Senior Marco Cleary didn’t begin high school planning to leave a mark in the track and field program. Inspired by his older brother, Cleary first joined the track team as a freshman looking to try something new. 

“I saw that my brother was doing track, so I decided to just go [tryout] for the team,” Cleary said. “It was pretty fun and I like running. It was a good group of people.”

Over time, Cleary’s journey has changed from not only focusing on getting faster to also growing into a leadership role within the team. He described his younger self as less experienced and said he gradually began to take on the responsibility that came with leading a team. 

“As every year has gone by, I’ve grown to be more of a role model on the team,” Cleary said. “The younger athletes look to me for guidance, so I realized I have to step up.” 

Now a senior captain, Cleary plays an important role in setting the tone for practices and meets, helping ensure the team is prepared and focused. “I lead the team through warm-ups and get everything going,” Cleary said. “My job is to make sure everyone’s ready to go before practices and meets.”

Junior teammate Felix Mastracco, who runs in the 4×100-meter relay alongside Cleary, sees his leadership firsthand. 

“He really makes sure that everyone is focused, especially when we’re warming up,” Mastracco said. “He makes sure we’re respecting the coaches and staying on task.” 

Additionally, Mastracco highlighted how Cleary leads by example both on and off the track. 

“As a runner, he’s very fast, definitely the fastest kid on our track team,” Mastracco said. “As a person, he really takes control of the team and steps up and plays that leadership role.”

This ability to balance team culture with accountability is something that stands out to sprint coach Earl Downing as well.

“He began to assume that leadership position fairly early on by doing the right things, getting faster and contributing points,” Downing said. “He’s been a real positive influence on the team since he’s been here at Redwood.”

On the track, his performances have backed up this leadership with results. Cleary has grown a reputation as one of the top sprinters in the North Coast Section (NCS). 

“When he gets rolling into his upper gears there are not very many people who can match [Cleary’s] top speed,” Downing said.

His top speed stands out most in the 100-meter dash, his strongest event, along with the 4×100-meter relay, where he anchors the team as the final runner. 

“I’ve never seen him run faster than when he’s chasing people down from behind,” Downing said. “It’s kind of an awesome sight. Like watching a lion run down an antelope.”

Cleary’s ability was on full display at one of the biggest meets of his career, the NCS Championships last season. He delivered a breakthrough performance, running a 10.72 second 100-meter dash, a huge personal record and one of the fastest times in the section that year. 

“His 10.72 race was just a spectacular race,” Downing said. “He just blew out the competition.”

That 100-meter race helped Cleary establish himself as a top sprinter. He carried that momentum into the 200-meter sprint, where he finished with a time of 21.9 seconds and earned first place. 

“Our area stretches basically from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border,” said Downing. “There are a lot of athletes, a lot of great sprinters; and Marco is just right up there at the top.”

Beyond his individual accomplishments, Cleary’s impact on the team is defined by his dedication toward training. Mastracco attributes Cleary’s success to both accountability and self-discipline. 

 “He does everything the coaches say, but he’s also doing extra work on his own,” Mastracco said. “That’s what differentiates him and makes him a little better than everyone else.”

According to Downing, the value Cleary brings to the team extends far beyond his personal times and results. “We wouldn’t be the same team without him,” said Downing. “Just seeing him step onto the track is a real lift for everybody.”