Caunan a multisport star for AHS
Her specialties include track, soccer and volleyball
By Thomas Gase tgase@theacorn.com

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers SHE DOES IT ALL- Megan Caunan, a junior at Agoura High, takes off on a short run during Monday's practice. Caunan participates in sports during the fall, winter and spring for AHS.

It may be an understatement to say Agoura High junior Megan Caunan loves sports.

This season marks Caunan's third year on the varsity track team for the Chargers, where she has excelled in running the 4x100 and 4x400 relays as well as the 100 and 200meter events. However, track and field is hardly Caunan's only athletic endeavor.

Besides track and field, Caunan is a two-year varsity player for Agoura's soccer team and a varsity player on the Charger volleyball team. If there were more time in the school year, Caunan said that she would play softball, run cross country, wrestle and possibly kick field goals for the football team.

"I get tired sometimes. There will be some days where I go from track practice to soccer practice with my club team," Caunan said. "After that I will go home, do my homework and then pass out on my bed. I don't mind though, because I've never been known to go home after school and just do nothing. Sports have been all I've ever known."

Megan Caunan

When Caunan came to Agoura, she said her main goal was to letter in three sports. Now that goal is trying to figure out what three sports she wants to letter in.

She decided to try volleyball her first semester, even though she had never previously played the sport. After two years, Caunan finally made the varsity roster during her junior season.

"I feel I have to try harder than everyone else because the team is really good and the others have played on club teams before they played at the high school level," Caunan said.

"I once thought about giving up volleyball to do cross country or possibly even football if they needed me as a kicker, but I've gotten to really like playing on the volleyball team here at Agoura, and I feel I've gotten better as a player."

Although the fall semester poised a question on what sport Caunan would play, she knew without a doubt that she would play soccer in the winter.

"Soccer is my favorite sport," Caunan said. "I've been playing since I was 5, and I hope to continue playing it in college."

Caunan scored one goal as a midfielder, forward and center this season. Although the Chargers struggled at times, Caunan said her favorite moment at AHS was when she was a part of the girls' soccer team that won the Marmonte League championship in 2005-06.

"That year was so much fun because we won and it was my first year on the varsity level," Caunan said. "At the start of the year our coach kept telling us we could win league, but I'm not sure we believed him. By the end of the year he had us believing we could win any game."

During the spring semester, Caunan can be found on the track where she enjoys running the 4x100 relay more than any other event.

Agoura head coach Tracy Spencer said he is glad to have Caunan on the team.

"At the start of the year her other sports were conflicting with our team's practices a little, but I just told her to make sure she was ready by the time league started," Spencer said. "She was a little injured with her leg at the start of the year, but I think it may have been exhaustion more than anything."

Although Caunan is hoping to go to college as a soccer player, Spencer believes that she can also make it as a track star.

"She's going to be a part of the relay team at the Mount Sac and Arcadia Invitational meets," Spencer said. "I think right now she could be a Division III runner in college, but she has the potential to run at a Division II level."

In order for Caunan to compete in track on a full-time basis, she decided to give up playing softball, a sport she was more familiar with going into high school.

"Sometimes I miss playing softball, but everything I do in high school is geared toward me doing better in soccer," Caunan said.

"I felt that being on the track team would be better conditioning for when I played soccer. Also, I really like our track team this year. We have a lot of good young runners, and I believe our 4x100 relay team is better this year because we've been training harder."

Out of all the sports Caunan competes in, Spencer is thrilled she chose track.

"She has more heart and integrity than almost anyone," Spencer said. "But the thing I like about her the most is she is very coachable.

"I used to coach at Occidental College, and the No. 1 thing we look for in recruiting is if the player listens to what their coaches have to tell them. She has a great personality, and she always seems to have a smile on her face. I'm glad she is on the team."