Santa Monica High School Girls Track team first coach is Dalal M. Ahmad, a USC graduate doing her second semester of student student teaching . She was placed in charge of the team in 1972 during her second semester of student teaching
The Santa Monica Track Club (also known as SMTC) was formed Joe Douglas as a post-collegiate track . By the 1980s, the team came to be a major player in worldwide
Track and Field
Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...
competition, with team members setting numerous World and National records. The membership list reads like a ''
Who's Who
''Who's Who'' (or ''Who is Who'') is the title of a number of reference publications, generally containing concise biography, biographical information on the prominent people of a country. The title has been adopted as an expression meaning a gr ...
'' of Olympic athletes and the SMTC logo became a recognizable icon on the uniforms of those elite athletes.
History
In its first year of existence,
1968 Olympian from
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
,
Willie Rios joined the club and qualified to run in the
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich 1972 (german: München 1972), was an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. ...
. In 1974, member
Reid Harter set the firs
American Recordin the road 30 Kilometre run. By 1976, three team members qualified for the
1976 Summer Olympics
Events January
* January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 11 – The 1976 Phi ...
.
In 1979, a young
Carl Lewis
Frederick Carlton Lewis (born July 1, 1961) is an American former track and field athlete who won nine Olympic gold medals, one Olympic silver medal, and 10 World Championships medals, including eight gold. His career spanned from 1979 to 1996 ...
, then known as a top level High School long jumper, joined the club for competitions beyond his collegiate career at the
University of Houston
The University of Houston (UH) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1927, UH is a member of the University of Houston System and the List of universities in Texas by enrollment, university in Texas ...
. Lewis went on to be the dominant force in sprinting and long jump for the next decade. Coached in the off season by his collegiate coach
Tom Tellez
Thomas K. Tellez (born 1933) is a renowned track and field (athletics) coach, noted in particular because of his contributions to the sport in the areas of kinesiology, physiology and biomechanics.
Life and career
Tellez attended Whittier College ...
, other elite sprinters were attracted to the club, including
Carol Lewis
Carol LeGrant Lewis (born August 8, 1963) is an American former track and field athlete who specialized in the long jump. She is the 1983 World Championship bronze medalist, and a 4-time US Champion. Her best long jump of 7.04 meters in 1985 is ...
, Carl's sister and University of Houston teammates
Joe DeLoach
Joseph ("Joe") Nathaniel DeLoach (born June 5, 1967) is a former American sprinter; the 1988 Olympic champion in the 200 m.
Born in Bay City, Texas into a family with 11 sisters and one brother, DeLoach enjoyed running at a young age and desired ...
,
Leroy Burrell
Leroy Russel Burrell (born February 21, 1967) is an American former track and field athlete, who twice set the world record for the 100 m sprint.
Early life
Burrell grew up in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, and attended Penn Wood High School, w ...
and
Kirk Baptiste. The club developed an impressive record of Olympic and World Championships, limited in many situations because teammates were the closest competition at the highest level. Lewis and Burrell exchanged the prestigious World Record in the
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been conteste ...
four times.
Four members of the club,
Michael Marsh,
Leroy Burrell
Leroy Russel Burrell (born February 21, 1967) is an American former track and field athlete, who twice set the world record for the 100 m sprint.
Early life
Burrell grew up in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, and attended Penn Wood High School, w ...
,
Floyd Heard
Floyd Wayne Heard (born March 24, 1966, in West Point, Mississippi) is a retired track and field sprinter from the United States, best known for setting the 1986 world's best year performance in the men's 200 m. He did so on 7 July 1986 at a mee ...
and
Carl Lewis
Frederick Carlton Lewis (born July 1, 1961) is an American former track and field athlete who won nine Olympic gold medals, one Olympic silver medal, and 10 World Championships medals, including eight gold. His career spanned from 1979 to 1996 ...
, representing the Santa Monica Track Club tied the
world record in the 4x100 meters relay at the
Herculis meet in
Monaco
Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
. The record lasted for four days until it was surpassed by a team representing the USA that consisted of three of the SMTC members, with
Dennis Mitchell
Dennis Allen Mitchell (born February 20, 1966) is an American former college and international track and field Athletics (sport), athlete, who was a member of the gold medal-winning team in the 4 x 100 met ...
replacing Heard. The same four members set the World Record in the 4 x 200 metre relay, set at the
Mt. SAC Relays in 1994. That record lasted over 20 years until it was surpassed by .05 by a team from Jamaica at the
2014 IAAF World Relays. Also
Kevin Young's World Record in the
400 metre hurdles set in winning the
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1992, ca, Jocs Olímpics d'estiu de 1992), officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XXV Olimpiada, ca, Jocs de la XXV Olimpíada) and commonly known as ...
stood until 1 July 2021.
The club was elected into the
Mt. SAC Relays Hall of Fame in 2011.
Foundation
The club is funded through the Santa Monica Track Club Foundation, founded by
Ed Stotsenberg (who had the personalized license plate SMTC 1), an early
Masters runner who joined the club in the mid-1970s and became its president.
[http://www.santamonicatrackclub.com/main_foundation.htm Santa Monica Track Club]
Notable members
*
Kirk Baptiste - 1 Olympic medal
*
Leroy Burrell
Leroy Russel Burrell (born February 21, 1967) is an American former track and field athlete, who twice set the world record for the 100 m sprint.
