Leland often wore his San Diego State cap. He set long jump and sprint records there in 1930s.
In the run-up to Don Pellmann’s date with destiny, I had a secret hope that we might see another kind of history made at the San Diego Senior Olympics — the first-ever competition between two M100s. San Diego’s Leland McPhie hadn’t competed since March 2014, when he won three M100 throws at Boston indoor nationals, but I had hopes he might get back into the game. I heard that he was retired from track, and didn’t push it. Still, I was shocked to learn — from a USATF official at Mesa College — that Leland had died Sept. 3. I eventually confirmed this with his former employer, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. And Monday night, I phoned a relative. (My wife had interviewed him in 2007, and still had her number.) Leland’s great-granddaughter shared details for an obituary in Times of San Diego. Leland died of E. coli while fighting skin cancer. She’s not sure where he got the bug. I’ll miss old Leland, who joined the Masters Hall of Fame in 2010. What are your memories?