When I was a kid, May was track and field month. Of course, the track and field season was longer than just a month, but the premiere event was the West Coast Relays (WCR) in Fresno, CA. I think I was 12 years old when my Dad and I attended my first of many WCR’s. Fresno State  College (FSC) was the host of a two day event started by FSC’s track coach, Flint Hanner.

The WCR had competition at the high school, college and open levels. The track at Ratcliffe Stadium was billed as the “world’s fastest” and consistently lived up to its reputation. In fact, I was sitting about 10 rows up from the finish line when the University of Southern California’s Mel Patton edged Lloyd LaBeach of Jamaica in a world record time of 9.3 in the 100 yd. dash. (Meters were not used in the USA back then).

High school performers were there from all over California with many of them from local San Joaquin Valley schools. In 1948, one of the best of these athletes was a 17 year old hurdler and weight man from Tulare High named Bob Mathias who later that year won the decathlon at the London Olympics in the dark and rain of Wembley Stadium. Four years later, he did it again in Helsinki, Finland. In doing so, I think he impressed a  young black lad just 26 miles up the road at Kingsburg High named Rafer Johnson who not only won the decathlon in 1960 at Rome, but was captain of the team and carried the flag in the opening ceremonies.

I watched Tommy Smith from Lemore High, a controversial champion at the Mexico City Olympics. I sat next to a black woman for four years as she watched her son, Leamon King, win the hundred as a 14 year old freshman from Delano High in 10 seconds flat and in 9.4 seconds his senior year. He was a member of the gold medal 400 meter relay team at the Games in Melbourne, Australia in 1956. I watched George Brown leap 26’ 2” in the long jump that put him in the class with the great Jesse Owens. Of course, I can’t leave out the first ever 7’0” high jump by Reynaldo Brown of Compton College. This list could go on and on, but I am sure you get the picture.

The question I have is “where have the track and field fans gone?” My answer is simple. A day at a track meet does not fit the format of our sports guru’s at ESPN. Oh, an occasional big meet Highlight Show, but not the whole enchilada. Most people never know that a day at a track meet is one of the great sports experiences ever. TV has educated them otherwise. The Olympics every four years isn’t enough.