John Crawford: The man behind the meet

It's time.

It's time to step away.

"I've reached that point where I feel like taffy," said John Crawford. "I feel I've been pulled too many times."

With this weekend's 4A and 3A state track meets at Edgar Brown Stadium in Pasco -- which begin this morning -- Crawford is finishing a long career of running big-time events in the Tri-Cities.

Those would include the state high school cross country meet for 21 years, the Pasco Invitational track meet since 1976, and the state 4A and 3A track meets since 2001.

After this weekend, Crawford, 66, will still help. He'll just be in the shadows.

He still wants to work the finish line at the cross country meets. He still wants to oversee the computer systems.

But he wants to travel more with his wife, Pauline, and he wants to play more golf.

"This is the most natural place to take a break," he said, referring to state track moving to Tacoma next year.

What he's done for the community cannot be understated.

"His big vision, which went way back when he wanted to bring the state cross country meet here, and to build the Pasco Invite into what it is now, was phenomenal," said Pasco athletic director Le Burns, the meet manager this weekend. "He's been ahead of his time with all of the computer stuff. He's been a pioneer on that."

According to the Tri-Cities Visitors and Convention Bureau, the state cross country meet accounts for 1,850 room nights with approximately $950,000 in economic impact. The state track and field meet brings another 1,900 room nights with approximately a $1,187,500 economic impact.

In November, the cross country meet will be run by a management committee of Burns, Stan Hages, Dale Fuller and Wayne Frank.

Burns said the state cross country was a financial nightmare back in the late 1980s.

"It was no kind of a moneymaker at that time when we got it from the WIAA," she said. "John took the bull by the horns and thought to get the golf course (Sun Willows) involved. This event pays now."

Crawford, a Craigmont, Idaho, native, came to Pasco High in 1964 out of Whitworth College. He taught math and coached cross country, track and basketball for the Bulldogs.

"I coached track until 1976," he said. "Back then, track coaches had to put on the meets as well as coach the team. I realized I enjoyed putting on the meets. So I told them to let me put on the meets, and they could use the money they paid me to get another track coach."

It was also at that time Crawford took over running the Invite, eventually finding the perfect marriage between technology and sports.

During the 1970s, Crawford saw what ended up being his first personal computer at a show.

"It was one of the old original Apples that was tape-driven," he said. "I came home and told my wife, 'I'm gonna have to sell you, the dog or the house because I want one of these.'

"I had to have one, because I could see what it could do."

Waiting hours after a normal meet for results once was the norm. Crawford changed that, and coaches statewide were thankful.

Crawford decided to take things a step further when he presented the WIAA with a proposal to run the state cross country meet in Pasco using computers.

"I still remember a board member asking me how long would it take to get the results out," he said. "I said 20 to 30 minutes. His response was 'No, really. How long?' "

It took as quick as Crawford said it would be that first year -- 1988 -- and people were convinced. The meet has been here ever since.

Crawford developed a large list of loyal volunteers to help run the events. Some have done it for years but will be going out the door when Crawford does.

"I'm surrounded by super people," he said. "I get all the credit, and they do all the work."

But running three big events a year for the last six years has been tough on that volunteer crew.

That was one of the three things that eventually wore Crawford out.

"I'm tired of battling coaches," he said. "I'm worn out trying to line up people to volunteer and trying to get money for the events."

Yet, his work will forever be appreciated.

"John is very committed and very competent and people appreciate that," said WIAA director Mike Colbrese. "John always cares about the coaches and the kids. If he's got a mantra, that's what it is."

And that's what Crawford wants to be remembered by.

"I want to be remembered that I made a difference," he said. "For the kids."