Emily Knocki
Staff Writer
Mira Costa Track, a division one high school level track program, has been one of the South Bay’s top competitors for years. A lot of factors contribute to the team’s success, but most importantly, intense training and coaching by experienced and passionate coaches.
Mira Costa track coach, Moe Russell, has been coaching at Costa for 19 years, but that’s not where his track record here begins. Before he was a coach, Russell ran sprints as a Mustang in High School and still holds the boys freshman and sophomore 100m records. Russell was the graduating year of 1996, and his history at Costa impacts how his athletes see him and look up to him by being able to be a trustworthy and reliable coach.
“I respect Coach Moe more as my coach because he was also an athlete here,” sophomore Tessa Chan said. “He has an abundance of school spirit for his alma mater and he pushes us to continue his impact on Mira Costa Track.”
The strong rivalry between Mira Costa and Redondo has always made for some cut throat competition among the two schools. The coaches and athletes at Costa know this rivalry best and are often the ones most enthusiastic about wins or loses against Redondo.
“Three things come to mind when I think about my highlight as a Track athlete at Costa,” Russell said. “Beating Redondo, not losing to Redondo, and having a higher score at the end of the meet against Redondo.”
Russell’s competitive thinking has influenced many athletes that he’s trained over the years and kept the school spirit high. Keeping the friendly competition up with Redondo has pushed athletes to strive for their highest potential and ensures that there is always a goal that athletes are looking to achieve.
“This past Friday was the first time I got to see Mira Costa and Redondo go head to head in a meet,” freshman Lydia Payne said. “It was entertaining to see the rivalry in real life and I’m looking forward to racing Redondo again so we can improve and beat them.”
At a point in time in Mira Costa’s history, track may not have been the most popular sport. Over the years, however, the numbers have grown and it is now one of the biggest teams on campus.
“I remember when the team was as small as 140 athletes and the increase in popularity of track has been the biggest change I’ve seen as a coach for Costa Track,” Russell said. “This year alone the roster is up to 230 athletes, and there are no signs of it decreasing in years to come.”
The coaching a team receives can make or break that team. Mira Costa is known for stellar academics and competitive sport teams, which wouldn’t be where they are today without the great coaching that has been implemented and the high standards that are expected daily from those coaches.
“Coach Moe taught me how to push myself just the right amount and taught me how much I can take on,” senior Kailyn Hooten said. “I feel like because he was an athlete, he has been through everything I’m currently going through and he is the best person to help me understand and work through this sport. Moe has not only taught me how to reach my goals but also how to appreciate them when I do.”
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