Laura Starrett Schmitt, 1982, cross country, track, swimming—Of all the athletes honored by the Hall of Fame, Laura Starrett Schmitt combines a brilliant years-long streak of high school, college and post-college athletic accomplishments with an unmatched devotion and closeness to Redwood.

Start with Schmitt’s current role as Redwood’s head track and cross country coach for girls and boys, a position she has held since 2002. During her tenure, Schmitt’s boys’ and girls’ track and cross country teams have won 11 MCAL championships among them. Named Redwood’s Coach of the Year in 2005, Schmitt has also taken two girls’ cross country teams to the California state meet.

Her coaching involvement with Redwood began even earlier. From 1986 through 1991, Schmitt was the head coach of the girls’ track team, and head coach of the boys’ and girls’ cross country teams. Even when she was away from Redwood, she stayed close by: Schmitt coached track and cross country teams at nearby Kent Middle School from 1998 through 2001.

Schmitt first arrived on the Redwood scene in 1978, jumping immediately into varsity swimming in her freshman year, a sport she continued through her sophomore year, picking up co-ownership of the MCAL 4x100 meter county record along the way.

But track and cross country are what pulled the strongest on her. She repaid the two sports’ attraction by posting an impressive list of accomplishments:
Varsity Cross Country, 1980, 1981:

Team captain both years
Team MVP both years
All MCAL both years
Ranked fourth in Northern California among all high school cross country runners
Named to First Team All Northern California
Named to the Third All Western team
Still holds the Redwood course record at Tennessee Valley of 16:49
In 1981, led the Redwood cross country team to third place in the Northern California Championships

Varsity Track, 1979 through 1982:

Team captain two years
All MCAL two years
Currently holder of the fourth fastest time ever in the MCAL for the 3200 meters: 10:57 (which is also the redwood record)
Ranked as the second fastest all-time at redwood in the 1600 meters, with a time of 5:13

At UC Berkeley from 1982 through 1986, Schmitt continued as a powerful, inspirational runner:
Cross Country:

Team captain in 1985
Four-year varsity letter winner
Member of the first UC Berkeley cross country team to qualify for the NCAA national Cross Country Championships (1983)

Track:

Team captain in 1986
Four-year varsity letter winner
A leading collegiate distance runner with 5000 and 10000 meter times of 17:02 and 35:45, respectively
Place third in the 5000 at the 1986 Western Regional Meet

In her post-collegiate career, Schmitt has remained involved in track and cross country:

2007 RRCA National Masters Cross Country Champion
She ranks 13th worldwide in the Masters 5000 meters on the track (18:37)
She currently ranks as 1st Master in the short course in the Pacific Association of Road Racing
1st Master in the Big Sur 5K in 2008
2nd Master in the Zippy’s 5K in 2008
5th Master in the 2007 PA USATF cross Country Championships

In her personal life, Schmitt remains as close to Redwood as an alumna can get. Her children, Jake and Meagan are Redwood alums, and daughter Caitlin, Class of 2010, is a junior there. All three ran track or cross country.
Schmitt lives in Kentfield.

At UC Berkeley, Schmitt was a four-year varsity letter winner in cross country and track. She currently is the boy’s and girls’ cross country coach at Redwood, having won 11 MCAL championships in both sports in the past five years. She was named Coach of the Year in 2005.