Don McFarlane
Encyclopedia
Don McFarlane was a Canadian sprinter.
on both the Junior and Senior Football
teams and was a member of the 1948 Championship senior team. However, he was more active in track and field
, particularly the 100 and 220 yard sprints, and won many races at both distances and set a record of 10.0 seconds in the 100 yd. sprint race.
He later attended McMaster University
where he won the 100 and 220 yard races in all 4 years. Don established a new record of 9.9 seconds in the 100 yd. sprint during the Senior Intercollegiate Championship in 1951. He also competed as a member of the Hamilton Olympic Club
and won several junior and senior Canadian Championships.
He was ranked number 1 in the country in 1952-1954, and was selected as a member of the 1952 Canadian Olympic team that competed in Helsinki
, and the 1954 Empire Games
team that went to Vancouver
. In the latter games Don won a silver medal in the 100 yard sprint in a time of 9.7 seconds, and anchored the 4X100 relay team which won Canada’s only gold medal in track and field in a new record time of 41.3 seconds.
Life
While at Burlington High School Don played as a half-backHalfback (Canadian football)
The halfback in Canadian football, and most commonly the Canadian Football League, refers to the defensive back rather than the running back, as in American football. The defensive halfback lines up inside covering the slotback. They are usually slightly larger than the cornerback to assist the...
on both the Junior and Senior Football
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
teams and was a member of the 1948 Championship senior team. However, he was more active in track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, particularly the 100 and 220 yard sprints, and won many races at both distances and set a record of 10.0 seconds in the 100 yd. sprint race.
He later attended McMaster University
McMaster University
McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
where he won the 100 and 220 yard races in all 4 years. Don established a new record of 9.9 seconds in the 100 yd. sprint during the Senior Intercollegiate Championship in 1951. He also competed as a member of the Hamilton Olympic Club
Hamilton Olympic Club
The Hamilton Olympic Club is the oldest track and field organization in Canada. It was established in 1926 by a group of local businessmen. From its beginnings to the present, many HOC athletes have competed at the provincial, national and Olympic level....
and won several junior and senior Canadian Championships.
He was ranked number 1 in the country in 1952-1954, and was selected as a member of the 1952 Canadian Olympic team that competed in Helsinki
1952 Summer Olympics
The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland in 1952. Helsinki had been earlier given the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled due to World War II...
, and the 1954 Empire Games
1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
The 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Vancouver, in the province of British Columbia in Canada, from 30 July-7 August 1954. These were the first games since the name change from British Empire Games took effect in 1952....
team that went to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
. In the latter games Don won a silver medal in the 100 yard sprint in a time of 9.7 seconds, and anchored the 4X100 relay team which won Canada’s only gold medal in track and field in a new record time of 41.3 seconds.
Highlights
- 1948 M.M. Robinson Athletic Scholarship Medal Awarded to BCHS Athlete of Year
- 1951 Hec Philips Memorial Trophy – Awarded to the Most Outstanding Performance in the Senior Intercollegiate Track and Field Championships
- 1952 and 1954 Awarded the Trophy as the Most Outstanding Athlete in the Hamilton Olympic Club
- 1954 Silver Medal – 100 yard Sprint – British Empire Games – VancouverVancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, BC - 1954 Gold Medal – 4X100 yard Relay – British Empire Games – Vancouver, BC
- 1974 Awarded a Provincial Sport Citation by the Province of Ontario
- 1991 Inducted into the McMaster University Sports Hall of Fame