Francie Larrieu Smith leads our Olympic Legacy…The following CCC alums were on three or more USA Olympic teams, including the 1980 team that was not allowed to compete in Moscow by President Jimmy Carter because Russia had invaded Afghanistan:

Five USA Olympic Teams: Francie Larrieu Smith (DeAnza)-1500 to Marathon …’72, ’76, ’80, ’88, ’92 (USA flag bearer)

Four USA Olympic Teams: Johnny Gray (Santa Monica CC)-800…’84, ’88, ’92, ’96;

John Powell (American River CC)-Discus…’72, ’76-Bronze medal, ’80, ’84-Bronze medal

Three USA Olympic Teams: Kate Schmidt (Long Beach CC)-Javelin…’72-Bronze , ’76-Bronze, ’80;

Frank Wykoff (Glendale CC)-400m relay…’28, ’32, ’36 (Gold medal, Olympic & WRs each Games)

Foreign Olympians competing in three or more Olympics:

Ato Boldon (Trinidad-Tobago/San Jose CC)-Sprints/400m Relay…’92, ’96, ’00, ’04 (100/200m:1 silver, 3 bronze)

Juliet Revoli Campbell (Country?/Mt. SAC) Sprints/ 400m Relay…’92, ’96, ’00

Davidson Ezinwa (Nigeria/Mt. SAC) Sprints/400m Relay…’88, ’92-Silver-400m relay, ‘96

Oumar Loum (Senegal/Riverside CC) Sprints/400m Relay… ’88,’92, ’96

Les Mills (New Zealand/ Foothill CC) SP/Discus…’60, ’64, ’68, ’72

Felix Sanchez (Dominican Republic/ San Diego Mesa CC) 400IH…’00, ’04-Gold Medal, ’04

Brian Wellman (Bermuda/Taft CC) Triple Jump…’88, ’92, ’96, ’00

CCC Olympic Trivia…Noted Olympics where 10 or more former CCC T&F athletes competed: 1964-10; 1968-11;

1984-12; 1988-17; 1992-13; 1996-20; 2000-12…CCC T&F alums have competed in EVERY

Olympics since the 1928 Olympics (Jim Corson-Modesto-Discus; Frank Wykoff-Glendale-400m Relay)

Sylvia Mosqueda … Sylvia Mosqueda: a national class competitor for two decades-

The front-running former San Gabriel HS/East Los Angeles CC runner won the 1986 state CC 1500 title (4:18.10-still the state meet record) and also set the still-standing national CC 1500 mark of 4:17.82. She qualified for five Olympic Trials from 1988-2004 and won the NCAA 10k with a new collegiate record while at Cal St. Los Angeles. She had remarkable range: 800-2:04.55; 1500-4:11.7; 5k-15:30; 10k-31:52; half-marathon-1:09.51; marathon-2:33.47. Mosqueda was also fourth in the 1992 Olympic Trials 10k. She is a certain future inductee into the state community college track and field hall of fame.

The Right or Wrong Way …The 1993 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships will be forever remembered by those running and watching. Mike Delcavo of Western State College (Gunnison, Colo.) was running mid-pack and made the correct turn after those ahead had missed it.  “I was waving for them to follow me and yelling, ‘This is the right way.’” Only four runners followed him. As he thought he might win the race the pack appeared in front of him (they had run a kilometer, .62 of a mile less). Meet management ruled the abbreviated route the “official course.” Delcavo ended up 123 of the 128 runners. He did not protest because he “didn’t want to ruin the event.”

- Scorecard, Sports Illustrated, 12/27/93