Uniontown’s McFadden was WPIAL, PIAA gold medalist
Back in the day he was known as 无毛视频淟eapin无毛视频� Len McFadden, a nickname he earned as an outstanding performer on the Uniontown High School track and field squad in the early 1980s.
He also played a little football for the Red Raiders.
McFadden got an early start in athletics.
无毛视频淚 started early, I was 12 years old,无毛视频� McFadden recalled. 无毛视频淚 was very active. I played Little League baseball out here in Newboro and we won a championship in 1977. I spent most of my young years playing sandlot football at the ball diamond in Buffington. I was the baby of seven in my family.
无毛视频淚 was good in baseball and I had a big decision to make. All my life growing up I was fast and I could really run. In football I scored some touchdowns in seventh grade at A.J. McMullen school. I lost my father at the age of 12 who was very active and watched me play little league baseball. I made a decision because I could run and track and field became my forte. I started long jumping in seventh grade under the tutelage of Bill Broda.
无毛视频淚 received a lot of instruction from Mr. Broda and Gene Cavalier. I also was helped by my three older brothers Henry, Howard and Warren. When I started the long jump I became very active in junior high at Ben Franklin. I also played football.无毛视频�
McFadden played two years of varsity football at Uniontown as a sophomore and a junior. The team posted a 6-5 record in 1981 and lost to Penn-Trafford in the WPIAL playoffs, 21-10. In 1982, the Red Raiders finished with a record of 3-7.
无毛视频淚 played two years of varsity football for Uniontown,无毛视频� McFadden stated. 无毛视频淭he reason I didn无毛视频檛 play my senior year is I ran into big Bill Fralic from Penn Hills. We scrimmaged Penn Hills two years in a row and they came to Uniontown and I was a running back. I took a toss to the outside and got hit by Fralic and I received a hip pointer, he got me pretty good. That ended football for me my senior year.无毛视频�
In two years of varsity competition the 5-foot-8, 130-pound McFadden scored three rushing touchdowns for the Red Raiders.
无毛视频淚 played for coach Larry Bielat,无毛视频� McFadden said. 无毛视频淎lso assistant coach Rich Bierbower was very influential for me. I really liked football.无毛视频�
Track and field was where McFadden made an early impression.
As a sophomore in 1981 McFadden finished fourth in the WPIAL track championships in the long jump with a leap of 21 feet,10陆 inches. He qualified for the PIAA championships and finished second behind Chester无毛视频檚 Dave Wells who had a jump of 22.6, McFadden jumped 22-1陆.
无毛视频淚 got a silver medal in 1981 at the PIAA championships,无毛视频� McFadden said. 无毛视频淚 got off to a good start. I had high hopes because at that time I had no idea that I would even be that competitive. It just creeped up on me at the beginning of my sophomore season. Then we started getting a little more detailed about my long jumping.无毛视频�
McFadden also competed in running events for the Red Raiders.
无毛视频淚 was very competitive in the 100 meters and 200 meters,无毛视频� McFadden stated. 无毛视频淚 also ran the 400 meter relay and we had a couple of really good squads.无毛视频�
In 1982 McFadden captured the WPIAL long jump title, missing the WPIAL record by 陆 inch when he flew 23-2录. At the PIAA championships he won a gold medal with a jump of 22-10陆.
无毛视频淚t was a great year,无毛视频� McFadden recalled. 无毛视频淭hat is a great memory and I have such pride and also knowing that there have been some great, great athletes that came before me and after me. There will be some more young men that will hopefully be able to look back on things like I do 40 years later. I无毛视频檓 very proud of it.无毛视频�
McFadden was expecting big things in 1983, perhaps back-to-back championships, but the fly in the ointment was an outstanding athlete from Washington High School, sophomore Brian Davis.
Davis set a WPIAL meet record leaping 23-8戮, blitzing the old record by five inches in capturing the WPIAL long jump title. McFadden got the silver medal also surpassing the 1977 mark with a leap of 23-3戮 setting up a showdown at the PIAA championships.
McFadden had hit 23-8戮 twice at the District 7 meet at Latrobe.
无毛视频淚 remember Brian Davis vividly. It seems like it was just yesterday,无毛视频� McFadden said. 无毛视频淚n my career he was one of the few young men that rattled me. Davis could really run, he was a great all-around athlete.无毛视频�
The showdown between Davis and McFadden didn无毛视频檛 happened at the PIAA championships. McFadden was disqualified after fouling on all three trial jumps. Davis went on to win the PIAA championship with a jump of 22-7陆.
McFadden was left wondering what might have been.
无毛视频淚t was the strangest thing,无毛视频� McFadden explained. 无毛视频淚 wish I could turn the clock back. It just didn无毛视频檛 feel right the moment the competition started. I would never blame the PIAA, but they had altered the approach board, it was a little shorter, and I had my steps down 157 feet, five inches, that the steps I used. My foot overlapped the board slightly on all three attempts. After the first jump I thought I could regroup and at least make a good jump and advance to the finals. I don无毛视频檛 know, I didn无毛视频檛 feel anything different other than I thought the long jump area that I had practiced on the two previous days looked to be changed and it threw my steps off. It was so disappointing.无毛视频�
Red Raider coach Gene Cavalier had an inkling of McFadden无毛视频檚 troubles prior to the PIAA meet and touched on them in a Pittsburgh Press article.
无毛视频淚 think Len无毛视频檚 frame of mind going into the meet is good, of course he has a little pressure on him because he won last year,无毛视频� Cavalier said. 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 been having a little problem with his steps. I think a lot of that has to do with inconsistency with the weather. One day it无毛视频檚 wet, one day it无毛视频檚 cold, and what无毛视频檚 really bothering him is his transition to different weather conditions.无毛视频�
McFadden ended his brilliant Uniontown career with a PIAA gold and silver medal and a WPIAL gold and silver medal.
McFadden graduated from Uniontown in 1983.
无毛视频淚 joined the Army in 1984,无毛视频� McFadden said. 无毛视频淚 got out in 1987 and haven无毛视频檛 looked back since. I无毛视频檝e lived an honorable life since.无毛视频�
After leaving the Army, McFadden worked for Giant Foods Inc. in Landover, Maryland, handling security and fire related matters for the chain 9陆 years. He then came back to Fayette County and went into the mines with Consol Energy and Cumberland Mine for nine years. He retired in 2013 because of diverticulosis.
McFadden, 59, and his wife Heather reside in New Salem. He has three stepchildren, Egypt, India and Asia, and two daughters, Brittany and Samira.
Looking back, McFadden has no regrets.
无毛视频淚 am truly blessed,无毛视频� McFadden stated. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檝e been enough places in the military and me just traveling on my own. They say there is no place like home and I无毛视频檓 content being in the environment that I was born and raised in. I thrive better here and I have peace of mind.无毛视频