Dr. Emily Shaw, Hemet High School principal, has a student display the school’s CIF banner at Hemet Unified School District board meeting this month. Photo by J.P. Crumrine  

Hemet High School girl athletes took top honors, earning 15 points for winning three championship trophies in the California Interscholastic Federation, Southern Section. The Hemet High girls won the CIF titles in volleyball, softball and water polo.

The CIF announced the top 10 girls and boys athletic programs in the 22nd-annual Commissioner’s Cup in June. More than 580 schools — public and private — are CIF members.
Several Idyllwild girls — Danika Hitchcock, Savannah Loutzenhiser and Brianna Williams — were members of the winning volleyball team.

The softball championship was captured during the June 2013 graduation week. Several play-off games overlapped with school functions such as the prom.

This is the first Commissioner’s Cup title in HHS history on either the boys or girls side. The Bulldogs edged out Mater Dei High School of Santa Ana for the top spot as the Monarchs finished as runner-ups by just 2 points.

On the boys side, Loyola High School of Los Angeles claimed their seventh Commissioner Cup title in the past 11 years and their fifth consecutive cup.

The CIF-SS developed this recognition program based on comprehensive excellence in interscholastic competition. The purpose of this program is to enhance the spirit of competition, sportsmanship and goodwill among the student athletes and member schools.

The winners are determined by a point system that provides 5 points for a divisional championship; 3 points for a divisional runner-up finish; 2 points for advancing to the semifinal round or a third place finish in a team-place finish sport (such as cross country, golf, swimming and diving, or track and field); and 1 point for a fourth-place finish in a team-place finish sport. In cases where a tie occurs the top 10 schools were determined by several tie-breaker methods.