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FOR HALF A CENTURY, THE COMMUNITY OF MADRID HAS HAD A TRACK AND FIELD LEGEND DONNING THE ORANGE AND BLACK. BUT ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END. AND THAT LEGEND IS NOW SAYING GOODBYE. HERE’S TONIGHT’S SUNDAY SPORTS EXTRA. YOU WON’T FIND A SHORTER COMMUTE. IT’S RIGHT IN HIS BACK YARD THAN THAT OF MADRID. TRACK COACH RON HAM, STAY ON YOUR TOES. THAT’S IT. NICE. NICE, NICE. SAVED A LOT OF MONEY ON GAS. AND I DON’T KNOW WHERE THAT MONEY IS, BUT WE WE SAVED A LOT. HE’S LIVED IN THE SAME HOUSE FOR 44, 47 YEARS, I THINK. YEAH. ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE SAME SCHOOL WHERE HE’S BEEN COACHING. STAY ON YOUR TOES. STAY TALL WITH YOUR HIPS FOR OVER HALF A CENTURY. I CAME IN 72, 73 SCHOOL YEAR AND BEEN HERE SINCE. SO 52, 53 YEARS. YEAH, YEAH. HE’S SEEN FORMER STUDENTS BECOME COWORKERS. GRADUATED FROM ADAIR IN 1990. RON WAS THE HEAD COACH AT THAT TIME. YEP. HE HE HAD BEEN A HEAD COACH FOR FOR QUITE SOME TIME AT THAT POINT. AND CURRENT ATHLETES REVERE HIM AS A LEGEND. IT’S SO COOL BECAUSE HE’S BEEN A PART OF SO MUCH GREATNESS HERE. LIKE ESPECIALLY FOR OUR TRACK PROGRAM, SOMETHING HE NEVER IMAGINED WHEN HE TOOK THE JOB AT JUST 22 YEARS OLD. I’VE NEVER HEARD OF MADRID IN MY LIFE. THEY CALLED ME WHO SUGGESTED MY NAME TO INTERVIEW FOR THE JOB, CAME DOWN AND INTERVIEWED LONG HAIR, HEAD HAIR. ACTUALLY, DON’T BE A JUMPER. GO BE A HURDLER. NOW GO THROUGH IT, NOT OVER IT. BUT EVEN GUYS LIKE RON HAMEL MOVE ON. HEY, IT’S EVERY YEAR RON’S BEEN KIND OF TALKING ABOUT THIS IS GOING TO BE MY LAST YEAR. ACTUALLY, I THINK HE’S BEEN SAYING THAT FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS. I’M RIGHT THERE WITH COACH PERKINS THAT I’VE HEARD IT A NUMBER OF TIMES TO THIS TIME HE MEANS IT. AFTER THE SEASON, THE MAN WHO LITERALLY LAID THE FOUNDATION FOR THE MADRID TRACK BACK IN THE 70S. THIS TRACK WASN’T HERE. THERE WAS A GRASS PATH OUT HERE, AND ME AND A GENTLEMAN I JUST BURIED LAST WEEK BUILT THE ORIGINAL TRACK WITH WEEKENDS AND EVENINGS AND POURING THE CURBS. WE BUILT 40 HURDLES. WE BUILT THE LEIMER TO LIME. THE TRACK IS CALLING IT A CAREER. HE’S 74 YEAR OLD JOINTS, 75 YEAR OLD JOINTS. ARE ARE NOT ACCEPTING THE COLD WEATHER THAT WELL ANYMORE. HE WON SEVEN STATE TITLES WITH THE TIGERS. HE WAS NAMED THE TRACK AND FIELD COACH IN IOWA MORE TIMES THAN HE CAN COUNT. HE PUT MADRID TRACK ON THE MAP. TO HAVE THAT KIND OF INFLUENCE. HOW INCREDIBLY LUCKY WE ARE TO HAVE THAT, THAT EVERYTHING THAT’S BEEN BUILT ON THE BEDROCK THAT THAT RON STARTED BACK, YOU KNOW, 50 YEARS AGO. YOU KEEP ME INFORMED ON WHAT’S GOING ON HERE. ALTHOUGH HE DOESN’T LIKE TO ADMIT IT. JUST DOING MY JOB. JUST DOING MY JOB AND AND TRYING TO ADD TO SOMETHING POSITIVE TO IT ALL. HE’S CHANGED AS TIME HAS GONE ON. HE’S PROBABLY MAYBE A LITTLE SOFTER NOW, A LITTLE A LITTLE MORE LAID BACK. I DON’T HAVE TO DO THE DISCIPLINE. I DON’T HAVE TO DO ANY OF THE HARD STUFF, THOUGH ONE THING HAS REMAINED THE SAME THAT PASSION FOR TRACK AND FIELD. HE’S GREAT WITH KIDS. HE’S GREAT WITH PEOPLE. HE KNOWS A TON ABOUT TRACK AND FIELD. OKAY, SO THAT’S NOT SHIN SPLINTS ANYWAY. I’M ALWAYS THINKING AHEAD WITH I GOT A FRESHMAN HURDLER THAT LOOKS LIKE THERE’S GOING TO BE SOME GOOD STUFF HAPPENING THERE. I GOT LONG JUMPERS COMING BACK. I’VE GOT DISTANCE KIDS COMING BACK. WHICH IS WHY THE SCHOOL NAMED THEIR COED TRACK MEET AFTER HIM. TYPICAL FASHION OF RON. HE WANTED NOTHING TO DO WITH ANY OF IT. OR WHY THE PA ANNOUNCER AT EVERY MEET HAS A MANDATORY OPENING LINE. I START EVERY MEET WITH TALKING ABOUT. IT’S A GREAT DAY FOR TRACK, AND RON HAMEL IS THE REASON WHY. IT’S A GREAT DAY FOR TRACK HERE IN MADRID. THERE’S NO DOUBT HIS LEGACY IS SEALED AND NOW HE BEGINS THE NEXT PHASE OF LIFE. YEAH, AT 75, MY SON IS IN DALLAS AND THEY HAVE A NEW LITTLE ONE. I GET TO BE AROUND THE GRANDDAUGHTER THAT IS IS A MOTOR, AND WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING THAT. BUT IF HE EVER GETS THE URGE TO COME TO A TRACK MEET OR A PRACTICE, HE DOESN’T HAVE TO GO VERY FAR. GOOD QUICKS, GOOD JOB, GOOD QUICKS. IF I’M HERE, I’LL BE HERE. CONGRATULATIONS TO HIM. 53 YEARS. UNBELIEVABLE. HE WAS AT UNI AND HE GOT THE CALL AND. YEAH, UNBELIEVABLE. AND HE’S BUILT A LEGENDARY PROGRAM. AND STATE TRACK ACTUALLY BEGINS THIS WEEK. SO WE’LL GET TO SEE RON OUT AT THE BLUE OVAL. TALK ABOUT DEDICATION I KNOW IT’S AND AND TO BE IN MADRID TO HAVE HIM FOR THAT LONG