P-J photo by Scott Kindberg

Flanked by Lexi Lindamer, director of athletics/head coach of the Chautauqua Striders Track Club, and Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame President Randy Anderson, Steve Garvey of Falconer holds the uniform he wore 50 years ago when he was a member of the Valley Striders Track Club. The Valley Striders were the precursor to the Chautauqua Striders, which was formed in 1979 by CSHOF inductees Ron Graham and Dan Feather. The 1975 Valley Striders’ 880-yard relay team set what was believed to be the fastest non-high school team mark in Western New York at that time — 1 minute, 30.4 seconds. Members of that relay team were Garvey and Jamestown’s Wayne Leeper, Steve Carter and Manny Leeper. Wayne Leeper’s split was a blazing 21.4 seconds.