worked in the fields to help support her family. See Julie White full list of movies and tv shows from their career. Ellysa Harris is the editor for the Plainview Herald. But Coach White led his boys to running and running beckoned them past the lines that lay before them. Everybody has a Mr. White, Valles said. High 47F. 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. "We didn't really train like that.". Forgot." Today, Valles coaches girls cross country coach at McFarland and travels around to speak and share his story. He might never have given the incident another thought if not for Whites actions. A live-action Disney movie starring Kevin Costner, this 2015 film set in the late 1980s opens on the downward spiraling career of high school football coach Jim White (Costner). They would have graduated together. He and his wife Cheryl met at Magic Valley Christian College in Idaho. Idk if people were aware that MHS, did not want 2 pay 4 Herlinda Gonzalez & Silvia Diaz hospital bills. Julie White. 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. Looking back, we must have looked so ridiculous, but that didn't matter to us. Valles has run a marathon only once before, in the California International Marathon. 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. Brief Version. She wanted us to go together. 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. In reality, Valles and his family moved to McFarland in 1974, and he grew up working in the fields with his parents. ", White, the former baseball player, was a right-handed pitcher. "(It is) things like that that have touched our lives," White said. 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. Yes. "We couldn't go out there and run those things," White said. 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. Especially when you travel, people treat you like youre important, Valles said. White House Farm: Julie tells the police about Marcus. Victor Puentes is just to his left. White continues to be present in Valles life after high school and after the McFarland Cross Country teams historic run. ", "That bothered him for awhile," White said. " However, I believe the Diaz family did go 2 court & the school paid them an undisclosed amount. They attack the group, while they push Julie out of harm's way. "The nerves were still there because we were going to be part of something, not thinking it was history, but a part of something that we've never done," Valles said. . who does coach white see sitting on the edge of the bridge. 2h. One in particular, Thomas Valles (Carlos Pratt), can run a 5-minute mile. those boys were heroes to many. This one is for Stacey Morris, a popular student who died in a car accident. He also did find Thomas Valles on a freeway overpass and help him deal with his I'm coming!. what happened to thomas valles and julie white. What about this one? Was there hardship that required help from Coach White and his wife Cheryl? They want to make a difference. Yes. Plainview Herald. "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.". And so I would imagine that line all over again.. 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. 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. 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. -KGET 17, Yes. Jim White restarted the program in 1980 after it had been dropped for a year. "Sylvia and I were seniors because my parents placed us in the same grade when we were in fourth grade because they wanted me to walk with her to school. They're not going to let kids run all over them. Coach Jim White challenged him and his peers to run. 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. "It is pure bliss to be able to honor both these girls through these (photos) after so many years. Girls XC coach at McFarland. He admittedly partied too much during his sophomore year and became ineligible. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. It was an emotional and . The film also shows a chubby runner named Danny Diaz rallying late to secure the team title. And both CBN and Fox News announced that the "Asbury Revival" had spread to other schools, including Cedarville University. This photo . Thomas Valles was one of the runners who competed and won the cross country CIF State Championship in 1987. Similarly, Carlos' life was changed by his teacher, Mr. Wood. I photographed Thomas Valles, who is featured prominently in the film. Valles said he asked the McFarland principal if the team had won. I missed out -- we all missed out -- because I would have loved knowing these past 28 years what I've learned about them these past few months. Sylvia Diaz at work in the agricultural fields of McFarland in 1985. It was enough to get him back on track. Yes, the McFarland High boys did win a team title at the first CIF-State Cross Country Championships held in 1987. Added Cheryl: "With him being a pitcher, he would have been straight on.". Despite a strong group returning from the '87 championship team, McFarland only placed fifth in 1988. Valles retired two years ago from the California Department of Corrections. They came back. His younger sisters, who were barely in middle school, became teenage mothers. He was named an all-state athlete in his freshman year. 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. "I was blessed that I got the opportunity to be apart of something that kept me off the streets of McFarland. Now more than 30 years later, he knows he disappointed her and White. . 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. SAC and everywhere we could find competition that could make us better. He also says that Jim White recruited him and his classmates in middle school to start running. Juanita Diaz. 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. "(That) fixed it where I could never see my parents on Thanksgiving," White said. (LogOut/ Dolores Plata Rodriguez says the bus trips were the most fun of her cross-country experience. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 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. Here are five things that you may or may not have known about Julie White: Grew Up in Austin, TX. Blanco gave his boys the skills to thrive and running gave them the opportunity to make it out of McFarland. He never saw the money he made as it went to support his family. -BakersfieldCalifornian.com, Yes. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Director Niki Caro chose to omit Luis Partida, who in the movie is replaced with David Diaz. 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. 'That's not even my life story. As a boy, Thomas Valles could never have imagined that his running ability would shape the . Both girls witnessed the practice accident that took the lives of Herlinda Gonzalez and Sylvia Diaz two and one-half weeks earlier. He admittedly partied too much during his sophomore year and became ineligible and everywhere we could to help him with... Who in the agricultural fields of McFarland historic run scenes seem to have been straight on. `` might... Department of Corrections have been straight on. `` held in 1987 an undisclosed amount he asked the McFarland boys. '' he said been dropped for a year & # x27 ; m coming! was blessed that I the... 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