Westlake High School (California)

Academics

Newsweek has consistently ranked WHS as one of the top high schools in the United States. In 2015, Westlake's average score on Advanced Placement exams was 3.65. In 2016, Westlake ranked as the 119th top high school in the United States and the 15th-best high school in the state of California.

It is one of four high schools in the Conejo Valley Unified School District, that consistently has significantly above-average AP and SAT scores, and 96% of graduating seniors go on to attend some type of college or further education.

Advanced anatomy (1990-2021)

Westlake High offered a course called Advanced Anatomy. In the course, students worked with human cadavers. Nancy Bowman, a physiology teacher, started the program in 1990. Jordan Michaels, co-founder of Ringadoc, participated in the program. In 2015, Dr. Ira Byock spoke to the honors class about Death With Dignity laws. Following Bowman's retirement in 2021, the course was discontinued, and is currently not offered.

Athletics

Westlake High School offers a wide variety of sports and activities, including football, basketball, cross-country, tennis, volleyball, cheerleading, water polo, soccer, wrestling, lacrosse, softball, swimming, and track and field. Many Westlake athletic teams compete in the Marmonte League of the CIF Southern Section, and are known as the Warriors.

Aquatics program

In 2001, WHS opened an aquatics complex on its campus. WHS grad Veronika Weiss, who played on the girls' water polo team, was killed in the Isla Vista shooting. In 2015, the school retired her number 11.

Baseball

In 2018 the team was coached by Zack Thornton.[[File:Memorial for Lt. j.g. Francis L. Toner IV and Spc. A.J. Castro 130813-N-IX566-047.jpg|thumb|California's Westlake High School football players drop flower petals in the water in honor of Lt. j.g. Francis L. Toner IV and Spc. A.J. Castro during a memorial held at the [[USS Arizona Memorial]]. Toner and Castro, graduates of Westlake, died during [[Operation Enduring Freedom]]]]

Golf

Westlake has had successful golf teams. In 2002, Senior Brian Van Heel won the CIF/CGA California State High School Championship. In 2014, the Westlake High School boys golf team won the CIF/CGA California State High School Championship. In 2015, the boys golf team again won the CIF/ CGA State Championship, becoming the first school to ever win back-to-back state titles in California.

Soccer

Patrick Otte was a head soccer coach from 2019–2020.

The Arts

In 2010, Westlake High School's theatre, built in the 1970s, was expanded and renovated, and its name was changed to The Carpenter Family Theatre. It is named after The Carpenters, who initially approached the school about expanding and renovating the theatre, and donated an initial contribution to jumpstart construction.

Filming site

• Blink 182's music video for "Josie" (1998) was filmed at Westlake High School, using official Westlake High School uniforms.
• The 1994 movie A Friend to Die For was filmed at Westlake High School, using official Westlake High School cheer uniforms with the logo removed.
• The 2006 movie Gridiron Gang was filmed at Westlake High School.
• Halsey's music video for "Colors" (2016) was filmed at Westlake High School, using the football field, classroom, and quad.

