Grandpa Farnsworths's love for Track & Field told by Uncle Rick

Now, I would like to tell you all a little bit about Grandpa Farnsworth's love for track and field. He really loved those sports. When he was in high school he ran the 880 yard race (now 800 meter). It was considered a distance race back then. I don't when or how much he practiced, given that he had to go the farm each day after school to work with (my) Grandpa Farnsworth, but he ran on the team at Beaver High School.

When he went to BYU he was on the track team for awhile. I think this was before he went off to World War II. He also ran the 880 there, but I am not sure how successful he was. However, he played an important role on the team. Coach Floyd Millett, a famous coach in BYU history, was the track coach then. Dad told me that Coach Millett used to have Dad run over the hurdles to show the hurdlers on the team the proper form. Dad didn't have the speed to be a hurdler, but apparently he had beautiful form, and Coach Millett would use him to to show the hurdlers proper form over the hurdles.

One of Dad's (Grandpa's) teammates on the team was Clarence Robison. He was a distance runner, and one of the best in the US and the World. He later became the head track coach at BYU for many years. The Track and Field stadium at BYU, part of which I can see from my office as I type this letter, is named after him, and his son is the current head coach of the BYU track and field team. His Grandson ran as a distance runner when Dave ran with the team for a couple of years. Clarence Robison was from Fillmore, south of here and about one hour north of Beaver. At school breaks Dad and Clarence would hitch rides together home to Southern Utah. Dad maintained a friendly relationship with Coach Robison until Dad's Alzheimer's set in. I remember Dad introducing him to me on the Provo Temple Grounds many years ago, when Brother Robision was giving guided tours around the grounds. (That might have been at the time of Doug and Kathy Fuller's wedding.) For many years, including my teenage years and years at BYU, Clarence was the PA announcer at all of the BYU home basketball games; he had a great, rich voice.

Dad loved to watch track meets on TV, and I remember watching them with him from time to time. One year, about 15-20 years ago, shortly after the new Robison track stadium opened, BYU hosted the NCAA championships, the same meet Richard is competing in starting tomorrow. I got 2 sets of tickets for the 4 days. I think I took Dave with me one night, Sam one night (I think Sam, or maybe Dave, got the autograph of former Olympian Carl Lewis, who at that time was one of the assistant track coaches at the University of Houston.), Chris one night, and Dad one night. Dad loved it!

Dad is the one who encouraged me to try track, especially the 880. He probably encouraged Jeff to get into it, too. He came to my meets, and I think Jeff's, too, very regularly. I can remember taking time off work on spring afternoons to be at many of my races. He came when I ran in the BYU Invitational the spring of my senior year with a ton of other runners on the track (all in one heat, but I ran one of my best times), which was then in Cougar Stadium before it was renovated and enlarged. He was a great support.

So that brings us down to Rich (and Andrea, too). I know that Dad would love to see you run your meets. He would love to be there at the stadium and cheer for you. He would just love it. Rich, ("Grandpa calls me Richie.") I know that Grandpa is proud of you, and all of his Grandkids. (He would love to see all of you and your children's concerts, plays, meets, games, assemblies, etc.) Rich, I suspect he will be watching you as you race. Remember that in your heart as you run for yourself and BYU. Good luck to you! We are proud of you. (In the "well-pleased" sense that our family has always used that word.) We will be cheering for you!