Sir Francis Drake High School, San Anselmo, NCS track and field history

by Coach Bill Taylor (USC 1955)


series of historical glimpses being shared with 2012 Drake track and field aspirants

Drake track and field vitality, history


# 7

"yes you can, yes you can, you take your life and live it, yes......never let it go"

well, maybe not this................?"

Fact or Fiction ?

How many Drake lads have won their track or field individual event at the "Meet of Champions" in the last thirty-three years? One is fairly recent. Just a couple of years ago one Cody Cunnington of Drake won the MOC pole vault gold medal. Who else? Boulet was second, twice, O'Sullivan advanced to the state, but did not win the MOC high jump, Eric Lee missed by less than 1 tenth of a second, twice, over 800 meters.

Any other winners? Yes, one young man. And he won four gold medals the same day (e.g., 3 "individual" ones, 4 for his relay team). How selfish. How fantastic. How virtually unmatchable. Who was this creature?

You can add to his fame this recognition: he holds the fastest times ever in county history over 100 meters and 200 meters, and he is # 1 in the long jump. His 10.70e, 21.41e and 23 feet 10 1/4 inches are the best marks ever by a Marin high school athlete. And the boy's history reaches back to the 1930's. I can still see this fellow passing the Berkeley High School leader on his savage anchor leg in the 4 x 100m relay in the MOC final. The 42.55e winning time shocked the East Bay. What's the "e" thing? Electronic.

The three other relay runners were Brandon Johnson, Josh Fuchs and Zack Winningham. Only one 4 x 100m team since the 1930's might have run less than 1 tenth faster. The coach of that Tam team told me that he felt the Drake clocking was "the best ever". Different timing systems, conversion methods, track surfaces, etc.

This superman didn't only excel in Berkeley at the Meet of Champions. He won the long jump at the Stanford and Mt. Sac Invitationals, took the 200m event at the latter as well. At Stanford he led off our outstanding mile relay team with a 49.4 clocking via the blocks. And there were county and North Coast Section pennants because of his presence. In fact, he just about won the MOC team title by himself. And the relay team.

So, when did this athletic "god" win the Olympics? Or a state title?

Never.

He managed a 5th in the 200 meters in the state meet his junior year, a 6th in the long jump a year later. There were factors, even a controversial disqualification for stepping on or over the curve lane line in the 200 meter heat. And the second and third relay chaps never left the passing zone.

Does this take anything away from that golden day at Berkeley in the Meet of Champions in 2004? The day he won four gold medals in the Meet of Champions?

Not for me.

Sport asks that we freeze that which honors our courage and maximum efforts, that we not destroy or eliminate that which touched greatness. Or fulfilled what was of the exceptional for us given our genes and opportunities.

These special days can come. When they do, it is important that we preserve them and not destroy the memory.

Who was this Drake hero?

Alex Pearlstone is his name.