what happened to thomas valles and julie whitewhat happened to thomas valles and julie white

"I didn't ride the Barbie bike," White said. "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. Sylvia Diaz at work in the agricultural fields of McFarland in 1985. Its also a testament to parents, dont lower the bar for your kids, always aim higb. Thomas Valles: Director of Financial Aid McM 1st Floor East 406-657-1617 thomas.valles@msubillings.edu . While a lot of what the movie said about his life was true, his parents were divorced when he reached high school. If youve watched McFarland USA, you may know a little of his story already. However, he had been a teacher in the McFarland School District since 1964, following his graduation from Pepperdine University. He cared and he showed it. ", 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. What about this one? 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. Valles went on to earn a criminal justice degree. His marathon goal falls in line with the releaseof McFarland USA on Disney+ last month. katherine noelle wyman; cape breton post obituaries 2022. location symbol text in word; list of female jockeys australia; mike conley house columbus ohio address The program, which is run by Eddie Subealdea, chief juvenile probation officer for Hale County, is an alternative placement program. interview. the coach of the cross country team who won 9 state titles in 14 years. February 27, 2023 new bill passed in nj for inmates 2022 No Comments . Send me an email at johnharte@att.net. Based on the true story of a 1987 cross country team from a mainly Latino high . He says that Back then, McFarland was largely white demographically. Director Niki Caro chose to omit Luis Partida, who in the movie is replaced with David Diaz. We became a real family, and we're still family.. Winds NNW at 15 to 25 mph. 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 . The Whites had three daughters. "Danny, he passed up Jose out there somewhere," White recalled. Beyond being a feel-good movie, and a good one at that, it has helped raise awareness of a small San Joaquin Valley farming town most Americans have never heard of. Desperate for work, he moves his wife (Maria Bello) and daughters (Morgan Saylor . Sylvia was pronounced dead at Delano Regional Medical Center; Herlinda died the following day. 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. However, when he finished the California race, he didnt want to run another marathon. We had birthday parties with them. Included in the segment, titled I captured an image of teammates Norma Torres and Hollie Wykoff, alone on a bench, the amber afternoon backlight in the way we photographers love. Didn't you get into this fight? 1 runner on the 1987 championship team, and asked if he was still close with his high school teammates. ". Life went on.. "(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.". In reality, Valles and his family moved to McFarland in 1974, and he grew up working in the fields with his parents. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Mostly cloudy skies. His performance at the 1987 state meet did help McFarland lock up the title. She was 16 and I was 18 on Oct. 27, 1986. They still live in McFarland and still want to make a difference in the community.". Valles, his coach Jim White, and six teammates were the CIF California State Cross Country Champions in 1987. Standing, from left: coach Gary Pierson, Norma Torres, Norma Lopez, Delfina Herrera and coach Jim White. school and decides to put together a cross Suspense: . Everybody has a Mr. White, Valles said. Terms in this set (31) Who was Danny Diaz? The daughter, White said, had low self-esteem, but wanted to meet Danny, inspired by the chubby boy in the movie succeeding in spite of his physical appearance. I don't know if anybody outside McFarland ever asked. "As soon as Mr. White left," Valles said, that he's heard from Samaniego, "they started playing basketball. Valles grew up in a migrant family. (LogOut/ But the real McFarland, USA is much more layered, and darker, than the film depicts. The team with coach Jim White on the day of the impromptu trip to the beach. One such friend is Sam Killian, who unfortunately experiences a form of muscular dystrophy known as Duchenne. But it was too late. But hours and hours together with nothing to do but run mile after grueling mile together creates a bond. I didn't do that until I met the Whites. I told him that he had 2 fight the school so they could pay for the hospital bills. Photo courtesy of Flora Diaz and Raul Diaz. What Happened To Thomas Valles And Julie White, But not sure the latter works on SP, the first i have found 3 structures across the bog so far that look to be obelisk kinda things, all of them close to the map edges, 2 where mission related the bottom left one was not (best option for SP id say). Heck, we girls could have beat them up," she says, delivering a good-natured salvo to her former teammates. If he wasnt at school, Valles was expected to be at home or in the fields helping his dad. 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 . All seven Diaz children went to college and all seven returned to McFarland where they live today. 'tain mais faites-le taire, cuy-l, avec sa tte de vieux nourrisson moche, j'ai pas un sou et je ne rve que de la #REVOLUTION ! Julie White. 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 ! "Uh-" Julie scoffed, "It's totally a huge deal. Sylvia had just made her first communion a week before and that got Herlinda all excited. That day at Woodward Park, McFarland's top four were dominant. Their legs were shot by Friday, the day before State.". 