As Jim Easterwood proclaimed in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 1969 was the year of the Ram.
Easterwood’s proclamation came after talking to OIA track and field coaches, with Castle’s Don Mahi claiming that the Rams had too many horses to be challenged by anyone other than possibly Kailua.
The Rams were led that year by sprinters John Brown, who ran a 9.9 in Texas, and Bernard Rembert (10.1) with Allan Overby and Jerris White providing depth. Radford had already won the OIA football championship and swept league and state titles in boys basketball.
Radford made Mahi’s prediction come true in the OIA track and field championships a month later, beating Kailua 85-82. White was Radford’s only double winner in the meet, taking the triple jump with a record effort of 42 feet, eight inches and the long jump with a 21-2 3/4.
Brown won the 100 meters in 10.3 while Rembert finished third and they finished second and third in the 200. The Rams also won the 880 relay in 1:33.1 and took second to Kailua in the mile relay. Other placers for the Rams included John Thornton (third in the 440), Bruce Woolbrette (fourth in the 440, fourth in the high jump), David Muraskas (third in the 880, fourth in the mile), John Waid (fifth in the 880, third in the mile), Don Swackhammer (fourth in the 2 mile), Overby (third in the long jump, fifth in the triple jump) and Olando Auld (fifth in the discus).
As good as Radford’s team was, the Rams slipped to fourth in the state championships a month later at Alexander Field, finishing behind champion Punahou, ‘Iolani and Kailua. Radford’s lone boys track and field state titles came in 1982 and 1985 under Al Bader.
Here is how the Rams finished at states:
White finished fifth in the long jump and second in the triple jump.
Brown finished second to Punahou’s Tony Allmond in the 100 and third in the 200.
Waid finished fourth in the mile and fifth in the 880.
Thornton finished fifth in the 440.
Muraskas finished second in the two-mile and Radford was second to Punahou in the mile relay.
I remember that team and their speed. Made other teams look like they were tuck in mud/sand.