Card is All-CIF honoree

BURBANK HIGH — Jordan Card has definitely stayed busy with her athletic endeavors during her senior year at Burbank High.

Currently, she is competing for the Bulldogs girls’ swim team, as well as the girls’ track and field squad.

In the fall, she tried her hand on the links with the Burbank girls’ golf team.

However, it is in water polo that Card has been able to make her biggest splash. Despite the rigors of spending much of her time competing in athletics this school season, Card wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I like being active mostly,” Card said. “When I do have time when I don’t play sports, sometimes I don’t know what to do with myself. I like to always be doing something.”

Card put together a record-breaking campaign during the water polo season. For her efforts, the senior was named to the Division V All-CIF third team.

Card is just the sixth Burbank girls’ polo player to earn All-CIF accolades, as she joins Catalina Casas (third team; 2005), LaChee Singleton (third; 2007), Alex O’Connor (first; 2009), Amberlynn Ullo (second; 2009), Arpi Khanpapyan (third; 2009) and Sara Puranan (third; 2009).

During her senior year, Card was a versatile threat for the Bulldogs. Along with her abilities as a scorer, she also played lock-down defense, and was usually assigned to the opponent’s best offensive player.

Card scored 132 goals, setting a new-single season mark. She broke the previous record of 124 set by Casas in 2005. In addition, Card collected 68 steals and had 22 assists and 15 blocks.

She already set the Burbank career goals mark last season after tallying 99 as a junior.

Along with warning All-CIF honors, Card was also named the Pacific League Player of the Year this season.

Card said she was aware that she was close to the season-goals record during the year, but put most of her focus in winning matches for Burbank.

“I knew what the record was in the back of my mind, but I wasn’t really aiming for it,” she said.

And what did she think about being named the league’s player of the year?

“It was indescribable, I guess. It was just a really good feeling,” she said.

Under Coach Carlos Pelayo, Burbank (19-8) put a scare into league-champion Crescenta Valley in the Pacific League Tournament, falling to the Falcons, 10-9, in a semifinal match.

“Along with her offense, Jordan is just such a great defender,” said Pelayo, who was named the league’s coach of the year. “She just did a much better job this season at being a complete player. She really got her teammates involved. I think she’s put up some numbers that aren’t going to be touched for awhile.”

Card definitely leaves her imprint on Burbank girls’ water polo. Along with her statistics, she also helped the Bulldogs win their first-ever league championship in 2009.

“Jordan, along with [goalkeeper] Sarah [Tubert] were two key players on that league-championship team,” Pelayo said. “If we don’t have those two players, we don’t win a championship.”