Crossroads News
Crossroads Alumni Excel at College and Professional Levels
By Tara Shima, Athletics Communications Coordinator
Crossroads Athletics has fostered greatness for as long as the School has participated in interscholastic leagues. Building upon their achievements in the Upper School, alumni have gone on to compete at both the college and professional levels.
Donovan Spearman ’17 graduated from Crossroads as an esteemed member of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) all-state team for track and field and as the School’s record holder in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter races. Now an environmental studies major at Dartmouth College, Donovan has consistently finished in the top 10 in the Ivy League Outdoor Track and Field Championships while continuing to improve his personal best times. In February 2019, Donovan placed second in the 200 at the New England Intercollegiate Amateur Athletic Association Indoor Track and Field Championship. With times of 10.54 seconds in the 100 and 21.11 in the 200, he is within range of qualifying for the Olympic trials.
Donovan Spearman ’17 graduated from Crossroads as an esteemed member of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) all-state team for track and field and as the School’s record holder in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter races. Now an environmental studies major at Dartmouth College, Donovan has consistently finished in the top 10 in the Ivy League Outdoor Track and Field Championships while continuing to improve his personal best times. In February 2019, Donovan placed second in the 200 at the New England Intercollegiate Amateur Athletic Association Indoor Track and Field Championship. With times of 10.54 seconds in the 100 and 21.11 in the 200, he is within range of qualifying for the Olympic trials.
In her first year of swimming for Columbia University, Clare Larsen ’18 has also set competing at the Olympic trials as a personal goal. When she graduated from Crossroads, Clare was the School’s record holder in the 200-yard freestyle race, a vital contributor to three record-holding relays and California’s 12th-fastest high school swimmer in the 100 free. Since then, Clare has earned considerable recognition as a top college athlete. In the Ivy League Championship Finals, she finished in sixth place in the 200 free at 1:49.16. She also won both the 50 and 500 free in Columbia’s winning meet against Princeton; finished second in the 100 and 200 free against Penn; and helped Columbia win the 4x200 free relay against Penn, Princeton, Cornell and Dartmouth. Clare is hoping to shave a second from her times in the 50, 100 and 200 free races to turn her Olympic trials dreams into a reality.
Volleyball players Grace Rose ’17 and Harper Graves ’17 graduated from Crossroads as champions in both the section and region and runners-up in the state. The Roadrunners then brought their skills to Wesleyan University, where they have continued to rack up accolades as teammates. Grace, a setter and 2016 CIF Player of the Year, contributed a total of 24 sets, 7 kills, 14 attacks, 27 digs and 15.5 points over 11 matches during their junior year. Outside hitter Harper played in 19 matches, delivering 48 sets, 99 kills, 375 attacks, 18 blocks and 116.5 points. Both players did their part to boost the Wesleyan Cardinals to a 21-5 record in the 2019 regular season. They finished in the Elite Eight of the 2019 NCAA Division III national championship and claimed their third consecutive title against Little Three competitors Williams and Amherst.
Soccer star Javan Torre-Howell ’12 followed his outstanding high school career with a four-year starting position as a defender at UCLA. After representing the Bruins in 56 appearances, Javan was drafted in the third round to the MLS Colorado Rapids. In 2017, he went on to play professionally in Frankfurt, Germany. Most recently, he joined the Las Vegas Lights, where one of his most impressive efforts on the field was nominated for Play of the Year.