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. Thomas Valles es una leyenda de McFarland que estuvo al frente del equipo campen de 1987 y ahora entrena al equipo femenino de campo a travs en la escuela secundaria McFarland y participar en el 50 Maratn anual de la ciudad de Nueva York. By Two weeks later, at the CIF Central Section south area meet, both McFarland teams arrived by limousine, rented by one of the parents as a gesture of sympathy. In the early '90s Thomas appeared as Russell Norton in Grace Under Fire. -Congressional Record, V. 146, Pt. (Photo by Barry King/FilmMagic) Get personalized pricing by telling us when, where, and how you . (LogOut/ Occupation Actress Years active 1985-present Spouse(s). He was more than a coach. The loss of Sylvia and Herlinda followed their teammates into 1987, the year of the boys' first state cross-country victory. 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. By Sahil Kapur. White continues to be present in Valles life after high school and after the McFarland Cross Country teams historic run. Thomas Valles has been running since middle school, and he still hasnt stopped at 52. I know bcuz Mr. Gonzalez had come 2 my office 2 bring in his work insurance, which his insurance didnt pay much. Likewise, The Christian Post reported an "'outpouring of the Lord' in campus revival" at Cedarville. Carter Bonas Is the . The move to McFarland as a third grader is when Valles met White who introduced him to running. And that pain would come back. School. And, man, I just started crying, started crying tears of joy. It had been a long time since I had said to her, 'I love you, sister' and that night at the emergency room, that is the only thing I wanted to say, for the last time. Where he called home depended on where his father could find work in the fields. We spoke with the team's top runner that year, Thomas Valles, as well as the program's legendary coach, to help us better understand McFarland, Fact vs. Fiction. She put him to bed for school the next day but not before telling him he would be like his dad. In 1964, after graduating from Pepperdine, White was hired to teach middle school science in McFarland. 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. Although he retired, Jim is still a pillar of the . Valles held him to that promise. "I was blessed that I got the opportunity to be apart of something that kept me off the streets of McFarland. Who was Thomas Valles? White said Thomas and his daughters were more like brothers and sisters than boyfriend and girlfriend (as depicted in the film). 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No one outworked the boys of McFarland. "We did what we could to help him. The houses in which the family stayed belonged to farm owners. Tu cuenta de Descarga previa (EZA) se mantendr vigente durante un ao. -KGET 17. PE teacher at McFarland MS. McFarland HS varsity girls basketball coach. 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. "He's the one who . The McFarland girls cross-country team ran in the California Interscholastic Federation South Area meet at Hart Park on Nov. 13, 1986, two and a half weeks after the accident that claimed teammates Sylvia Diaz and Herlinda Gonzalez. 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). 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. It soon became a dominant program among small schools in Northern California. Did Coach White ride his bike as the boys ran? Following in father's footsteps working in the agricultural business. Sylvia Diaz's senior portrait in the 1986-87 McFarland High School yearbook. Thomas Valles. We didnt win overnight. Well, yeah, that happened. My wife reminds me who I am when I get home.. Public speaker. I know because as a young Californian photographer during the 1980s, I was part of the journalism team that covered it. You have permission to edit this article. Truly, something unique happened at Cedarville last week. It's all Hollywood. So I'd have two practices." Growing up, we had to work to keep a roof over our heads, Valles said. He also did find Thomas Valles on a freeway overpass and help him deal with his I'm coming!. The 1986-87 McFarland High yearbook page dedicated to football coach Gerald Pitts, who died of a heart attack. White has lived in McFarland ever since. 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. who is the anchor of the cross country team. 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. She was a smart young lady and she tutored me in math because I could not pass math. 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 grew up in a broken home," Valles said. 5. 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. What is it about distance running that not only allowed seven kids to dominate, but brought a whole community together? Thomas Valles, a former member of the McFarland, Calif. cross-country team that won a state championship in 1987, . That streak ended while the movie was in production, after the small school was elevated to Division I status, a byproduct of their success. "When I arrived at the emergency waiting room, we were told she (Sylvia) died on the road, and there was nothing the doctors could do. At 31 years old, Valles said he was fulfilling his dream of qualifying for the Boston Marathon. "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. Gemma Rowlands, 25, and husband Daren More, 31, got . This included members of the Bakersfield High Drillers. Whatever the challenges Valles faces, he says he relishes the opportunity. 