Before graduating from Redwood High School, Laura set school records in the 1600m and 3200m. She was recruited to UC Berkeley where she competed for 4 years, leading her team to become the first Cal Women’s Cross Country team to compete at the NCAA Championships. She graduated from Cal as a Team Captain.
Throughout the following years, while raising her 3 children with her husband Tom, coaching, and founding one of the top preschools in the Bay Area, Laura maintained a world-class ranking (13th in the world) for Masters Women in the 5,000m. She continues to compete.
Laura coached Cross Country and Track & Field at Redwood High school for three decades – amassing 50+ MCAL Pennants, 35 top NCS placements, and 17 State Championship appearances. She coached the first two athletes in MCAL history to win the MCAL Distance Triple Crown of the 1600, 800, and 3200 all within the same day. She has coached athletes to the California State Championships across all disciplines of Track & Field – sprints, jumps, throws, and of course the distances. In the spring of 2013, one of her athletes, Fred Huxham, became the first MCAL male athlete since 1959 to win an individual California State Championship, finishing the 3200m in 8:54.24. In her final year of coaching at Redwood, she coached Liam Anderson, who earned the distinction of being the US National Champion in Cross Country. Liam went on to compete on the West Region XC Champions Stanford team (2021), and earned a place on the Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll, twice.
In 2009, Laura was honored as the 2009 NCS Coach of the Year for Cross Country and that same year was inducted into the Redwood High School Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class. In 2010, Laura was inducted into the Marin County Hall of Fame.
Every single day at practice Laura brings the same amount of excitement and happiness as the first day she laced up her own shoes as a first-time runner on a team. It is absolutely the realization of her lifelong dream to share her passion for running with the community that has been her home for over 50 years. Whether you’re new to running, with modest goals for participation, want to set a PR, or are aiming to qualify for the Olympics, your goals and dreams will be embraced at Thoroughbred Studio.