Bellarmine hosted a brief track “ribbon-cutting” immediately prior to BCP’s first home track meet of the season against S.I this Wednesday (March 21), as a follow-up to the blessing ceremony held in September at the recently renovated Ghiorso Football Field and Terry Ward Track. The ribbon ceremony involved speeches by Joe Romano and Terry Ward himself who served for 35 years as Bellarmine’s Athletic Director as well before stepping down in 2008.
“This is a great day for me,” said Terry, an SI alumni of the class of 1963, at the ceremony on the bright sunny Wednesday. “Watching the athletes today at the meet from these two great schools is especially wonderful to see.” It is difficult to summarize twenty-one years of Terry Ward’s accomplishments on a piece of paper. Some achievements include being the 1985 Runner’s World Coach of the Year, the 1991 CIF CCS Track and Field Coach of the Year, 1997 California Coaches Cross Country Coach of the Year and the 2006 CIF Model Coach of the Year (CIF’s highest award).
In addition, Terry has coached individually some of the best athletes in CIF history. Under Terry Ward, Scott Robinson won the 1600M at the 1987 California State Track meet with a school record time of 4:07.9. Robinson remains to be one of the few Bellarmine track stars who have clinched a individual state title.
When asking Terry’s son, Terence Ward, how high school track and field has affected his family, he responded by saying that this memorable day meant everything to him and his family. “Bellarmine track and field and cross country have been a big part of our family,” said Ward who later commented that his favorite track memories was being “Out on the track with my dad and interacting with him on a day to day basis.”
All three sons of Terry Ward – Terence, Stephen and Patrick – competed for Bellarmine in track and field. The legacy of the family continues through the establishment of their surname highlighting the track scoreboard and the blue allure of the track lines. After he saw his father pass the finish line ribbon held by two Bellarmine students, Terence concluded that one of his biggest hopes for the new year is that “Bellarmine not only continues its winning ways, but that each of the athletes reach their goals for the season.”
