RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - Pat Lashinsky has been a trailblazer since his days at Cordova High School, where he made record-setting plays as a punter/defensive back for the Lancers’ varsity football team. His play on the field, along with an impressive professional career after football, have earned him his latest accolade, as he was recently named to Cordova Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024.

Lashinsky, 57, played under legendary head coach Max Miller during his time at Cordova. In his senior season in 1984, Lashinsky snatched a school record six interceptions while playing all four positions in the secondary for a team that would go on to be Metro League champions. One of those interceptions would be returned for a state record 100 yards in a 25-6 victory against McClatchy.

Those accomplishments are nothing to scoff at. But for Lashinsky, the honor of being named to the Rancho Cordova Sports Hall of Fame has a deeper meaning.

“I’m incredibly humbled and honored by it,” he said. “It’s really surprising and fantastic. It’s particularly moving to me because my dad (Joseph Lashinsky) was inducted last year. To be joining him after he just passed away the year before just feels like an extra incredible honor to be given and makes it extra meaningful to me.”

After graduating from Cordova with the Class of 1985, Lashinsky attended Cal Berkeley where he played football for two seasons before injuries cut his gridiron dreams short. He would then go on to earn his master’s in business administration from UCLA, but that was just the beginning. As a product and technology innovator in his post-athletic endeavors, Lashinsky was credited as the creator of the popular portable food product “Go-Gurt” during his time working with General Mills. He has also been the CEO of multiple companies including ZipRealty, which is known as the first to list homes for sale online.

Lashinsky credits his time playing football at Cordova for being the springboard for the success he has enjoyed as a professional. “We won because we put in the hard work and it was about effort,” he said. “There was an expectation of greatness that was expected. That was something that was built-in from the first day you got on campus, the first day you started practicing, and the first day you started doing ‘We Are Big Red.’ There was an expectation of excellence. It’s carried through to the rest of my life. That’s an expectation you have to set with people and build.”

The Rancho Cordova Sports Hall of Fame ceremony is being held at 6 p.m. Sept. 14 at Rancho Cordova City Hall. Tickets to the event can be purchased online for $30 at this link: https://form.jotform.com/cordovacouncil/rcaa-reception-tickets-2024.

 Pat Lashinsky, 57, played under legendary head coach Max Miller during his time at Cordova. Photo courtesy of Rancho Cordova Sports Hall of Fame