Girls sports a longstanding tradition at Los Gatos High
Archery was among first sport for girls
Tall hair and short legs were distinguishing features of Los Gatos High School's 1904 girls basketball team. They played on an outdoor court that doubled as a tennis court on a flat area overlooking today's swimming complex.
If a reader recognizes a relative in today's picture, please call this writer at 408.354.1979 to identify her.
When the bulk of the current high school was constructed in 1924, archery was initiated as a girls sport on the front lawn. The rise in the lawn acted as a backstop for arrows, but occasionally one would sail wildly, causing a worried administration.
Reference to "short legs" is not a wise-guy remark but a statement of fact in the United States. When the United States entered World War II, uniforms that served our soldiers in World War I were too small. The reason? Mothers of American children were receiving better prenatal care and up-to-date diets for young and old were far more nourishing than they had been.
Archery is no longer a school sport, but LGHS girls have a wide assortment of sports to satisfy their interests and occupy their time. For example, here are today's girls sports and the names of their coaches:
Water polo, Ted Matthewson; track and cross country, Monica Townsend; field hockey, Henry Reyes; volleyball, Joe Ripp; golf, Mole Costanzo; basketball, Dedrick Brooks; soccer, Tulene Mendoza; softball, Mario Cortese; tennis, Todd Disley; swimming, Stacey Lonaker; and badminton, Jean Campbell.
An early venue for girls and boys tennis and basketball was a court located overlooking what today are a complex of pools for swim racing and water polo.
LGHS girls took on international interest when Chris von Saltza and her houseguest, Lynn Burke, won gold medals in the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome. This pair trained with George Haines at Santa Clara Swim Club. When the two women attended LGHS football games at Helm Field, mothers of other students lamented that these lovely blondes had "bull necks." Not to worry. Burke returned to her home in New York state and, when seen on television, her bull neck was gone.
Von Saltza appeared at LGHS for a recent all-school reunion. Her classmates said that she, too, had no indication of a bull neck.
LGHS took on a statewide reputation when one John Mackey joined the coaching staff and promptly brought the girls basketball team to championship caliber.
As league champs, Mackey's Orange Crush team won the NorCal title and hosted the Southern Cal champs at the Oakland Arena. Sparked by Cheryl Miller, the sister of pro basketeer Reggie Miller, the "South" won by a narrow margin, despite the efforts of Suzy and Cindy Meckenstock, Julie Lucas, Samantha Copenhaver and others.
A December 2001 Los Gatos Weekly-Times cover story on LGHS football quarterback and graduating senior Trent Edwards also has a girls-in-sports connection. Trent has two older sisters who were also active at the school: sister Megan pitched a no-hitter for LGHS softball and sister Shelby pitched 17 scoreless innings in a Central Coast Section playoff game, but lost because the other team had one less walk.
John Baggerly came out of semi-retirement to write this column.
Los Gatos, California Since 1881
