Southern California Striders Explained

The Southern California Striders (also SoCal Striders or SC Striders) is a track and field athletics club based in Los Angeles, California. From its foundation in 1955 through the 1980s it was an elite club producing numerous national and Olympic champions. For a time in the 1970s it was called the Tobias Striders for sponsorship reasons. From the 1990s to 2006 the club was restricted to masters athletics and still produces national champions in older age classes. After 2006 it became a nonprofit open to all ages.[1]

History

The club was formed originally in the fall of 1955 by five elite athletes; Olympic multiple Gold Medalists Mal Whitfield, George Rhoden, silver medalist Meredith C."Flash" Gourdine, NCAA Champions Lang Stanley,[2] and George Brown.[3] [4] In its day it laid claim to being "largest and strongest multiracial track-and-field club in the history of the sport."[5] They were also called a collection "America’s finest Olympic Track and Field Stars."[6]

Between 1957 and 1965 the team won 8 AAU National Team Championships[7] by attracting a who's who of elite track athletes of the day. Among the people to wear the Striders uniform were: Rafer Johnson, Ralph Boston, Bill Toomey,[8] Mike Larrabee,[9] Bob Seagren[10] John Rambo,[11] John Smith,[12] Fortune Gordien,[13] Ronnie Ray Smith,[14] Larry Stewart,[15] Marshall Clark,[16] Otis Burrell, Charles Dumas, Ed Caruthers, Bob Avant,[17] Leon Coleman,[18] Don Quarrie, Adolph Plummer, Chuck Smith,[19] Ulis Williams,[20] Rex Cawley, Wayne Collett, Ralph Mann,[21] Ron Whitney, Geoff Vanderstock,[21] Jim Cerveny, Jim Dupree,[22] Jerome Walters, Bob Seaman,[23] Paul Wilson, Ron Morris, Dick Railsback,[24] John Pennel, Dave Volz,[21] Art Walker,[25] Parry O'Brien, Dallas Long,[26] Peter Shmock[27] Rink Babka,[21] Ben Plucknett,[28] Ed Burke, Hal Connolly[29] Larry Young,[21] Mike Manley[30] andMax Truex.[31] All (listed) were USA National Champions, most were also Olympians across the full range of disciplines in the sport. The last of these National Champions appears to be Ben Plucknett, winning his championship in 1981. Plucknett set the still standing United States record in the Discus while wearing the Southern California Striders uniform.

At the 1978 Sun Devil Relays, USC Trojans set a 4 × 200 m world record (1m 20.26s) despite losing to the Tobias Striders: the Striders' mark (1m 20.23s) was ineligible as a record because the team was of mixed nationality: Guy Abrahams (Panama), Michael Simmons (USA), Don Quarrie (Jamaica), and James Gilkes (Guyana).[32] [33] By 1980 Tobias Striders had absorbed Angel's Flight Striders and resumed the name SoCal Striders.[34]

With the egalitarian attitude professed at its inception, the team catered almost exclusively to male athletes. This is because in the era of their successes, prior to Title IX, women athletes were not common and usually segregated.

The President of the Striders during the 60's was Dr. Jerry Bornstein,[35] who put together a team of fellow doctors to provide medical care, and sometimes airline tickets, for the athletes out of their own pockets. Doctors Whitmore, Silver, Mels and Barnes and trainer Paul Schechter were part of this team. Now retired, Dr. Bornstein continues to be involved in sports medicine leading the team of athletic trainers at LAUSD sporting events.[36]

Just as the team had the finest talent, it also attracted the finest coaches. Several people have laid claim to coaching the team. Charlie Coker joined in 1962.[7] Joe Mangan also coached for the team.[37] Later John Bork became the Coach and Athletic Director[6] Other coaches and managers included Pete Petersons, Hank Erlich, Carl Ito, and Whitey Taylor.

The club continues today, primarily in Masters track and field, though some elite athletes continue to represent the team. The club now has a sizable female membership and the club's president for the better part of a decade was female Masters World Champion Brenda Matthews.[38] [39]

The club hosts an annual meet, the Southern California Striders Meet of Champions.[40]

Olympic accomplishments

Other Olympics activities

USA Masters Track and Field Championship

1. USATF Masters Outdoor Championships2. USATF Masters Indoor Championships3. Masters So Cal Track and Field Championship

Resources

1. USATF website https://www.usatf.org/2. USATF Masters website https://usatfmasters.org/3. World Masters Athletics (WMA) https://world-masters-athletics.com/4. SCA USATF https://www.scausatf.org/5. Mastershistory.org website: http://www.mastershistory.org/West-Region/West.pdf6. National Masters News magazine http://www.nationalmastersnews.com/7. World Masters Rankings https://mastersrankings.com/8. North and Central America and Caribbean Region of World Masters Athletics (NCCMA) https://nccmasterathletics.com/9. Southern California Striders http://www.scstriders.org/10. Club West track club https://www.clubwesttrack.org/11. List of USA Masters Track and Field Records http://masterstrackandfield.org/ http://mastershistory.org/masters-records-american/ List of United States records in masters athletics12. Mastersrankings

