Unmatched athletic achievements for SHP alums
SHP alums score big in athletics: Read about their latest achievements in football and soccer.
SHP alumnae soccer players score U.S. women’s national team invite
Two Sacred Heart Preparatory (SHP) alumnae and U.S. soccer teammates, who attended SHP five years apart, have crossed paths for the first time after being invited to train with the U.S. women’s national team in Denver.
Abby Dahlkemper (SHP ’11), a graduate of UCLA who plays for the North Carolina Courage of the National Women’s Soccer League, and Tierna Davidson (SHP ’16), who plays for Stanford University, were both recruited to play in the Pac-12. Now playing for the U.S. women’s national team means the competition is even fiercer.
Abby Dahlkemper (SHP ’11), a graduate of UCLA who plays for the North Carolina Courage of the National Women’s Soccer League, and Tierna Davidson (SHP ’16), who plays for Stanford University, were both recruited to play in the Pac-12. Now playing for the U.S. women’s national team means the competition is even fiercer.
“Everyone is faster, everyone is stronger, quicker,” Dahlkemper told the San Jose Mercury News. “It’s the best level you can get, and I’m just thankful that I can be in this environment… trying new things and being surrounded by the world’s best players.”
Frank Rodriguez, the assistant principal of athletics at SHP, said the school community is happy to have been a part of their history. “Not only are they terrific soccer players, they’re just amazing young women,” Rodriguez told the Mercury News. “And to watch not only skill development, but the character development they’ve had, we’re just so proud of them.”
SHP alumnus Ben Burr-Kirven: Linebacker legacy continues
For Sacred Heart Preparatory football standout Ben Burr-Kirven (SHP ’15) his collegiate career as a linebacker is off to a strong start—he’s achieved 38 tackles for the University of Washington, the No. 6 team in the nation.
Burr-Kirven played running back and linebacker at Sacred Heart Preparatory, helping his team nab a CIF sectional title in 2014 and a 13-0 record. As a senior he was named MaxPreps all-Northern California defensive player.
His former coach at SHP, Pete Lavorato, told SportsStars magazine in 2014 that he’s “only seen a few guys do what Ben does” during his 24-year career coaching at the high school level.
In a Seattle Times article last month, Lavorato summed up Burr-Kirven’s skills, “He’s the best I’ve ever coached.”
These days, Burr-Kirven can also be found honing his craft as a film major at UW, hoping to one day establish a career in the film industry. If his dedication to football tells us anything, he’s sure to find success on his chosen career path.
Sacred Heart Schools Atherton
Founded by the Society of the Sacred Heart, SHS is a Catholic, independent, co-ed day school for students in preschool through grade 12
