History

Wilcox began competing in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) in 1962 when there were just 9 teams.  The league grew to 13 teams before being split into the DeAnza and SCVAL leagues in 1974.  Wilcox remained in SCVAL.  In 1995, the SCVAL and DeAnza leagues were combined back into the SCVAL league with two divisions – the DeAnza and El Camino divisions.  All of the 7 teams in the old SCVAL league were placed in the El Camino division for the sport of cross country and all of the teams in the old DeAnza league were placed in the DeAnza division.

​

Roger Hoy was the first cross country coach at Wilcox.  He won league titles in 1963 and 1964.  He retired from coaching in the late 1960s.  As can be seen, the sport of cross country declined at Wilcox during the late 1970s.  In fact, no teams were fielded at the league finals in 1979 and 1980.  Peterson high school was closed in 1981 and its cross country coach, Tim Goode, took over the Wilcox cross country program from 1981 through 1983, when he transferred to Santa Clara.  Walt Van Zant has been the coach at Wilcox from that time through to the present. Coach Van Zant has not only been the coach at Wilcox, but a cross country and track historian. Coach Van Zant spent an entire summer looking up newspaper race results at the Palo Alto and Santa Clara libraries on micro fiche. From his research, he was able to create the all-time lists.