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Masters to resurrect the Southern California Striders. Stone. Ken. 2006. masterstrack.com. 22 February 2017.
  2. Web site: K. Ballash . Jefferson HS 1950 . Lausd.k12.ca.us . October 22, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110929135656/http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/Jefferson_HS/sptf50.htm . September 29, 2011 . mdy-all .
  3. Web site: UCLA Hall of Fame . Uclabruins.com . October 30, 2007 . October 22, 2011.
  4. Web site: Striders History . Scstriders.org . October 22, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110826214538/http://scstriders.org/History.php . August 26, 2011 . mdy-all .
  5. Web site: "Mavelous" Mal Whitfield Biography – Page 3 . https://web.archive.org/web/20050228180329/http://www.whitfieldfoundation.org/about/index3.html . dead . February 28, 2005 . Whitfieldfoundation.org . June 5, 1999 . October 22, 2011 .
  6. Web site: About John Bork Sales . johnborksales.com . https://web.archive.org/web/20181226084353/http://www.johnborksales.com/new_page_4.htm . December 26, 2018 . dead.
  7. Web site: Helms Athletic Foundation Southern California High School Track & Field Record - 1965 Season - Twenty-Ninth Annual Edition . la84foundation.org . https://web.archive.org/web/20120808032931/http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/HELMS/Track/HelmsTrackAnnual1965.pdf . August 8, 2012 . dead.
  8. Web site: T&Fn Aoy . Trackandfieldnews.com . October 22, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111118054001/https://www.trackandfieldnews.com/archive/us_aoy.html . November 18, 2011 . mdy-all .
  9. Web site: Teacher Mike Larabee . Angelfire.com . October 22, 2011.
  10. Web site: Bob Seagren . WikiRun . October 22, 2011.
  11. Web site: John Rambo . WikiRun . October 22, 2011.
  12. Web site: John Smith . WikiRun . October 22, 2011.
  13. Web site: Fortune Gordien . WikiRun . October 22, 2011.
  14. Web site: Ronnie Ray Smith Biography and Olympic Results | Olympics at . https://web.archive.org/web/20200418053807/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sm/ronnie-ray-smith-1.html . dead . April 18, 2020 . Sports-reference.com . March 28, 1949 . October 22, 2011.
  15. A Roundup Of The Sports Information Of The Week – 05.08.61 – SI Vault . Sports Illustrated . May 8, 1961 . October 22, 2011.
  16. Web site: Spring 2003 – Trojan Family Magazine . Usc.edu . October 22, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110530141100/http://www.usc.edu/dept/pubrel/trojan_family//spring03/M_B_D.html . May 30, 2011 . mdy-all .
  17. Web site: Statistics – USA Outdoor Track & Field Champions . USATF . October 22, 2011 .
  18. Web site: Statistics – USA Outdoor Track & Field Champions . USATF . October 22, 2011 .
  19. Web site: Statistics – USA Outdoor Track & Field Champions . USATF . October 22, 2011 . mdy-all .
  20. Web site: Statistics – USA Outdoor Track & Field Champions . USATF . October 22, 2011 .
  21. Web site: Hymans . Richard . The History of the United States Olympic Trials – Track & Field . USA Track & Field . 2008.
  22. Web site: Statistics – USA Outdoor Track & Field Champions . USATF . October 22, 2011 .
  23. Web site: Statistics – USA Outdoor Track & Field Champions . USATF . October 22, 2011 .
  24. Web site: Statistics – USA Outdoor Track & Field Champions . USATF . October 22, 2011 .
  25. Web site: Statistics – USA Outdoor Track & Field Champions . USATF . October 22, 2011 .
  26. Web site: Statistics – USA Outdoor Track & Field Champions . USATF . October 22, 2011 .
  27. https://web.archive.org/web/20200417190929/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sh/pete-shmock-1.html Pete Shmock at Sports Reference
  28. Web site: Statistics – USA Outdoor Track & Field Champions . USATF . October 22, 2011.
  29. Web site: Statistics – USA Outdoor Track & Field Champions . USATF . October 22, 2011 . mdy-all .
  30. Web site: Statistics – USA Outdoor Track & Field Champions . USATF . October 22, 2011 .
  31. Web site: Statistics – USA Outdoor Track & Field Champions . USATF . October 22, 2011 .
  32. Web site: Progression of IAAF World Records. PDF . 141 . International Association of Athletics Federations. Hymans. Richard. Imre . Matrahazi. 2015. 17 May 2016.
  33. A roundup of the week May 22–28 . 5 June 1978 . Sports Illustrated. 20 February 2017.
  34. Web site: Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona on April 5, 1980 · Page 88 . April 5, 1980 . Arizona Republic . Phoenix, Arizona . 88 . 22 February 2017.
  35. Web site: Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Home . Scjewishsportshof.com . October 22, 2011.
  36. Web site: Dr Jerry Bornstein | An old doctor lends a hand at high school football games . https://web.archive.org/web/20101107113145/http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-sideline-doctor-20101023,0,7263145,full.story . dead . November 7, 2010 . Los Angeles Times . October 22, 2010 . October 22, 2011.
  37. Book: American Miler: The Life and Times ... – Paul J. Kiell – Google Books . October 22, 2011. 9781891369599 . Kiell . Paul J. . 2006 . Breakaway Books .
  38. Web site: Southern California Striders – Contact Us . Scstriders.org . October 22, 2011.
  39. Web site: 2010 WMA World Indoor Championships - 3/1/2010 to 3/6/2010 - Kamloops, Canada . May 18, 2011 . March 4, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304032618/http://www.world-masters-athletics.org/files/results/Kamkoops_Results_2010.htm . dead .
  40. Web site: Southern California Striders – Meets . Scstriders.org . January 31, 2011 . October 22, 2011.

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