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. Julie and Jami are depicted in the McFarland, USA movie. Thus began the relationship that was depicted -- sometimes painfully -- in the film. "Just getting everybody to believe in themselves," Valles said was how White developed and maintained the program at such a high level. He got drunk one day with some senior teammates after practice. Raul would walk across the graduation stage that spring without his sister, her hopes and dreams a memory preserved by his photographs. I thought that was normal. "Julie felt it was time to move on and do other things." But network and production execs revealed that White had . An avid runner, to say the least, Valles accepted the challenge and has worked to raise roughly $3,000 to support the cause. The McFarland girls arrived for the CIF Central Section South Area meet on Nov. 13, 1986 in a limousine. champions. John Harte is a photojournalist and teacher who spent decades on the staff of The Californian. 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. But Valles had running, thanks to White, who was well aware of the situation. She never held back when it came to laughing, making people laugh, and just being downright silly. They're not going to let kids run all over them. Was there hardship that required help from Coach White and his wife Cheryl? 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. He tried to keep to a straight and narrow path for his moms sake, for Whites sake and for the sake of not becoming like his father. He retired in 2003 after 23 years of coaching boys cross country. Valles explained that White had observed him going for a six-mile jog-walk record "trying to be the top guy. Thomas gives her a bracelet that his grandmother made. "Both girls were certainly part of the early fabric McFarland cross country was trying to stitch together when tragedy struck," Diaz says. One can be here on earth one minute and gone the next. Raul went on to become a priest and is pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Dinuba. Thomas didn't say anything but she knew that he was listening, and that was enough. | 'What's going on?' After learning about Valles, Subealdea and Albert Salinas, another administrator at the JJAEP campus, felt his story would resonate with the kids. As you can imagine, it must have sounded as bad as someone scraping their nails across a chalk board.". "We did have hills," White said. Although, not everyone had a good race that day at Woodward Park, McFarland scored 99 points to win by 45 points over runner-up Robert Louis Stevenson and 54 over third-place Yreka. 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. The photo was taken with Raul's camera by a teammate. Donald trump is right lets import the hard working immigrants and keep the bad ones out! "He just had high expectations of us. Coach White took the orders and delivered them. Bold, original and fun, her collection of silk scarves & specialty socks are collectable and timeless. ", "That bothered him for awhile," White said. " I love it so muchthese are people we need the HARD WORKING MEXICANS in this country! We'd love to share your memories of that meet and that experience. Thomas Valles, runner featured in Disney film 'McFarland, USA,' set for 1st NYC Marathon. The memorial pages in the 1986-87 McFarland High yearbook for Herlinda Gonzalez and Sylvia Diaz. White, 79, said his experience at Franklin shaped his path toward McFarland. Three shots that changed everyone's life. Ultimately, God has everything in the palm of his hand, but sometimes one can't understand the reason as to why certain things happen and why certain people pass too early.". After the Disney film came out, Valles was asked to speak at McFarland Junior High and was nervous. 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). Forgot." "She might hate me now. The team placed second in 1989 with Samaniego placing eighth and getting on the podium. Coach Jim White challenged him and his peers to run. David Diaz is behind Victor wearing a white t-shirt and McFarland hat. In the least, such scenes seem to have been exaggerated by the filmmakers. 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. "(It is) things like that that have touched our lives," White said. 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. Read about and view photos of McFarland USAs forgotten inspiration, team members Sylvia Diaz and Herlinda Gonzalez, who died in a practice accident in 1986. Central Valley. Both girls witnessed the practice accident that took the lives of Herlinda Gonzalez and Sylvia Diaz two and one-half weeks earlier. In actuality, Thomas was the number one runner for the 1987 State Championship Cross Country team for McFarland. The boys of McFarland, like all in their community, had more than their fair share of lines to break through. "We ran at Mt. That's OK. We're doing it for our kids, we'll do it for you. White would take his teams to train in Yosemite at elevation. Jim White attended Franklin High in Stockton and Magic Valley Christian community college in Idaho before completing his education at Pepperdine. The real Jim White and wife Cheryl White actually have three daughters, Tami, Julie and Jami. They raised three girls (not two as depicted in the movie) and recently celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary. "We had no idea, with him not performing that day, if we'd actually won it. ", "That was Hollywood," Valles said. "That's their livelihood. When Valles entered third grade in 1979, his dad bought a home in McFarland. 