SHP's Burke Named a CCS Fall Sports Honor Coach

- Palo Alto Online Sports
Burke Has Won Nine Consecutive CCS Championships
See Full Story

Sacred Heart Prep girls water polo coach Jon Burke earned a CCS Fall Sports Honor Coach Award, it was announced Monday.

The Central Coast Section Honor Coach Award is presented to those coaches whose colleagues believe have made outstanding contributions to that sport at their school, within their league, in the community, and to the CCS.

At the time of nomination, they must be actively coaching and have been coaching their respective sport for a minimum of five years at the varsity level.

Attributes considered are: maintenance of professional standards of conduct, general service to the respective sport, outstanding coaching accomplishments, additional contributions to school and community, and being a role model and inspiration to athletes, coaches, teachers, administrators, parents and the public.

Burke is in his 11th year at Sacred Heart Prep and has won nine consecutive CCS championships.

The release stated, in part, "Perhaps more impressive than his success in the pool, is his commitment outside of it. Coach Burke has taken the time to invest in building a team that is close, works hard for each other, and truly cares for one another. Coach Burke is demanding and tough and even though they may feel sometimes he is too demanding, he is loved by both players and parents for pushing them to excel."

Burke most recently led the Gators to a runner-up finish at the NorCal Invitational, in which the team was seeded 11th and needed to beat the No. 6, No. 3 and No. 2 seeds to reach the title game. All three teams had defeated Sacred Heart Prep earlier in the season.

"It was a great week," Burke said. "We put ourselves in a situation to be the 11th seed, the lowest we've ever been seeded in this tournament. It was important to play the best water polo we can."

The boys water polo coach award went to Harker's Ted Ujifusa. Other fall honor coaches are Andrew Hill's Jason Guven (boys cross country), Aragon's Frank Hunt (girls cross country), Lynbrook's Art Zimmerman (girls golf), Los Altos' Mary Donahue (field hockey), Aptos' Randy Blankenship (football) and Sacred Heart Cathedral's Amy Kleckner (girls tennis).
Back

Sacred Heart Schools Atherton

Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton

150 Valparaiso Ave
Atherton, CA 94027
650 322 1866
Founded by the Society of the Sacred Heart, SHS is a Catholic, independent, co-ed day school for students in preschool through grade 12