When it comes to the sheer number of student-athletes moving on to play in college, Los Gatos High School has few rivals.
The recent 2026 graduating class had 26 individuals either earn a scholarship to play at a four-year university or receive preferred walk-on status—meaning they are a recruited athlete offered a guaranteed spot on the team roster without athletic scholarship aid.
The list includes Hayden Benjamin (Cal Berkeley track and field), Garrett Bertsch (Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo football), Cora Bryant (Hawaii at Manoa soccer), Leaya Cleary (Massachusetts of Institute Technology field hockey), Kaylee Cross (University of Arkansas track and field), Mathijs Dirven (Santa Clara University water polo), Preston Drolette (Point Loma Nazarene soccer), Nolan Hamm (Dartmouth rowing), Kai Jordan (Cal Berkeley track and field), Kiana Koechlin (Georgetown swimming), Austin Krug (University of San Diego football), Margot Malovos (Wisconsin-Eau Claire gymnastics), Declan McInerney (University of California San Diego rowing), Kayla Mitchell (Wesleyan University-Connecticut tennis), Bridget Moore (San Jose State track and field), Ale Munneke (Stanford soccer), Beau Musser (University of Hawaii baseball), Zach Otoupal (St. Joseph’s lacrosse), Ben Reilly (Elmhurst University lacrosse), Antonio Rodriguez (Arizona State wrestling), Hudson Schrader (Montana University football), Callum Schweitzer (Yale University football), Ojas Shastri (University of Pennsylvania wrestling), Sean Slover (UC Santa Cruz volleyball), Grace Tucker (Dominican University softball), and Portia Zeidler (University of Notre Dame volleyball).
The list features an array of talent in a variety of sports, speaking to the Wildcats’ reputation as an athletic powerhouse. While many names on this list were projected to reach the four-year level, a few including Jordan came on strong in the spring semester of their senior year to lock up a spot at a four-year program.
Jordan ran the race of his life in the Central Coast Section Championship 400 meter final in May, finishing in 47.96 seconds—the first time ever he’s gone sub 48—to win the title. Jordan had already been guaranteed a spot on the Cal squad, but his performance confirmed his ability to come through when it mattered the most.
Jordan set school records in both the open 400 and also as a member of the boys 4×400 relay team with Benjamin, Han Tang and Aydin Hussain. The quartet established a personal-best of 3 minutes, 16.18 seconds in the CIF State Prelims, qualifying for the Finals the following day. Benjamin and Jordan will continue their athletic careers together in Berkeley.
“I think what I’m most proud of is breaking the school record and competing with my teammates,” Jordan said. “It really meant a lot to go to State with them and the experience we had there is something I’ll never forget.”
Jordan delivered a vintage performance in the CCS Finals, surprising even himself in the process.
“Out of the blocks I knew it was going to be good, but I don’t think anyone was expecting 47.9,” he said. “A huge PR (personal-record) like that meant a lot to me, knowing how hard I had been working to get to that point.”
Before the season started, Jordan had a goal to win the open 400. However, Jordan missed two critical months—spanning the first month of practice followed by the initial month of the race season—due to tendinitis, an injury he sustained during the football season. For most of the season, Jordan’s times weren’t at the State-caliber level, let alone good enough to win a section championship. Not surprisingly, the doubts started to saturate his thoughts.
“I regret just doubting myself this year,” he said. “Honestly, I think 46 seconds could’ve been in the cards if I believed in myself sooner. I think I let the injury get in my head too much and it slowed me down.”
In the previous nine times he toed the line for the open 400 prior to the CCS Semifinals, Jordan finished in the 49-second range eight times and clocked a pedestrian 50.75 at Arcadia. Jordan admits that he learned a lot in the mental aspect of the sport. Working with Los Gatos sprints coach Andre Chapman, Jordan focused as much on the mental side of the game as the physical.
“Coach basically told me that what I was creating in my head, I was creating in the real world,” Jordan said. “I’m basically giving myself an excuse to run bad. He told me I’m a great runner but that I should know and believe I’m a great runner. So I really had to look in the mirror and tell myself, ‘Tomorrow’s another day.’ I did a lot of mental work and meditation leading up to the race.”
Several days before the CCS Finals, Jordan stuck a note on his refrigerator that read: I’m a CCS champion; I’m going to shock everyone.
“It was time to show it,” he said.
And that’s exactly what Jordan did. Exploding out of the blocks, Jordan had a fast split in the first 200 before taking the lead off the final turn en route to the first-place finish. Credit Jordan for staying the course and doing the work on and off the track to deliver a breakthrough performance in the postseason.
“It’s the race where everything came together,” he said. “Normally when I’m behind the blocks for the start of the race, I’m very nervous. But I had a high sense of confidence going into that race, and that was the difference. Regardless of whatever I face from now on, I need to have confidence in myself and stay confident.”
Jordan thanked former Wildcats teammate Matt Gladney—an incoming junior track athlete at Cal—for connecting him with Golden Bears assistant coach Ronnye Harrison in late February.
“I hopped on a call with him (Harrison) and he said they were going to give me a chance and offered me a spot on the team,” Jordan said. “It was a shock because at the time with the injury knowing I had a spot on the team was a real blessing. For Matt to go out of his way and talk to coach about me really meant a lot. I still kind of kick myself and haven’t processed that I’m going to Cal and get to do what I love, both academically and athletically.”
Jordan credited the LGHS track coaches and Harrison for believing in him, something all rising athletes need to fulfill their potential.
“After our call, coach Harrison took me on an official visit and spent a lot of time with me, so I’m very thankful for him. He believed I could run fast even when my times were down.”
For Jordan, it’s full speed ahead.
“Four years from now, I want to have zero regret,” he said. “I want to say I had fun and enjoyed everything about college track, because it’s an experience you only get once.”
