COACH GORDON WEISENBERGER, SR

 A look in the history books of Cross Country competition in the Los Angeles Unified School District quickly reveals that no coach has had greater success than Coach Gordon Weisenburger has. Literally, during an amazingly dominant run between 1981 until the year he retired in 1993, he won just about every contested city title in any level, boys and girls. The most impressive accomplishment was leading his varsity team to nine out of eleven city varsity titles and establishing a 74 – 2 dual meet record during this eleven year span. He started his coaching career in 1955 at Jordan High School as a football coach. After fourteen years of coaching at the varsity level, he transferred to Belmont High School (1969) where he continued coaching football until 1975. In 1976, Weisenburger decided to give up the grid duties at Belmont High School to follow in the footsteps of another football-turned-cross country veteran, Felix Pennino, who was retiring. Upon his transfer to the sport of Cross Country, he experienced immediate success coaching his first Northern League Boys Title in1979. His breakthrough year came in 1981 when he coached Belmont to its first Cross Country City Title (boys frosh/soph) since 1952 (Boys Varsity). Coach Weisenberger inspired many generations of students to learn valuable lessons of life through athletics. He was a firm believer in the broken record theory, which consists of giving students consistent messages about the importance of team work and adhering to a strong work ethic. He influenced many of his former athletes to follow in his footsteps. At least seven of them became head coaches in track and cross-country in the same school district (Alex Carmona –Belmont, Roman Gomez – South Gate; Everardo Silva – Belmont; Fernando Fernandez – Reseda; Jose Fernandez – Santee and Manuel Gomez – Belmont/Marshall/Lincoln). Each of them, as well as thousands of students he touched over thirty years of coaching, regards him as the most influential person in their lives. Marta Bin, one of the most popular principals to work at Belmont High School, often referred to Coach Weisenburger as the best educator she ever worked with. Many long time teachers at Belmont venerate Coach Weisenburger for his ability to inspire students to do their best in sports and in their academic work. He exemplified the art of tough love. He knew how to be attentive to the needs of all students while maintaining a structure where he established expectations of hard work and commitment for all students. We are elated to be able to host this first Cross Country Invitational in his honor so that future generations of student athletes will get to know the great coach who won dozens of city titles and along the way taught thousands of students, through athletics, valuable lessons to attain success in life.