As Jake Schmitt enters his fifth season as the assistant Track and Field coach, his eyes aren’t just focused on defending the MCAL title, but also on the U.S. Olympic Trials.
Schmitt will compete in the marathon event at the Olympic Trials in February of 2016 and hopes to qualify for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Schmitt’s running career began at Redwood in 2001, where he amassed 12 MCAL championships in just four years, winning three in cross country and the other nine in track and field. Schmitt was also Marin County’s first ever state champion in cross country during his senior year.
Even though Schmitt’s high school career was filled with accolades, he said it’s what he learned on the track that sticks with him to this day.
“[Redwood is] where I learned to compete, to beat people, to finish lines, and I was able to learn to channel that instinct into other aspects of life. Whether it was in school, in life, or on the track, Redwood taught me to be competitive,” Schmitt said.
After high school, Schmitt went on to run track for the University of Washington, where he became an All- American.
Laura Schmitt, Jake’s mother and current Redwood cross country and track coach, has coached her son over the years and says he is the ideal athlete.
“Ever since Jake was a little boy he has always had a love for running. When he started competing in high school, he coupled his love of running with consistent training and a hard work ethic that was necessary to become an elite athlete,” Laura Schmitt said.
According to Jake, it is an absolute blessing to have his mother as his coach.
“Every single happy memory of my career she was an integral component. We get to share all the workouts, runs, and wins together. She is the best high school coach I know, and she’s my mom,” he said.
Schmitt said that becoming a coach has affected the way he views the sport.
“I’ve seen our kids come to practice or track meets after bad days, late lunches, or super stressful tests and every time they bring whatever is left of their A-game to the track,” Jake said. “They constantly remind me that track is play time and we are so fortunate to have this outlet in our lives.”
