By Javier Velez— Staff Writer
Let me make this crystal clear when I say this:
There will never be another track and field program at San Jose State University like “Speed City.”
The legacy of John Carlos and Tommie Smith will never be forgotten at SJSU and if you need a reminder, stop by their statue of the 1968 Olympics, located in the heart of campus.
Not only did “Speed City” use their national platforms to break records, they also used that same platform to make a huge impact on the Civil Rights Movement.
Lloyd “Bud” Winter was the coach for the famous stretch of success for “Speed City.”
Winter had a 29-year coaching career (1941–1970) and helped produce 102 All-Americans, 27 of whom went on to compete in the Olympics.
However, it is difficult not to recognize the parallels the two programs possess throughout the years.
Those similarities were brought to the forefront by senior distance-runner Jose Piña, who has a legendary career at SJSU himself.
“Even though there is a big difference in the time periods compared to ‘Speed City,’” Piña said. “There are some of us who are trying to fight against certain social issues such as deportations and being undocumented in this country.”
Piña, a dreamer himself, was the first Spartan in 32 years to compete in the NCAA Men’s Cross Country Championships in 2016.
He currently holds the school record for the fastest time in the 10,000 meters (29:12.11) and has the second best time in the 5,000 (14:06.92).
The senior spoke highly about the team from the last two years and where this team is going in the future.
“The team now is also a community of talented young athletes who are trying to achieve a goal in running,” Piña said. “Some of us have dreams of competing at the Olympics.”
He praised senior distance-runner Jennifer Sandoval, who also holds a school record for the 10,000 meters (33:37.38) and has the second-best time in the 5000 meters (16:21.42) for women.
“[Jennifer] has a lot of determination and patience when it comes to this sport,” Piña said. “Seeing her discipline and how bad she wants [to achieve] her goals is something that inspires me to be as determined.”
Sandoval was the first woman to qualify for the NCAA National Championship in the program’s history.
For crying out loud, the program is making an impact in the last couple of years and the school is repaying them by making a parking garage on what is supposed to be a new track for the program?
With that being said, it is fairly important to mention that in 1988, SJSU discontinued the men’s track and field program. It wasn’t brought back until 2018.
“It’s a blessing being part of such a historic program,” Piña said. “I really look up to ‘Speed City’ because I think to myself, if the athletes during that time were able to achieve such feats despite the challenges they faced, then we can too.”
Follow Javier on Twitter @JavyALVZ408