Track Meets

Irving would enter us Cross kids into track meets, even though we had no formal training whatsoever. What we did have in abundance was love and encouragement from both of our parents — and the chance to shine. Irving thought we would run fast and do fine out on the field, and so we did.

One of these track meets was triumphant for our family. On Saturday, June 15, 1968, Irving entered five of us in the Jaycees’ annual track-and-field meet at Maplewood Park in Fall River – everyone except Dana, who was too young at age six.

ALL FIVE OF US WON MEDALS!

Our family’s combined victories earned us an article in the Fall River Herald News on June 17, 1968 – “Cross Family Steals Show in Jaycees Meet,” read the headline.

Reporter Fred Dolan wrote that our oldest brother, Steve, broke records in both the 220-yard dash and the discus throw, two of the five events in which he competed. For all of the details, see the full article below (our trusty Volkswagen bus appears in the background of the newspaper photo).

Our brother David won three foot races AND the broad jump AND took second in the baseball throw, scoring the highest overall point total of any athlete who competed on that day.

AND that was not all – Brian won one second-place medal and two third-place medals; Pam won two firsts and one second in the prep division; and I, Deborah (“Debby”), came in first in both the 100-yard and 220-yard dashes in the intermediate division.

Mr. Dolan also gave our parents their share of spotlight – "Mr. and Mrs. Irving C. Cross did some running of their own to various areas of the park checking on the progress of their offspring."