Olympic Race Walker & LI Coach Bruce MacDonald Passes

Apr 01, 2020

Students and staff celebrate Coach Bruce MacDonald's 85th birthday in 2012 (Photo via School Paper)

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Bruce MacDonald, Seven-time Olympian (Athlete -3x, Coach Manager-2x, Official-2x), passed in his sleep last night after a long decline. He was 92.

He attended Bayside High School, where he graduated in 1947. He won the county championship as well as NYC 120-yard high hurdles championship in 1996. He then went on to place 6th at the Indoor National H.S. Championship in the 60-yard high hurdles when the meet was still held at Madison Square Garden.

From there, he went on to coach at Paul D. Schrieber HS on Long Island, from 1957 to 2002.

In addition to his work at the HS Level, he was intricately involved with the Race Walk at the Olympic and Professional Level. He competed at the 1956, 1960, & 1964 Olympics as a Race Walker, his best placement being 16th overall in 1956. He also fostered the sport domestically and abroad, leading to a bigger influence in the event in the State of New York, particularly on Long Island.

Key Athletes Coached:

Mary Anne Berndt, Port Washington High School

Holds both Junior and Senior national records for indoor and outdoor shot put in Chile.

Competed in Pan Am Games, Cuba Junior Pan Am Games, and World University Games twice.

2003, won Open Colgate Games in shot put and won Millrose Games shot put.

Record Holder on both Chilean Junior and Senior National Shot Put Teams.

Ron Daniel, Port Washington High School and New York Pioneer Club

1959, Member of 4 National race walking teams competing in World Championships.

1959, Member of winning national race walking team in distances from 10k to 50k.

1984, complete charge of both 20,000 m & 50,000 m race walks at Olympics in Los Angeles.

Nicole Dumpson, Port Washington High School

2000, New York high school pentathlon outdoor school champion.

Lorie Entis

1973, 5^th Place in 1 mile race walk Indoor National Championship while in high school.

Hope Hallock, Port Washington High School

1987, competed on U.S.A. Junior national race walking team. Her 6^th place finish helped U.S. Junior Women win over Canada and Mexico.

1987, 1500 meter high school indoor race walk champion.

1987, 3^rd Place 1 mile race walk in high school Indoor National Championship.

Ron Laird, New York Pioneer Club

1960, 1964, 1968, and 1976 Olympic Team Member.

Member of U.S. Track and Field Hall of Fame.

Won 50+ national race walking championships in distances of 1 mile to 50k.

1967 and 1973, 3^rd Place in 20,000 m race walk in Lugano Cup World Championship for race walking teams.

Neni Davis Lewis

2002, Winner of Weight Pentathlon in World Veterans Games, 40-44 age group & world record Brisbane, Australia..

2001, Shot Put and Hammer Throw American Record Holder, 40-44 age group.

2003, winner of weight pentathlon in World Veterans Games, 40-44 age group and world record.

Ellen Minkow

1973, indoor/outdoor 1 mile race walk record. 1974, 5k and 10k outdoor national race walk record.

1974, Broke world record for indoor 1 mile race walk at the West Point Military Academy.

Samantha Moskowitz, Port Washington High School

2001, 1 of 3 U.S. girls competing in 2001 Junior Maccabean Games, Israel. 3^rd in Long Jump, 5th in shot put.

Jim Murchie, Port Washington High School

1973-1974, High school Indoor/Outdoor 1 mile race walk, broke indoor record 4 times and outdoor record 7 times.

1974, Winner of 1 mile race walk and 3 mile walk in Junior Olympics, 15-16 year olds.

1974, Junior National Record-holder in 10k, 15k and 20k race walks.

1975-1976, Competed on 2 U.S. Junior National T&F Teams.

Debbie Neabor, Port Washington High School

1974, winner of the 1 mile race walk in Outdoor Junior National Championship.

Mariquita Patterson

1981, 60 yard hurdle indoor high school state championship record.

1981, 100 meter hurdles in NY Outdoor State Championship.

1981, Broke 7 Harvard school records during Freshman year.

Elton Richardson

2003, Member of U.S. Masters Track & Field Hall of Fame.

Loretta Schuellein

1995, New York State Federated high school champion in 1500 meter race walk

1995, Set PSAL record, 168^th St. Armory record, and NYS Federated high school record for 1500-meter race walk.

2001, & 2005, 2^nd Place in 40k race walk National Championships

2004, 3^rd Place at 5k race walk National Championships

2005, All-American honors at 3,000 m race walk National Championships

2005,3^rd Place and All-American honors at 15k race walk National Championships

2005, Top 8 finish at USATF T&F Championships in 20,000 m race walk

2005, Member of U.S. National Race Walk Team

Chris Shea, Port Washington High School

1979, Won 1 mile race walk indoor National Championship, Madison Square Garden, NY.

1979, Broke indoor World Record for 1 mile indoor race walk Championship.

1979, Won Senior National 1-hr outdoor race walk championships, Washington, DC., and broke world record

Joanne Shima, Port Washington High School

1975, Qualified for 1^st U.S. race walking team attending Women's World Race Walking Championships.

Her 13^th place finish helped U.S. team win 2^nd Place, 9^th Grader.

USA Junior Olympic Record for 1 mile race walk for 14 year olds.

Claudia Silver, Port Washington High School

1978, Meet Record, 1 mile high school race walk Indoor State Championship.

Karen Skinner, Port Washington High School

1983, 55 meter dash Indoor record holder for high school state championships.

Ellen Smith, Seaford High School

1975, 1976 and 1977, competing on 3 U.S. Senior National Championship Teams competing in Women's World Race Walking Championships.

1976, 1^st and only girl to qualify for Boys Indoor High School T&F Championship, placing 8^th.

Only girl ever to quality and compete in High School Boys State Championship, indoors or outdoors, in NY State.