Recognized for their success during the 2013-14 school year, Harvard-Westlake Athletics placed in the top five of the CIF Southern Section Commissioner’s Cup rankings for both boys and girls. The Commissioner’s Cup is a year-long competition that rewards athletic programs in the CIF-SS for cumulative success in all sports. Neither the Wolverine boys nor girls had placed in the top 10 since the 2010-11 season.
The scoring system is based on teams’ postseason results in the 13 CIF-SS sanctioned sports. Five points are given for a CIF-SS divisional title, three for a second-place finish and two are given to semifinalists. In sports that have a championship meet instead of a playoff bracket, such as cross country, track and field, and swimming, two points are given to third-place finishers and one point to fourth place.
The boys finished fifth out of over 500 schools with 13 points, thanks to a divisional championship in water polo, division runners-up in golf and tennis and a third place division finish for cross country. Mater Dei won the boys title with 21 points.
On the girls’ side, the Wolverines finished fourth place with 13, after track and field won its division, cross country and volleyball finished runners-up in their divisions and soccer made the semi-finals.
However, Harvard-Westlake’s 2013 field hockey title was not factored into the equation, as field hockey does not have the required 75 participant schools in the region to qualify as a CIF-SS sanctioned sport. If included, the Wolverines would have finished with 18 points, in second place to champion Santa Margarita.
Still, the only other schools to make the top 10 for both genders were Mater Dei and Oaks Christian, a testament to the Wolverines’ strength across all facets of the athletic program.
Harvard-Westlake has won the cup three times since its debut in the 1991-92 season: The girls won in 2000-01, 2001-02 and, most recently in 2009-10. The boys have never won a Commissioner’s Cup title.
“We at the CIF-SS are very proud of these outstanding programs for their hard work and dedication that has resulted in success on the field and courts,” Comissioner of Athletics Rob Wigod said. “Their determination and teamwork have resulted in experiences that will last them a lifetime.”
“That’s what we always strive for, it’s fantastic. It’s a tribute to our department heads, the entire department, and the athletes on the field,” Athletic Director Darlene Bible said.
