Hard work does pay off.
Lathrop High soccer coach Alfredo Reynaga said that in reference to his senior defender Christian Cardenas, who inked a letter Tuesday to play soccer at the next level at Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont.
“You have 25 brothers who will also be following you (at Notre Dame de Namur),” Reynaga said at the Cardenas’ official signing event held in the Lathrop High Careers Center. “You also have a fan in me.”
Those brothers happen to be his Spartans teammates. Cardenas played varsity soccer all four years at LHS.
“Christian is also an excellent student,” said Reynaga.
Cardenas plans to study Computer Engineering in addition to playing for the Argonauts of the Pacific West Conference.
Notre Dame de Namur are in the same NCAA Division II conference as that of Point Loma, Azusa Pacific, Fresno Pacific, University of Hawaii at Hilo, Biola University, California Baptist, and Concordia University-Irvine, to name a few.
The Argonauts are coached by Paul McCallion.
Cardenas’s parents, Luz and Jorge, were also in attendance at the signing session.
He was looking at other schools such as Sonoma State. But Cardenas, who also plays competitive club soccer for Monarcas Academy under coach Vince Meyer, noted that he was actively pursued by Notre Dame de Namur, a private Catholic university located in the Bay Area.
“I liked the school and what it had to offer,” said Cardenas on his recent visit.
He’ll also be close enough to home for his family and Spartan brothers to catch some of his games.