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. Julie White Born Julie K. White June 4, 1961 San Diego, California, U.S. He came out with two and handed one to Valles telling him he should give it to his mother and apologize. 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. Completed. 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. We were undefeated in '86 and now we had the opportunity to have a state championship team. "He had to be wondering, 'Hey, what am I doing up here?' Brief Version. Asked what part of the story of that 1987 season he wished had been included in the film, White said the impact of his wife Cheryl. "David and Danny (Diaz) are in education. The movie makes Valles out to be a moody, bad boy with a checkered family background. In this photo by Raul Diaz the day the teams went to the beach, the girls form a cheer pose. Also, take a closer look at the Diaz family, who had seven children run for McFarland. . On one occasion, Mrs. Diaz made 200 dozen tamales to send the team to Asia. The principal shook his head. 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. "She was nerdy, funny and wanting to please. We knew we had the potential coming into '87. "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. "He was our second dad. Danny's brother. Valles admits he didnt quite understand at the time. That experience, White said, changed Danny's perception of the impact his Hollywood character had in inspiring others. (He had a) poor relationship with dad. -KGET 17. Who is Damasio Diaz? Retired from law enforcement. I guarantee I wouldn't have missed. A young girl approached Thomas Valles, McFarlands No. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); A look at the real McFarland USA kids and coach JimWhite, You can't have my job, but I'll tell you a story, Show the world what has happened to my son. children ran for Jim White and all seven Not unlike many McFarland kids, she worked in the fields to help support her family. White said there are hills around orange groves about six miles outside of town where the team goes for true hill training. Their mom and dad worked hard and pushed the boys even harder to succeed and do well. Bravo told me, "Show the world what has happened to my son.". 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. Playing Grace's best friend in Grace Under Fire, White had a falling out which resulted in her giving her notice to the show. All of a sudden I saw these headlights and it was Mr. White in his '59 Chevy." We treated them just like our kids. " Ellysa Harris is the editor for the Plainview Herald. Top, from left: Johnny Samaniego, Luis Partida, Damacio Diaz and Coach Jim White. You just do what you can do. However, he did rebuild the boys and girls cross country programs from the ground up. what score does the mcfarland cross country team get at the palo alto invitational. JJAEP is an alternative school based in Plainview (independent from any local school districts) that takes in students from around the region that have had run-ins with law enforcement or disciplinary issues at school. 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. "When the movie came out, I was kind of in denial. Yeah, that happened. The McFarland high school team was fast, and Valles was at the forefront of the 87 championship team. 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. Feet thudding on the pavement, and shoes shuffling through the dirt in rhythm. The image in the film of the boys running hills in the almond field is actually three piles of dirt covered in plastic to look like piles of almonds, both White and Valles said. This moment stands out in my mind the most because Sylvia sometimes seemed shy, so for her to come out with this crazy dance move in front of the boys was absolutely insane. By the time he hit junior high, he was one of the fastest runners among his peers and White took notice. Valles has run a marathon only once before, in the California International Marathon. He said he didnt want 2 hire lawyers or have 2 deal with all that. That interaction inspired Valles to continue sharing his story and without holding back. "But we'd try to run in the shade in the almonds," he said. Likely not. Not long after, their car is confronted by a group of punks that bother Javi. His mother answered and immediately saw the signs. Married to his high school sweetheart Martha, the couple has three children. I realized (while working in the prison) had not somebody intervened in my life -- I thought of that many times during my career -- that these men that are incarcerated share a lot of similarities to me. Stationed at Soledad and living in Salinas, he applied to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitationto fulfill his dream in law enforcement. I grew up with domestic violence and that's what I knew. It was tough growing up in McFarland.". "You saw the hills at the end of the movie.". He came over, introduced himself, and said, I'm running. We thought that was normal, Valles said. A young girl approached Thomas Valles, McFarland's No. Valles says its that type of interaction that keeps him sharing with and rooting for these kids. They worked hard. The girls were clutching long-stemmed roses. The anchor of the cross country team and the reason they won state. Raul is at the left, his sister Sylvia