Daily Journal Athlete of the Week: Serra’s Luke Lewis

“Last year, he was tiptoeing around it,” Serra head coach Jim Marheineke said of Lewis, who maxed out at 58-6 his junior year, “and I think this year he just came out and ... just hit it early on, and he kept going with it.”

It should also come as no surprise Lewis has earned Daily Journal Athlete of the Week honors for the three-peat.

What is surprising is who Lewis surpassed with his penultimate throw of the evening as he moved into a tie for 17th on the all-time CCS shot put leaderboard. Entering the day, Lewis was sitting on a personal record of 61-6 1/4, 19th overall, just behind 2002 Mills graduate Adam Tafralis, who owns the Peninsula Athletic League record of 61-6 1/2, and held a quarter-inch lead over Lewis on the all-time CCS list.

The CIF State Track & Field Championships are set to open this coming Friday in Clovis. And Lewis, now tied for 17th, said he isn’t satisfied as he looks to move up several more rungs on the CCS ladder.

“No, not yet,” Lewis said. “I’m really happy with this. The three-peat was a big goal for this year, and obviously getting up above 61 — high 61 is awesome — I’m fired up about that. But I’m always looking for more. I’m never satisfied. I think that’s something that’s gotten me to where I am today.”

In surpassing Tafralis’ mark, Lewis steps into the circle of greats with one of his all-time heroes. Tafralis’ father Gregg — who died in 2023, leaving a legacy as a 1988 Olympian and the greatest shot-putter San Mateo County has ever produced — was coached in the discipline by Lewis’ father Mike, a longtime throws coach at College of San Mateo.

Lewis’ mother Nicole was also a track star at Fresno State. And, Saturday, Lewis was wearing a bracelet with an inspirational inscription from his Uncle Pat, who coached throws in San Mateo County for 50 years.

“He’s been around the event his entire life, his dad and his mom,” Marheineke said. “He’s put so much time in with them, and it’s paying off.”

Lewis’ family is one of the reasons he wanted to stay close to home for college. The stars aligned there, for sure, as the senior committed to Stanford University last November.

Unlike many of his contemporaries, however, Lewis isn’t a towering figure. While he towered above all his competitors Saturday while standing atop the podium, he is, in fact, the shortest among them, listing at 5-10, 205 pounds.

“The biggest thing I would say that I rely on is technique and explosiveness,” Lewis said. “I think my explosiveness, I put it toe to toe with most people, and I can compete. And my technique, I say the same about it. Obviously, no, I’m not Jackson Cantwell; I’m not 6-9, 315. And I’m not even McKay (Madsen), who’s 6-1, 240. I’m about 5-9, 5-10, 205, pretty lean this year. I could be heavier but I think that athleticism in the ring is really important.”

Lewis’ emergence through the CCS ranks speaks for itself. Two years ago, he captured his first CCS title with a throw of 54-0 1/2. Last year, 57-9 1/2 earned him the crown. This year, neither of those throws would have come close, as King’s Academy senior Joshua Taylor took second with a 59-4; Gilroy senior Kaiden Gonzales took third place at 58-0 1/2; Aptos senior Logan Brantley was fourth at 58-00; and Woodside senior Evan Usher matched last year’s winning throw at 57-9 1/2.

“I think if you look at this field, something that I love about every single kid in this field, on that podium, is an athlete — a true athlete,” Lewis said. “To see that in the shot put competition, I think it speaks a lot through our league, and CCS. Overall, the progression throughout the three years, 54, which is what I threw sophomore year to win it, that wouldn’t have even gone top 8 today.”

Now, Lewis is looking to go top 8 in the state. He currently ranks with the fourth best throw in California this season, with Madsen of Clovis North tops at 68-4. But the other two — Amador senior Eliot Traxler (61-1 1/4) and Dixon senior Nathan Bloom (61-10 1/2) — are within striking distance. Nine throwers in the state, including Lewis, have topped 60 feet this season.

What’s interesting to note is this: The last two years, neither of Lewis’ winning throws at CCS were his best of the season. And his sophomore and junior showings at the state finals both regressed from there, as he finished off the podium in 10th place both times. This year, he is currently throwing his best, going from a 61-6 1/4 at the WCAL prelims May 3; to 61 3 1/2 in the finals to win the WCAL championship; to 61-5 in the CCS prelims; to 61-10 in the CCS finals.

“I didn’t really catch any of my throws today,” Lewis said Saturday. “Even though I PR’ed today, I know I definitely have another two feet in there. Hopefully we will find that next week.”