Pioneer Athlete Spotlight on Andrew McGallian

School: Clayton Valley Charter High School; Grade: Senior; Sports: Football, Track & Field

This senior is spinning his newfound free time this fall due to virtual schooling and postponed athletic seasons into gold by rekindling his passion for football.

After spending his two underclassman years on freshman and JV football, McGallian stayed on the sidelines from football as a junior to focus on his school schedule, extra-curricular activities and a leading role on Clayton Valley Charter’s track and field weight team. He sacrificed what became an historic season for the Ugly Eagle’s 2019 State championship football team but that gave him time to find success with his other endeavors.

After his sophomore year as an all-America thrower by placing seventh at the USATF Nationals, McGallian travelled to Kitakami, Japan in October 2019 at the invitation of the mayor of Concord’s Sister City to compete against their throwing team. He has taken part in the Sister City Ambassador program and is in the CVCHS Engineering and Design Academy maintaining a 4.67 GPA.

Now McGallian is looking forward to getting back on the football field with hopes that the 2020-21 squad will find the same success it did last year. Due to all high school sports being pushed back to a six-month window in 2021, he plans on using shorter school days brought on by at-home learning to cross train throughout the year for what he hopes to be equally successful football and track seasons. He finished in the top 10 at North Coast Section Meet of Champions as a freshman and sophomore before last track season ended abruptly in March. He hopes to continue his athletic career in college while majoring in biochemistry. McGallian is an example that the current conditions due to COVID-19 shutdowns, however destructive they may be, also yield many opportunities.

CVCHS student journalist Alexa Oldham wrote this Spotlight.

The Pioneer congratulates Andrew and thanks Athlete Spotlight sponsors Dr. Laura Lacey & Dr. Christopher Ruzicka who have been serving the Clayton and Concord area for 25 years at Family Vision Care Optometry. www.laceyandruzicka.com

Do you know a young athlete who should be recognized? Perhaps he or she has shown exceptional sportsmanship, remarkable improvement or great heart for the sport. Send your nomination for the Pioneer Athlete Spotlight today to sports@Pioneerpublishers.com.