After 40 seasons coaching high school track and cross-country, Bellarmine College Prep's Terry Ward is stepping down.
Ward, 62, coached at his alma mater, St. Ignatius, for 12 years before taking over at Bellarmine, where he has won 20 Central Coast Section titles - including six in track and field.
A former San Francisco Section 800-meter champion, Ward will continue to serve as Bellarmine's athletic director.
"We've had so many great teams and athletes come through Bellarmine, but the thing that I'll remember most was the process of training the kids," Ward said. "That was more important than the victories, seeing the personal development with each of the young men I worked with."
Family also played a big part in Ward's Bellarmine career. His sons Terence, Stephen and Patrick all ran - and worked - for him.
"Before we got an all-weather track, the whole family would be out there on weekends pushing the water off the dirt track," Ward said. "And my wife, Mary, was always involved. We'd have the team over to the house for barbecues - those are the times I'll remember most."
• St. Francis recently named Michael Motil as boys basketball coach.
Motil takes over for Steve Filios, who resigned and took a job as an assistant commissioner with the CCS.
Last season Motil coached the Lancers' freshman team to a West Catholic Athletic League title. The Ohio State graduate has coached at St. Francis for six years - also serving as a varsity assistant and the junior varsity head coach.
"My coaching style will be dictated by the players I have, and my job is to illustrate those players' strengths," said Motil, who is the dean of students at St. Francis. "Right now the focus is on getting to know the team."
Motil, 38, said he learned about more than basketball from Filios.
"I would walk by his office and see him talking with a player even though the season was over," Motil said. "That's what we're in this business for - the relationships we create with the student athletes."
• Lynbrook's Connie Hwang ended her high school badminton career Thursday by winning her third consecutive CCS singles title.
Hwang didn't lose a game in the tournament and beat Gunn's Phoebe Lin 15-0, 15-4 in the final. Homestead's Terrance Pang won the boys championship with a 15-7, 15-7 victory against Son Nguyen of Independence.
Monta Vista's Hannah Wang and Nina Wang beat Catherine Wu and Linda Zhang of Gunn 15-8, 15-5 in the girls doubles title match. Vinh Luu and Tai Nguyen of Independence beat Maxwell Jo and Matt Yim of Wilcox 15-8, 15-5 in the boys doubles final.
In the mixed doubles final, Boyang Wang and Amy Chao of Lynbrook beat Anthony Tran and Anna Tran of Independence 15-8, 15-10.