Notable alumni

• Anthony Angelini (born 1994), entrepreneur, event producer, and humanitarian
• Andre Baccellia NFL football player
• Deidre Behar, entertainment reporter
• Danny Barrera, professional soccer player
• Aaron Bruno, singer for AWOLNATION
• Rudy Carpenter, NFL football player
• Andrew Castro, United States Army Intelligence Specialist killed in Afghanistan
• Brent Chalem, child actor
• Jonni Cheatwood, artist
• Luke Christopher, singer, rapper
• Jason Cook, actor
• Kamren Fabiculanan, college football safety for the Washington Huskies
• Matt Franco, retired Major League Baseball first baseman
• Helane Freeman, art director and artist
• Jeremiah Gray, basketball player
• Katherine Ho, former contestant on the Voice and featured vocalist in Crazy Rich Asians soundtrack.
• Kevin Howard, former professional baseball player
• Jesser, basketball YouTuber
• Nicole Johnson, model and beauty queen, Miss California USA 2010
• Cobi Jones, retired professional soccer player; National Soccer Hall of Fame
• Danielle Kang, golfer, winner of 2017 Women's PGA Championship
• David Kaye, United Nations special rapporteur and clinical professor of law at University of California, Irvine
• Sam Kazemian, Founder of Frax Finance & formerly president & co-founder of Everipedia
• P.J. Lane, actor
• Tomasi Laulile, professional football player
• Mike Lieberthal (born 1972), retired Major League Baseball 2x All Star catcher
• Adam Mazarei, assistant basketball coach at Vanderbilt; former Memphis Grizzlies assistant coach
• Jordan Michaels, healthcare entrepreneur
• Patrick Mekari, NFL football player
• Billy Miller, NFL football player
• Trevor Moore, NHL hockey player
• Josh Moser, sportscaster and journalist
• Tahj Mowry, actor and former Westlake football running back
• Kristin Neff, pioneering researcher of self-compassion and best-selling author
• Greg Newman, football player
• Mike Nickeas, Major League Baseball catcher
• Ja'seem Reed, NFL wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers
• Catherine Ricafort, Broadway actress and singer
• Nick Rutherford, member of sketch group Good Neighbor and a Saturday Night Live writer
• Mike Seidman (born 1981), NFL football player
• Hannah Sharts, professional soccer player
• Nelson Spruce, professional football player
• Dylan Volantis, college baseball pitcher for the Texas Longhorns
• Craig Walendy, NFL football player
• Gary Wellman, retired NFL football player
• Charlie Wi (born 1972), professional golfer
• Eric Wynalda, retired professional soccer player; National Soccer Hall of Fame
• Matthew Wolff, professional golfer
• Christian Yelich (born 1991), Major League Baseball player, 2018 National League MVP.

Notes

References

References

1. "Lipari out at Westlake High School". The Acorn.
2. "Los Cerritos' Branham to follow Lipari at Westlake". The Acorn.
3. "T.O., Westlake ranked among top HS". The Acorn.
4. "Newsweek showers Westlake with love". The Acorn.
5. "Westlake High School School Profile 2013/2014".
6. (November 2, 1990). "Body of Knowledge : High School Anatomy Students Work on Human Cadaver". LA Times.
7. (December 28, 1994). "There's No Room for the Squeamish in Westlake High's Anatomy Class". LA Times.
8. (March 28, 2013). "Childhood friends develop tele-medicine tool to improve communications between doctors, patients". The Acorn.
9. (April 6, 2013). "Palliative care expert is a vocal opponent of Death With Dignity law". LA Times.
10. Staff, TO Acorn. (2022-05-05). "Trailblazing anatomy teacher gets one final send-off".
11. "Westlake High breaks ground on new aquatics venue". The Acorn.
12. "SoCal School Retires Team Number of Teen Killed in Isla Vista Shooting". NBC.
13. Appelbaum, Eliav. (May 17, 2018). "Westlake's hot stove". The Acorn.
14. "Westlake High School wins 2014 CIF/CGA High School Boys Golf Championship". SCGA.org.
15. "Warriors make California history". The Acorn.
16. "Pat Otte".
17. (June 3, 2010). "Westlake's Carpenter Theatre opens". Thousand Oaks Acorn.
18. [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109847/locations?ref_=tt_dt_dt A Friend to Die For (TV Movie 1994) - Filming & Production - IMDb]
19. [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0421206/locations Gridiron Gang (2006) - Filming & Production - IMDb]
20. (19 July 2020). "Fabiculanan Will Be PA Announcer's Nightmare".
21. "Jeremiah Gray - 2017-18 - Men's Basketball".
22. Jazi, Mo. "How a Westlake High School grad became U.N. human rights expert". [[Ventura County Star]].
23. Curley, Joe. (April 24, 2019). "Local chatter: T.O. native Moore enjoying first taste of playoff hockey in Toronto". [[Ventura County Star]].
24. . (). "Jaseem Reed, Westlake, Wide Receiver". [link](https://247sports.com/player/jaseem-reed-46113601/). **
25. Hess, Terry. (September 14, 1990). "USC's balanced attack led by Marinovich". The Daily Collegian, Pennsylvania State University.
26. Buttitta, Bob. (February 18, 2008). "Charlie Wi has another solid showing". Ventura County Star.