Athlete of the Week: LEAVING A LASTING LEGACY: Cole will graduate from Del Norte High as its most decorated athlete

By Michael Bower

Caitlin Cole has built a resume at Del Norte High School that will be tough for any future student-athlete to match.

In fact, track and field coach Chris Ruff says nobody ever will.

“There won’t be another one of her,” he said. “I have been coaching for 23 years and as far as the total package — great student, great athlete, great parents and literally never a problem and always smiling — there will not be another Caitlin Cole.”

Nobody around the campus of Del Norte will argue with that. Cole, last year’s Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year at the school, is set to graduate in June with well over a 4.00 GPA and with a whopping 12 varsity letters — four each in basketball, track and field and volleyball.

The 6-foot-1 dominant middle on the volleyball court, center in basketball and defending San Diego Section triple-jump champion in track has poured her heart into each of the three sports and into the classroom for four years.

She was rewarded with a scholarship to the prestigious Columbia University, where she will play volleyball and study environmental engineering.

“I am definitely nervous, but very excited,” said Cole, who debated long and hard about also competing in track at the next level before deciding on just playing volleyball. “It hasn’t really hit me yet, but I am happy that I am getting to continue my athletic career.”

She will exit Del Norte as its most decorated female athlete in the five-year history of the school. Cole led the volleyball team in blocks and the basketball team in rebounds this past season. She has her name etched all over the track and field record book.

She is the owner of the school record in the triple jump, high jump, long jump, 400-meter and 200. She is also part of the 4x400- and 4x100-relay teams that hold the school record. She is in the top five in every event except the 100 hurdles, shot put, 1,600 and 3,200.

And she has done it all while wearing a contagious smile.

“I have never seen her in a bad mood and she has never acted out in a negative way toward her teammates,” Ruff said. “She is always smiling and calm and focused. Her maturity level is way ahead of her years. She is just a dream kid. She will be missed a lot.”

Cole hopes to embark on one last journey before throwing her cap high into the air at graduation — a repeat section title in the triple jump and another trip to state, where she finished in 11th place last season.

Cole will enter the San Diego Section preliminaries on Saturday at 9 a.m. at Mt. Carmel on the heels of Valley League titles in the long jump, triple jump, 4x100-relay and 4x400-relay.

She is ranked No. 2 in the section in the triple jump (37-9.5) and ninth in the long jump (17-7).

“I want to go back to state again,” Cole said. “It was so fun and exciting and the level of competition there was amazing.”

Ruff has little doubt Cole will be ready to go for the section championships.

“Pressure has never gotten to her,” he said. “I can’t remember the last time Caitlin had a disappointing performance. She has always had the ability to be at her best when necessary.”

And she has an impeccable resume to prove it.