McPHERSON, Kan. — At a 1986 duel between the USA National Junior track and field team and the Romanian national team, an encounter between a 13-year-old Romanian boy and a press officer for Team USA led to a nearly 40-year friendship. From that friendship, a donation that will allow the last item of a 2022 capital campaign for enhancements to McPherson High School’s new athletic field to be completed.
Last summer, that boy, George Apostol came to McPherson to meet his longtime friend Carol Swenson. During that visit, they toured the athletic complex. Due to the supportive role Swenson and his wife Donna have played in Apostol and his wife Luana’s lives, the Apostols made a completely unsolicited $50,000 donation.
Combined with funds on hand and pledges to be paid this year from a capital campaign for enhancements to the athletic complex, sufficient funds will be provided to construct a javelin runway to the south of the soccer practice at MHS which is used for javelin practice when not being used by soccer teams. Construction of the concrete part of the runway will begin shortly with the running surface expected to take place in the spring.
Apostol asked that the javelin runway be named in honor of Carol Swenson. However, Swenson had his own suggestion. Naming it in honor of two legendary javelin throwers who won five state titles between them over a six-year period. Kenny Barber was a three-time champion and the first Bullpup athlete to record a 200′ plus throw, and Fenton “Pete” Talbott won two state titles, with throws of 210 and 215 feet in his career.
