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McFarland’s cross-country team: Letters to the editor

Members of the McFarland High School cross-country team train while running through the vineyards of McFarland in 1997.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
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Thank you for “A Labor of Love for Boys of McFarland” (Dec. 1) by Mark Arax, and for the photos by Genaro Molina. Thank you for paying homage to the McFarland team and their coach, Jim White.

They are the gold standard for cross-country running. For four years my son has run for Maranatha High School and the team they always look for and aim their sights on is McFarland. Their undaunted spirit has always been a mystery, and to tell their story honors this spirit and dedication.

SUSIE HORN
Altadena

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It brought tears of remembrance and joy to my heart to read a positive front-page article on our Hispanic community. As a former cross-country runner and team captain (Baldwin Park High School, Class of ‘71), from a hard-working Mexican American family of nine siblings, I too recall the long hours of running and dedication to a sport little known by the athletic community.

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I hope and pray that McFarland’s boys will achieve all they can to literally run with their heads and hearts held high. They made all of us former cross-country runners so proud!

REFUGIO ARELLANO JR.
Irvine

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I failed to wake up in time for my morning run and couldn’t help but feel a little guilty about missing it, reading your story. But as I finished, my emotions felt like I had run the L.A Marathon all over again.

Thanks for a heartfelt piece that made me want to root for Jose Perezchica and Jose Arambula to battle it out for the state championship. I was also hoping Rudy Ballardo would come back. But alas, this is reality and not a “Rudy” story, and championships that could be won are lost, not because some high-paid athlete “choked,” but because, despite the runners literally giving their hearts out, another team was stronger that day.

Good luck to the members of the team. And “Blanco,” thank you for being there for them.

MIKE TAKEUCHI
Santa Barbara

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