Placer Athletic Hall of Fame: Terry Moss built a regional track and field power

During his career at Placer High School, Terry Moss established a legacy as an innovative track coach whose teams dominated the Sierra Foothill League, winning five championships during the 1970s. For his inspiring career, he will be inducted into the PHS Athletic Hall of Fame on April 26 in a ceremony at the school's iconic Earl Crabbe Gym. Moss served as the bridge from the Ralph LeFebvre era of the 1950s and 1960s to the modern era. He arrived at Placer in 1966 to teach social studies and coach track, and worked with LeFebvre for two years. He remembers the legendary coach as a "great guy." Within five years of taking over the team, Moss built a powerhouse unit that dominated the Sierra Foothill League and captured consecutive championships from 1971-74, and again in 1978. The team placed second in 1976 and 1977. "We could have won in 1976," Moss rued, "but we were missing three key athletes." "Track was big at the time," he said. "The Sacramento area was a track hotspot with the city hosting the Golden West Track Meet." The event, which began in 1960 and still exists, is a high school track and field all-star meet that brings together the top high school athletes from throughout the country. Moss served as an official on the Golden West selection committee for several years. He considers the 1972 track team to be his best. It featured Ron Hyatt, whose 880-yard time of 1 minute, 52.1 seconds set a Sac-Joaquin Section record that lasted for 20 years. Hyatt later coached with Moss for two years before taking over head coaching duties at his alma mater. Other top athletes that stood out in Moss' mind were long jumper Ron Childs (1969), sprinter Jay Pohley (1972) and high jumper Benhard Peat (1974). Hyatt credits Moss with his success as an athlete and coach, saying, "He was a researcher and student of the sport, introducing computerized training workouts from major college and Olympic coaches in his coaching." Moss was ahead of his time as a high school track coach, and other coaches looked up to him, according to Hyatt. He participated in clinics run by Al Baeta of American River College every year with high-level coaches, and adapted a computerized training plan modeled after Stanford track coach Payton Jordan. Moss also utilized the Russian model of uphill and downhill running as additional training techniques. "Downhill running improves speed," the coach said while, "Uphill running builds an athlete's endurance." Moss had an eye for form and technique, according to Hyatt, "and a method for studying things like interval training and heart rate recovery. The programs that coaches use today are not much different than what he employed at the high school level during his tenure." He also found creative ways to motivate his athletes by honoring "Trackman of the Week" awards with a milkshake for a personal record in an event and a cake for a school record. When Hyatt assumed head coaching duties in 1981, he used the same program in coaching his daughter Lindsay, a four-time state half-mile champion. He currently uses the same training techniques in working with his grandson Cooper. Moss fondly remembers his time at Placer and the many colleagues who helped out at home meets, especially long-time starter Jug Covich and Mary Foote and her Trackettes, who basically ran the meets. Moss attended Pacific Grove High School, where he was a running back for the Breakers' football team and a guard on the basketball team. When track season came around, he ran the 220, 440 and relay teams. In his senior year, he ran a quarter-mile time of 49.7, which placed him in the top 10 in the United States. After graduating, he attended Monterey Peninsula College, where he played football and track and ran a quarter-mile best of 48.7. A stint in the Army from 1953-55 interrupted his post-secondary education, but he later finished up at San Francisco State, where he ran track and played soccer. His teaching career began at Oakdale High School, but he was bitten by the travel bug and qualified for overseas teaching. Moss received his first choice location of Germany, where he taught and coached the varsity football team at the Wuirzberg Army Base American school, and met his wife Joanne, who was also teaching there. When Moss returned to California, he taught at Terra Nova High School for three years, coaching football, basketball and track before being hired at Placer. The travel bug never left Moss, who proudly claimed he and Joanne, his wife of 60 years, have visited 78 countries. The couple has two adult sons, Steven and Blaine. The Athletic Hall of Fame ceremony will begin with a reception at 6 p.m., followed by the induction ceremony at 7. Tickets for the reception cost $25 until April 15 and $35 after, and are available online at placerathletichalloffame.org.