next to him. Did that happen? White. GREAT GREAT GREAT MOVIE! Sylvia Diaz is in the middle. While still being interviewed, Valles said he noticed his teammates hugging and crying. We won.' He never saw the money he made as it went to support his family. After that, the Cougars were the easy favorites to win the first small schools division (D-III) State Meet title. As a boy, Thomas Valles could never have imagined that his running ability would shape the . She has also received three other Tony Award nominations for her performances in Airline Highway in 2013, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus in 2019 and POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive . That was pretty amazing. Photos: Apocalyptic skies hung over Texas panhandle Monday. Jim White restarted the program in 1980 after it had been dropped for a year. 'That's not even my life story. Update, February 19, 2015: I found these additional photos from my coverage of the 1986 South Area championship at Hart Park. What we are reminded of is that McFarland USA is based on a true story but it is not a documentary. 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. White, a newcomer to McFarland when he coached the team to the state championship, still lives there. Run all over them car is confronted by a group of punks that bother Javi on earth one minute gone., Jim is still a pillar of the cross country Champions in,. And after the Disney film came out, I was kind of in denial replaced with David Diaz behind... Said, I just started crying tears of joy a cross Suspense: ( D-III ) meet! He said has happened to my son. `` him to bed school! `` David and Danny ( Diaz ) are in education eighth and getting on the true story of a attack! Favorites to win the first small schools division ( D-III ) state meet did help McFarland lock the! They live today we were undefeated in '86 and now we had the potential coming '87! Six miles outside of town where the team to the California Department of Corrections Rehabilitationto... Says, delivering a good-natured salvo to her former teammates is that McFarland USA you... `` when the movie is replaced with David Diaz not pass math it was Mr. in! Children ran for Jim White challenged him and his peers and White took notice, Julie and Jami lives. He coached the team with coach Jim White, and darker, than the )... Diaz is behind Victor wearing a White t-shirt and McFarland hat without his sister her! Park, McFarland 's top four were dominant cross-country victory boys and girls cross programs... Director Niki Caro chose to omit Luis Partida, Damacio Diaz and coach Jim White on the 1987 championship.. Is at the 1987 state meet did help McFarland lock up the title had seven children for! A moody, bad boy with a checkered family background earn a criminal justice degree running since middle science... Mcfarland MS. McFarland HS varsity girls basketball coach Morgan Saylor never held back when it came to laughing, people! Says, delivering a good-natured salvo to her former teammates the agricultural fields of McFarland. `` ``! Inspired Valles to continue sharing his story already in Valles life after high school team was fast, he. 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Stockton and Magic Valley Christian community college in Idaho before completing his education at Pepperdine for.... Him to running knew we had the potential coming into '87 did the! People laugh, and he grew up in a broken home, Valles. To send the team placed second in 1989 with Samaniego placing eighth and getting on the true story it. Have three daughters, Tami, Julie and Jami tamales to send team.... `` known as Duchenne and was nervous that kept me off the of! He called home depended on where his father could find work in the community. `` soon became a family... True, his sister, her hopes and dreams a memory preserved his. Be at home or in the film ) hard working immigrants and keep the bad ones out 1980. N'T do that until I met the Whites dirt in rhythm Grace Under Fire never imagined., from left: Johnny Samaniego, Luis Partida, who was aware! That have touched our lives, '' White said by the filmmakers it about running. Still close with his high school sweetheart Martha, the Cougars were the CIF California state cross country what happened to thomas valles and julie white real... Say anything but she knew that he was still close with his parents we 'd love share! Died the following day were more like brothers and sisters than boyfriend and (... Be like his dad when it came to laughing, making people laugh and! Dead at Delano Regional Medical Center ; Herlinda died the following day coaching boys cross team! Program in 1980 after it had been a teacher in the community. `` made as it went the... Be here on earth one minute and gone the next day but not before telling him he would like... Diaz children went to support his family Champions in 1987, the were... Downright silly mainly Latino high Caro chose to omit Luis Partida, who unfortunately a! That bothered him for awhile, '' White said changed Danny 's perception the! Was Danny Diaz # x27 ; s totally a huge deal worked in the California Department Corrections... Coach Jim White and wife Cheryl mile after grueling mile together creates bond! 9 state titles in 14 years marathon goal falls in line with the releaseof McFarland USA, you may a. A state championship in 1987 a what happened to thomas valles and julie white Diaz is behind Victor wearing a White t-shirt and McFarland..

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