The Hammerin’ Hamlins
Kristen and Kyra Hamlin with respective team’s CIF Championship plaques in Sea Hawk Pavilion. Photo
When the Hamlin sisters were young the rivalry between them became so intense that they agreed to focus on different sports. The decision led to Sea Hawk CIF titles in volleyball and basketball this year
It’s not often that siblings win CIF championships in the same school year. Even more rare is doing it in two sports.
Last fall Kristen, a senior, was a vital cog in Redondo’s girls volleyball machine. The team won the CIF Southern Section Division 1AA and State Division 1 championships.
In March, younger sister Kyra, a junior, provided the power in the paint for Redondo’s girls basketball team to capture the CIF Southern Section Division 2AA crown.
“We are very competitive and I feel our sibling rivalry has pushed us to continue to improve,” Kristen said.
“It’s crazy for both of us to win titles in the same year,” Kyra said. “I expected it for Kristen because Redondo’s volleyball has always been on top. In basketball, we weren’t expected to go that far.”
Senior Kristen Hamlin was a force at the net for Redondo’s State Championship girls volleyball team. Photo
When the school year began, Kristen knew the volleyball team was full of talent and credits head coach Tommy Chaffins with keeping the team on track.
The Sea Hawks capped off the season with a 27-match winning streak, finishing with a 39-2 record. The team was ranked No. 8 in the nation in the Max Preps poll. The CIF title was the second for Redondo’s girls volleyball program.
“I felt we had a great chance to win it all after we beat Mira Costa in five games to end the regular season,” Hamlin said. “Winning CIF and State are my most memorable moments in high school. You only get four years to win a CIF championship and the ring is something I’ll cherish forever.”
The 5-foot-10 middle blocker was a dominant force at the net, recording 308 kills and 86 solo blocks during the season. She posted 15 kills and five blocks in Redondo’s 25-23, 25-18, 25-21 win over Pitman, of Turlock, in the State championship match.
Kristen considers her physical strength to be her biggest asset.
“I feel I can hit through any block or block any opponent, no matter how big or strong they are,” Kristen said.
But Chaffins said there is a lot more to Kristen’s game, including speed, intelligence and enthusiasm.
“Of all the athletes I have coached, I am convinced that Kristen is No. 1 in overall athleticism,” Chaffins exclaimed. “She made plays that the team and I would just call ‘Kristen plays,’ plays no other athlete in the country could make. She might be No. 1 in kindness, as well,”he added.
Kristen didn’t play competitive volleyball until she was an 8th grader at Parras Middle School. At Parras, physical education teacher Maryann Davern noticed Kristen’s talent and set up a meeting with Chaffins. Hamlin soon began playing on Chaffin’s Southern California Volleyball Club team.
Kristen Hamlin is one of the top hurdlers in Southern California. Photo
“She hasn’t had as much on court time as many of the other, elite level players,” Chaffins said. “But she is such an intelligent player and so coachable that she learns quickly. She became one of the best middles in Southern California. No one had a better middle attack than we did this past year with Kristen and Abril (Bustamante).
“Coaches from opposing teams tell me how they love the way Kristen competes and her enthusiasm. When I hired Tiffany Rodriguez to help coach this year, the first thing (junior setter) Norene Losia said to Tiffany was ‘Have you met Kristen yet?’”
Kristen is a two-sport standout. She is a defending Bay League champion hurdler and runs on the Sea Hawk’s highly-touted 4×100 relay team.
“Even though we moved up to Division 1 in track this year, I think we have a great chance of winning CIF,” said Kristen. She is the fourth-ranked hurdler in the division.
Kristen will be attending Cal Poly Pomona in the fall where she will continue to compete in volleyball and track.
“I normally wouldn’t recommend an athlete play two sports in college, but I am convinced that Kristen is going to excel in both sports due to her work ethic, intelligence, competitiveness and coachability. She would make a fine coach some day, as well.”
Kristen has a 3.76 GPA and will be studying mechanical engineering at Pomona.She has no thoughts of becoming a professional athlete.
“Both of my parents are mechanical engineers so that’s my goal right now,” Kristen said. “I would also like to coach someday. I’d like to motivate kids.”
Junior Kyra Hamlin was Redondo’s leading rebounder helping the Sea Hawks win the CIF Southern Section Division 2AA crown. Photo
She said her favorite teachers at Redondo were Chaffins (Government/Economics) and long time varsity baseball head coach Tim Ammentorp (English) who incorporates sports into his lessons.
Kristen has some advice for incoming freshman student-athletes.
“Work hard in practice,” Kristen said. “But also remember to leave time for yourself. It’s difficult to be a student-athlete and easy to become overwhelmed. But the hard work has its benefits.”
Kristen said her mother Katrina Lyons has been a major influence in her life.
“She supports me in everything I do and trusts me to get my homework done. I want to make her proud,” Kristen said
“I’m so proud of the girls,” Lyons said. “It’s been a crazy year and I learned so much about sports. They kept dragging me around and I was just their driver. I was stunned when we kept winning and winning in volleyball and then turned right around and had the same thing happen in basketball.”
When the sisters were young and playing the same sports, the rivalry between them became so intense that they agreed to focus on different sports.
“I used to get so mad at her,” Kyra said. “She really pushed me and I wanted to be like her. We would compare every aspect of our lives, including who had the best GPA or test score. I’d say ‘I’m an inch taller,’ and she’d say ‘Well, I can lift more than you.’”
As a junior, Kyra is looking forward to one-upping her sister with another CIF championship next season. The 6-foot-1 forward said speed is her biggest strength on the court.
“Considering my size, I’m a lot faster than other post players,” Kyra explained. “I can make the transition much quicker, more like a guard.”
Kyra said everyone on the team was forced to step up their game after leading scorer Meghan Peneueta suffered a season-ending knee injury.
“We had focused on getting Meghan the ball,” Kyra said. “Then suddenly we’re missing 20 points a game.”
Redondo forward Kyra Hamlin displayed power and finesse in the paint. Photo
Kyra led the team with 16 points and 10 rebounds in Redondo’s 60-37 win over rival Mira Costa in the CIF Division 2AA championship game. She also had a team-high 14 points along with eight rebounds in the CIF Southern California Regional championship game where Redondo fell to top-seeded Mark Keppel 48-44.
”Kyra’s development over the past two seasons has been nothing short of remarkable,” Redondo head girls basketball coach Marcelo Enriquez said. “As a freshman, she played on our frosh/soph team. That spring I had her start working out with the varsity and she has been developing leaps and bounds.
“She was our second leading scorer and leading rebounder this year. She’s assigned to guard the best offensive post player on the opposing team.”
Kyra’s earned her All-CIF Division 2AA honors this year.
“Being named to the All-CIF team meant a lot, but I was surprised and it wouldn’t have happened without my teammates,” Kyra said. “It was not a goal of mine, but still nice that my play was noticed.”
Kyra loved playing softball at Redondo Sunset and only became serious about basketball when playing on the Parras Middle School team.
She will spend the summer with the So Cal Mustangs club basketball team.
“I’d love to play in college but I also want to go to a good school and study criminal justice,” Kyra said.
Along with her mom, Kyra said Redondo assistant coach and former Loyola Marymount University star Lynn Flanagan has been a major influence in her life.
“She has been such a great role model for me,” Kyra said. “She will always stay after practice to help me improve.”