• Sunday-What'sUP May 7 - 06:49 pm

Betty Catalano (Kingsford class of '53) was reminiscing about her Dad (Iron Mountain class of '25), and came across this photo from May of 82 years ago. While her Dad is not visible in the picture, he's probably out there on the field stretching somewhere, warming up for the next event.

This brings back a lot of memories for me, years of running track and cross country back in the sixties. Looks like this one might have been a regional meet of some sort. Such special days always gave an extra jolt of adrenalin at the starting gun. Our team was fortunate enough to make it to the State one year, and I'll never forget the sheer electricity of such fierce competition. Makes me want to see "Chariots of Fire" again.

Thanks to Betty for another Shoebox Memory, which we dedicate to the memory of her father, who passed away last May 23.

Have a good week :o)

awesome picture !! as a track and field and cross country coach this strikes close to home. I've seen the evolution from cinder tracks to fast polyeurethane rubberized surfaces and gone from a competitor to a coach. Too bad the UP is socked in with snow so late in the spring to make for a good track season but UP athletes make due and post some good marks anyway. Also, its too bad the UP does not compete against the LP in either track and field OR cross country running in the state championships. time to change this.

Track was my sport of choice in the 9th grade. I ran the 100 yd. dash in 12.3 seconds, a record that has not been broken as yet, set in 1971, and was the captain of the girls track team. That was a great time, wish I was still in that shape today!

My Dad was part of the Chassell Panthers track team that won the Class D U.P. championship in 1944. He had the opportunity a couple weeks ago to see his 8th grade granddaughter shatter her junior high's girls' 3200m record of 12:47 with a new mark of 12:33. She is chomping at the bit to participate in this summer's Canal Run!

Good for you Janie T! That is something to be proud of. I'm glad there are so many sports availabe for girls now days.

Some things don't change much. I ran track in high school too, I was a sprinter and hurdler. At just 5' I was just clearing them too. Could that be whats wrong with my knees now?

My Great Uncle Tauno used to participate in track events back in
the day. People said that he was as fast as Paavo Nurmi, a big
Finnish track star. It's amazing how many sporting events took
place in the UP in the first half of the 20th C. Not only in the
schools but also sponsored by the various ethnic groups.

While visiting my dad this weekend he showed me a picture of him
preparing to ski jump with his brother and some friends. They
made their own jumps.

Kosk in Toronto, my grandmother and her friends used to make their own jumps on the slope going down to the Middle Branch of the Ontonagon River. One time, she had a rather frightening experience with this when she broke through the crust and went some distance after she went through. Fortunately, one of her friends was able to pull her out!

That is definitely a tale to tell--and she's lucky she got to tell it!