ADDENDUM to the 1st ADDENDUM

Staff Writer Last week’s “page” concluded with information about Jimmy Duckworth and his athletic prowess, especially as a “high jumper,” using the “roll” technique to make it his senior year to the State U. I. L. Track and Field Meet in Austin, Texas, where he finished with a 4th place award.

But, the story of the event of high jumping did/ does not conclude with the various techniques listed last week. We move this week to an announcement I was sorry to hear during the middle of March: Dick FOSBURY, 1947— 2023. One newspaper described what he did as “winning Olympic gold with backward leaps in the high jump.”

But just what was so noteworthy and revolutionary about Dick Fosbury as high jumper? Well, he figured out a way to change the standard scissors, cutoff, and roll techniques to a new way to run not parallel but at an angle and then change his “take-off” points and use a new way to leap at an angle (backwards, sort of) and then bend into a nearly “j-shape” to “catapult” over the bar and then land almost upon his “headfirst” head in the pit or onto the mat. At first, most judges, coaches, and spectators thought the method to be illegal (Themer did!), but upon re-readings of the event books and a thorough studying of these new types of jumpers in action, no illegalities could be found.

After a while, the new method began to be used by more and more jumpers as they found they could not keep up with the heights being recorded by the “Dick Fosbury imitators,” even though they did not like being referred to as “fish flopping into a boat.”

Reports say that the Medford Mail-Tribune “coined” the name now used for this technique when it posted a headline as follows: “FOSBURY FLOPS OVER THE BAR” after Dick had used his new technique at a high school track meet.

And, today, this is the most-used technique for “high jumping” by “top of the class” jumpers, and going back a way to the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, record books show that Dick Fosbury “flopped over the bar” at a height of 7’—4 ¼“ as he won a gold medal and set a new Olympic record at that time.

So, what does this have to do with the history of Forney, Texas? Well, just as Jimmy Duckworth was the best high jumper during his time at FHS, so also was an athlete who competed during the early 1970s as a Forney Jackrabbit. Who?

MICHAEL EVANS! Michael was an outstanding basketball player, gaining All-District and All-American honors in 1975 and being named “Most Valuable Player” the same year. He helped lead the team to a 23 wins and 8 losses record his senior year, playing under the direction of Coach Joe Jones, Jr. He also was an outstanding “nose guard” on the football team and played more than a “pretty fair” catcher on the baseball team!

But, his “crowning glory,” in my opinion, came when he won the STATE U. I. L. Track and Field HIGH JUMP 1st Place Medal in Austin at the University of Texas track. P. S. I always thought Michael was an exceptional athlete, and I also enjoyed having him as one of my “earlier” students, when I not only taught English but also Economics and Government. He was always interested in the topics at hand and asked pertinent questions. I sort of thought he might become a stock-broker or politician!

So, now I am going to be forced to have another “Addendum” column next week to tell you a little more about MIKE and F. I. S. D. athletics during his era.