McChesney Brothers

Ran across this board by chance; I remember all these names -- Gustafson, Nielson, and so on, as well as Steve and Bill McChesney of course, because I ran against them too. Probably more accurate to say I ran in some of the same races. I was in Bill's high school class, but at Marshfield High School in Coos Bay. I probably would have attended South Eugene if my parents hadn't gone to Europe in 1969; up to then, I lived in a house just ten blocks north of the campus. Have to wonder how good a runner I might have become under Harry Johnson. My best two-mile was a 9:19.5 at the district meet (which was run at Springfield High's track that year), fighting off a couple of runners from North Eugene for second place in District 5AAA after Bill had crossed the finish line way ahead of us. Hard to remember my best mile, because that wasn't my race, but I think I ran a 4:26.

Anyway, it's interesting how "intimate" you become with runners from rival schools; you might never exchange a single word with them, but you looked for their latest times in the newspaper meet reports every week, read their comments to the sports reporters and maybe even a bio about the best ones, learned to recognize them at the starting line, and their names remained forever branded in your memory. Oddly enough, in the state two-mile, I started way out in the outside lane stacked alongside Bill McChesney, forty years ago today. Somewhere, I have a great color shot of the two of us, shoulder to shoulder, waiting for the starter's gun.

I'm glad to say I got to know Bill, oh so briefly, in about 1988 or '89, after I'd had what I like to call a "ten-year layover in Boston" and returned home to Oregon to land a job as a reporter for the Roseburg paper. I wrote one column on the sport of cross-country -- my one and only sports piece -- and somehow or other got connected with Bill McChesney who must have seen it because I'd mentioned him. Managed to visit him in his home for a lovely hour or two just as he was getting himself set up as a masseur. Was terribly sorry to hear about his untimely passing a few years later.

Admire wrote:

I run the McChesney Mile every year amd get the chance to chat with Bill Sr. He is a staple at all of the Eugene meets and if you ever get the chance go say hi to him and talk about his sons. He LOVES to talk about them and their running. He is a real class act and I enjoy that race as much as any other in the country.

Mike Miller

We will not get that chance. RIP Bill McChesney Sr.

He has two sons that just ended their senior and junior years of Highschook, Caleb and Aaron. Caleb actually got his fathers (or grandfather, Dirk's in his 60s now so i dont really know) mile record at the same meet Dirk set it with a 4:04low at Oregon Twilight. Aaron ran 4:09, I believe. They go to Tuluatin High so not a school record for South Eugene. I think all of that school's records are still from Bill and Dirk.

Forgive me, Dirk actually ran that 4:04.9 at the Pre classic.

Also rip Bill sr.