In 7th grade, he got cut from the DU club team that would catapult him to where he is now. “I spent a lot of time on my own practicing stick skills and footwork and shooting. I was out practicing every day to make sure I made the team next time,” said Thomas Karl (TK) Hammond, senior.

 Exemplary student and athlete, TK Hammond has officially committed to the University of Denver to play Division 1 lacrosse. Hammond, who has also participated as a varsity athlete in tennis, basketball, and track programs, has chosen lacrosse to be his only sport moving forward.

 Playing lacrosse since kindergarten, Hammond has mastered his athletic abilities as a midfield. “TK is probably the hardest worker on the team. He puts in the most hours outside of practice, which is why he’s going to the best D1 school,” said Jacob Boomgarden, senior and teammate of four years to Hammond.

 In addition to his skills on the field, Hammond motivates himself to go above and beyond in the classroom as well. He has received the “scholar-athlete” award all four years at Ranch, with a consistent 4.1 GPA. “I do homework before and after practice/training, so there’s not much downtime,” said Hammond, who is no stranger to the AP classes offered at HR.

 When asked about his motivations to be the best in athletics and academics, Hammond said, “You have to be willing to sacrifice a lot of your time even outside of practice and school to get smarter and become more skilled.”

 Braden Lowe, senior and teammate of four years to Hammond, said, “TK has a bright future ahead of him because he works so hard.” Majoring in Business at DU, Hammond is also excited to further his lacrosse career at one of the top D1 Lacrosse schools. “I’m excited to contribute to a lacrosse team that is top 10 in the nation and getting to know new people who will become great friends,” said Hammond.

Ariana Teng, staff reporter