The girls’ varsity track team swept away their competition throughout the 1980s, tacking multiple pennants on their wall while still maintaining a light-hearted attitude.
In 1982 and 1983, they finished second place at the North Coast Section Championships and trampled their opponents in 1984 and 1985 with back-to-back NCS titles.
Even though girls’ track was a powerhouse in the 1980s, repeatedly challenging and winning both MCAL and NCS, the coaches emphasized having fun over sweeping every meet.
“I think, from my perspective, track was a positive experience. It was fun, and everyone had a thing to participate in,” said Ray Jacques, distance coach in the ‘80s. “It was a good group to be associated with. People came out, and it was fun. Our motto was, ‘If you’re having a good time, then we’re having a good time.’”
Along with keeping spirits high, the team’s philosophy was about gradually improving every day.
“If you’re willing to run every day, push yourself, get a little out of your comfort zone, and just kind of discipline yourself and gradually push it up a little bit, you’re going to get better. You will become a better distance runner,” Jacques said.
Yet the team did not lull under this relaxed approach — the girls left their legacy on the MCAL record board.
Lisa Greenfield, a high jumper who graduated in 1980, holds the all time MCAL record for high jump at five feet ten inches. Another jumper, Chrissy Cerkel, a 1985 graduate, holds the all time Redwood record for long jump. Laura Schmitt, current track/cross country coach and 1982 graduate, ran the fifth best 3200-meter race in MCAL with a time of 10:56 minutes.
Courtney Benvenuti, a 1983 graduate, ran and won the mile race in Redwood’s meet against Sir Francis Drake High School with a time of 5:23.3, according a Bark article published in 1983.
“Running is a glorious sport,” Benvenuti said in a 1983 issue of the Bark. “You feel like you’re on top of the world. To me, it’s worth all the struggle. At the end of the season you feel like you’ve really accomplished something.”
Both the girls’ and boys’ track team experienced a surge in membership in the ‘70s and ‘80s from a newly born cultural fascination with running.
“Track and field became really popular,” Jacques said. “It really came alive in the ‘70s when Frank Shorter won the Olympic marathon and people just got interested in distance running. Hundreds, thousands became interested in running.”
According to Jacques, the friendly, wholesome attitude of the track team extended an invitation to the entire school.
“We weren’t limited by the by the number of uniforms,” he said. “If we didn’t have enough uniforms we’d find more. The invitation was, ‘come out to track if you like to run.’”
