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SANTEE — Basketball coaches say who starts the game isn’t as important as who ends it.
Spencer Burke is the seventh man, but finisher, on the 16-2 West Hills High School men’s basketball team.
“Spencer is an ancestral child,” said West Hills coach Tim Barry. “He’s smart. He’s always in perfect defensive position. He handles the ball well. He inbounds the ball for us. I believe he’s in the right place. And he’s a good catch-and-shoot guy.”
In last week’s game, Burke made eight free throws in the fourth quarter in a nine-point West Hills victory.
“My job is to give us energy and give us a spark,” Burke said.
Burke plans to compete at the college level, but basketball isn’t his future at 5.7 inches.
Burke is one of America’s top amateur fencers, finishing in the top 10 at the 2021 Junior Olympics and the top 6 at the 2022 Junior Olympics. He recently signed a National Letter of Intent to practice fencing at Penn State University.
Burke was in the top 10 at the 2nd Annual Summer Nationals, placed 3rd in the Virginia state tournament, 2nd in the Pan American Games Cadet division, and was 11 years old.th at the Paris competition. Burke’s annual rating is his A22. An A rating is the best you can achieve.
His love of fencing began in first grade.
“I’ve seen karate and fencing sign-up flyers,” Burke said. “Every child does karate. He liked it immediately. A week later, I was ready for the competition. ”
It took Burke quite some time before he was able to compete, but now he has traveled (or plans to visit) cities around the world, including Paris, Peru, Budapest, Thailand and Dubai. ).
“I loved Paris, the food and the places,” Burke said.
He has also seen much of the United States.
“I saw the Trail Blazers play in Portland, the Brewers in Milwaukee, the Rangers in Texas, the Phillies and Philadelphia, and the Jazz in Salt Lake City.
There are three disciplines in fencing: sabre, epee and foil. Burke competes in foil, where contestants can score by touching any part of their body with their weapon.
Penn State University is one of 28 NCAA Division I fencing programs. The Nittany Lions play in national competitions this season in Minnesota, Utah, Connecticut, Kentucky, New York, North Carolina, Colorado and Philadelphia. Their roster includes players from Germany, Bolivia, Kuwait, Puerto Rico, France and China.
Burke is a 4.6 GPA student taking AP Calculus, AP Psychology, and AP Government. He chose Penn State over Notre Dame and Penn. He was also photographed at Stanford University and the University of California, San Diego.
“Stanford and UCSD have good academics, but the fencing programs don’t compare,” Burke said. I really liked it.I want to major in engineering – something in the aerospace field, maybe work on military drones.Pennsylvania State University has a great engineering school.The dormitory is Arena Right across from Free admission for all sports for athletes They have a great library for athletes Safe campus
“And I’ve known Coach since I was little.”
Adam Kaszubowski is the interim head coach at Penn State University. Burke is confident Kaszubowski can become a full-time employee.
Kaszubowski said Burke was “focused and professional from a young age.”
“He loves fencing. You can see that in the way he competes,” added the coach. “We are looking for motivated kids who love sports. .
I never saw him play basketball, but generally fencers are good at other sports. ”
Burke’s basketball teammates say he’s never seen fencing live, but he’s seen the film. But the way he plays basketball on his court defense gives them a hint of his abilities as a swordsman.
When the group was asked what they liked about Burke’s game, they responded in unison, “His defense.”
Over the last four seasons, they are 52-54, including last season’s 12-14 record. But this is a close-knit senior group with few internal issues.
“Spencer’s travel schedule is phenomenal,” said Barry, his basketball coach. “He’s traveled all over the county and around the world, but he’s doing his best to be here for us. My kids are special kids. They understand what he’s doing.” He may miss a fencing competition practice or two, but when we need him, he’s there for us.”
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