January 2025 - Leo Lopoz, VP for Athletics

Dear Spartan Nation, 

Happy New Year, and welcome back to Winton Drive! As January gets underway, we want to take a moment to celebrate the accomplishments of our fall and winter sports programs. Our athletes had many incredible achievements in the first semester—both individually and, more importantly, as teams. Their efforts continue to make our entire athletic program stand out as one of the best in the nation. 

• Our fall sports (cross country, football, and water polo) resulted in two league championships, two North Coast Section championships, and a second-place state finish for football. Congratulations to these student-athletes and coaches on their success! It is also important to note that all our fall teams finished with a 3.0 or higher combined team GPA.
• We had great turnouts at a number of our alumni affinity events in December, including basketball and rugby. It is always heartwarming to reconnect with alumni over the holidays and see them interact with our current Spartans.
• Our winter sports (basketball, soccer, and wrestling) had a busy Christmas break. Wrestling and soccer traveled to Southern California to compete against some of the best programs in the state, and our basketball team enjoyed great competition in the prestigious Hoophall Classic in Arizona.  
• In keeping with our Lasallian charism to “Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve,”  our teams also participated in various service-learning activities during the first semester, including turkey drives, food donations, and a book reading with local elementary students.  
• Lastly, we want to congratulate cross country runner Trey Caldwell on a season to remember.  Trey set course records at Newhall Park, Crystal Springs,  and Mt. Sac, and he is the only runner in school history to break 15 minutes at the Woodward Park course in Fresno – home of the CIF State Cross Country Championships. In addition, he became the first California runner to qualify for the Footlocker nationals three times. 

As we transition from winter to spring, there’s no shortage of exciting events and activities.  Stay tuned for more updates, and be sure to come out and support our student-athletes. Spring sports officially begin on February 10.

I want to finish by saying that the success of the entire athletic program is only possible through the support of alumni, fans, friends, families, faculty, and staff. We are grateful for your dedication in supporting our young men on and off the playing field and helping them become Men of Faith, Integrity, and Scholarship. At the same time, I want to personally thank the many volunteers who work tirelessly behind the scenes to help meet the needs of our student-athletes and coaches and who represent our De La Salle community countless times each year. From game operations to team dinners to special events, the call is always answered by someone in our community! 

Live Jesus in our hearts,

Leo Lopoz
Vice President for Athletics