Underclasswomenrnruled the pool in 2018, as freshman Emily Suong of Notre Dame in Sherman Oaksrnand sophomore Reagan Whitney of Marymount in Westwood were selected as CIF-SoutheSection Girls’ Water Polo Players of the Year in their respective divisions.
NotrernDame’s Suong collected three goals (including the game winner with 45 secondsrnremaining), plus two assists and five steals in the Knights’ 9-8 Division 5rnchampionship match victory over Downey, and earned SoCal Prep Legends GirlsrnAthlete of the Week honors.
Marymount’srnWhitney tallied four goals and two steals in the Sailors’ 8-2 Division 7 titlerngame win over Los Amigos, and is among the top young water polo players in thernU.S. She also plays for the Bruin Water Polo Club, while Suong is part of thernRose Bowl Aquatic Club team.
Honoredrnas Coaches of the Year were Notre Dame’s John Hirn and Marymount’s Kate Bradleyrnand Nick Amstutz, for guiding their squads to CIF titles, the first in girls’rnwater polo for each school (both of which play in the tough Mission League).
Inrnall, nine of the 14 players from Catholic high schools who made All-CIF firstrnteams in were either freshman, sophomores or juniors. Among the five seniors,rntwo — Bella Baia andi Grace Thawley of Mater Dei, in Division 1 — were repeatrnselections from 2017.
Thesernawards, and the All-CIF teams, were announced March 19 by the LA84 Foundationrnand selected by the Southern California Water Polo Coaches’ Association. Thernfirst, second and third team All-CIF-SS selections, by division:
· D-1 First Team:rnSeniors Bella Baia andi Grace Thawley, Mater Dei. Second Team: HannahrnConstandse, and Tea Poljak, Mater Dei. Third Team: Brooke Banta and NicolernKresich, Mater Dei.
· D-2 First Team:rnSenior Christina Doherty and freshman Honnie Vandeweghe, Santa Margarita.rnSecond Team: Alexis Kieckhafer, Santa Margarita. Third Team: Ava Perkins andrnJessica Leckich, Santa Margarita.
· D3 First Team:rnFreshman Bianca Becerra, Rosary. Second Team: Georgia Vargas and Lauren Tapia,rnRosary. Third Team: Mia Solarzano, Amelia Gonzalez and Catherine Walswick,rnRosary.
¬∑ D-4 First Team:rnFreshman Anaiah Lightner, St. Lucy’s Priory. Second Team: Sienna Jagielski, St.rnLucy’s. Third Team: Casey Coppock, St. Lucy’s.
· D-5 First Team:rnSophomores CJ Bradley and Taylor Enright, Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks. Second Team:rnGeorgia Moran, Notre Dame/SO. Third Team: Carmela Evashchen, Notre Dame/SO.
· D-7 First Team:rnSenior Grace Allegrette, junior Anna Fotinich and sophomore Sophie Wazzan,rnMarymount; senior Taylor Johnson and juniors Kyla Lenehan and Lyla Moes,rnVillanova Prep. Second Team: Miranda Moon, and Lizzie Rielly, Marymount;rnYasmine Behrens, Pomona Catholic; Jillian Diaz and Keegan Reeder, Villanova.rnThird Team: Mya Rodriguez, Pomona Catholic; Dana Gramckow, Villanova.