Hall of Fame
Perhaps no one represents one of Coach Jim Crakes’ track and field team philosophies, Recruit and Train Athletes, more than Dave Tolson did in the school’s early days on the Point Loma campus. Tolson was a master builder of the team concept.
Crakes’ assessment was: “Early in my Point Loma College coaching experience, I had the good fortune of having Dave Tolson on my team for four years. Seldom will you find a more dynamic, congenial, loyal and talented individual. During his undergraduate years, he was successful both on the track and in the classroom. In 1979, he was an All-American in the decathlon. He repeated in 1980. At one time he was in the top-10 all-time at PLNU in the 100m, the 110m hurdles and the high jump. He was the most outstanding individual performer in the NAIA District Three Championships in 1981. He scored 34 points in the three-day meet which included 20 individual performances and events. The first 10 were in the grueling decathlon, then he was in heats of the 100m, 200m, 100m high hurdles, high jump, long jump, 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay. It was 20 events in one three-day championship meet.
Since then, Tolson completed his master’s degree and his Ph.D in education. He went on to work as a professor at Eastern Nazarene University in Quincy , MA , where he was the coordinator of the graduate education program. He married Point Loma grad, Laureen Zimbelman.
“Dave had the uncanny ability to relate to persons with a wide variety of backgrounds and interest,” said Crakes. “Since his graduation from college he has worked in a great many situations, both foreign and domestic, which call for discipline and compassion. Although always willing to take a stand and express his convictions, he is also a man of great compassion and becomes a friend of practically everyone he meets. His lai-back attitude belies a fiery ambition to improve the educational opportunities for the disadvantaged in our nation.”
The award for Outstanding Achievement by an Athlete was presented to Tolson by Bob Brower.