Early life
Burrell grew up in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, and attended Penn Wood High School, w ...
- 1 Olympic Gold Medal, 2 World Championship Gold Medals, 2 time World Record holder
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been conteste ...
*
Cletus Clark
Cletus Clark (born January 20, 1962) is a retired male hurdler from the United States, best known for winning the gold medal in the men's 110 metres hurdles at the 1991 Pan American Games
The 1991 Pan American Games were held in Havana, Cuba fr ...
*
Brian Cooper
*
Christian Cushing-Murray
*
Joe DeLoach
Joseph ("Joe") Nathaniel DeLoach (born June 5, 1967) is a former American sprinter; the 1988 Olympic champion in the 200 m.
Born in Bay City, Texas into a family with 11 sisters and one brother, DeLoach enjoyed running at a young age and desired ...
- 1 Olympic Gold Medal
*
Jean Destine - 1996 Olympian
*
Mike Durkin
*
Danny Everett
Danny Everett (born November 1, 1966) is an American former track and field athlete who competed in sprinting events, specializing in the 400 metres. He won bronze medals in the 400m at the 1988 Olympic Games and at the 1991 World Championship ...
- 1 Olympic Gold Medal, 1 Bronze, 1 World Championship Gold Medal
*
Gary Fanelli - 1988 Olympic Games Marathon , a member of SMTC,1973 and 1974
*
Michelle Finn-Burrell
Michelle Bonae Finn-Burrell (born May 8, 1965, in Orlando, Florida) is an American former sprint athlete from Orlando, Florida. She graduated from Oak Ridge High School in Orlando. She set the Florida State University record for the 100 ...
- 1 Olympic Gold Medal
*
Johnny Gray
John Lee Gray Jr. (born June 19, 1960) is a retired American world class 800 meter runner from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s and the holder of the 600m world best. A four-time-Olympian (1984-1996) in 1985 he set the US record of 1:42.60 at a ...
- 1 Olympic medal, current United States record
800 metres
The 800 metres, or meters ( US spelling), is a common track running event. It is the shortest commonly run middle-distance running event. The 800 metres is run over two laps of an outdoor (400-metre) track and has been an Olympic event since the ...
*
Todd Harbour
*
Reid Harter
*
Floyd Heard
Floyd Wayne Heard (born March 24, 1966, in West Point, Mississippi) is a retired track and field sprinter from the United States, best known for setting the 1986 world's best year performance in the men's 200 m. He did so on 7 July 1986 at a mee ...
*
Mihály Iglói
*
Bayano Kamani
*
Felix Kitur
*
Carl Lewis
Frederick Carlton Lewis (born July 1, 1961) is an American former track and field athlete who won nine Olympic gold medals, one Olympic silver medal, and 10 World Championships medals, including eight gold. His career spanned from 1979 to 1996 ...
- 9 Olympic Gold Medals, 1 Silver, 8 World Championship Gold Medals, 3 time World Record holder
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been conteste ...
*
Carol Lewis
Carol LeGrant Lewis (born August 8, 1963) is an American former track and field athlete who specialized in the long jump. She is the 1983 World Championship bronze medalist, and a 4-time US Champion. Her best long jump of 7.04 meters in 1985 is ...
- 1 World Championship Bronze medal
*
Steve Lewis - 3 Olympic Gold Medals, 1 Silver
*
André Action Jackson
*
Khadevis Robinson
Khadevis Robinson (born July 19, 1976 in Fort Worth, Texas) is an American retired middle-distance runner and currently coaches both the men's and women's cross country teams along with being an assistant track coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes. ...
*
Lewis Johnson
*
Earl Jones - 1 Olympic medal
*
Jerald Jones
*
Jeff Jirele
*
George Kersh
*
David Mack
*
Mike Marsh- 2 Olympic Gold Medals, 1 Silver, 1 World Championship Gold Medal
*
Bill McChesney
*
Mark McNeil
*
Dennis Mitchell
Dennis Allen Mitchell (born February 20, 1966) is an American former college and international track and field Athletics (sport), athlete, who was a member of the gold medal-winning team in the 4 x 100 met ...
*
Prince Mumba
*
McClinton Neal
*
Willie Ríos
*
LaMont Smith - 1 Olympic Gold medal
*
Jenny Spangler
*
Henry Thomas
Henry Jackson Thomas Jr. (born September 9, 1971) is an American actor. He began his career as a child actor and had a lead role in the film '' E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' (1982), for which he won a Young Artist Award and received Golden Globe ...
*
Delisa Walton-Floyd
Delisa Walton-Floyd (born Delisa Walton, 28 July 1961) is a former World-Class middle distance runner who specialized in the 800 metres; she was a two-time NCAA, National Collegiate champion, and two-time U.S. Open champion in her event. Delisa Wa ...
*
Mark Witherspoon
*
Kevin Young - 1 Olympic Gold Medal, 1 World Championship Gold Medal, former World Record holder
400 metre hurdles
References
External links
Official Santa Monica Track Club website
{{Authority control
Running clubs in the United States
Track and field clubs in the United States
Sports in Santa Monica, California
Sports teams in Los Angeles
Clubs and societies in the United States
Athletics clubs in the United States
Track and field in California
1972 establishments in California
Organizations based in Santa Monica, California