Jerry Fitzpatrick, better known as a coach and athletic director at Muskegon Mona Shores High School, was one of the greatest track and field athletes ever produced in the Muskegon area. Specializing in the sprints and the long jump, Fitzpatrick was a standout at Muskegon Catholic Central in the 1950s and continued to sparkle for the University of Notre Dame and for the Southern California Striders in AAU track events of the early 1960s.

At Muskegon Catholic High School, Fitzpatrick established Crusader records in all sprint events and in the long jump. His time of 9.8 in the 100-yard dash was the fastest time ever posted in the history of the Greater Muskegon track meet. In his senior year, he became the first long jumper from the Muskegon area to win a Class A state championship in that event since 1921.

Fitzpatrick’s prep career earned him a full track and field scholarship at Notre Dame and he quickly became a star performer for the Irish under Coach Alex Wilson. In three years at Notre Dame, Jerry compiled a phenomenal total of 320 points in top collegiate competitions. His remarkable record in his specialties included 29 first place finishes, 19 seconds and eight thirds. In addition, the four-man relay teams in which he participated finished first in 11 meets.

After graduation, he moved to California and continued to compete as an amateur for the Los Angeles-based Striders, one of the most formidable track clubs in AAU competition. Competing in the prestigious Mt. San Antonio (or Mt. Sac) Relays in the early 1960s, Fitzpatrick’s relay teams set or challenged world records against the finest runners in the USA. In individual events, Jerry held his own and occasionally bested Olympic gold medalists like Ralph Boston and Lee Calhoun.
In 1964, Fitzpatrick returned to Muskegon to teach and coach track at the new Mona Shores High School. His 1972 Sailors won the city track championship and in 1978 Jerry assumed the position of Athletic Director, where he remained up to his retirement after the 1998 school year.