Sophomore Honnie Vandeweghe and junior Caroline Christl, stalwarts of Santa Margarita’s Division championship girls’ water polo team, were named Division 2 Co-Players of the Year for 2019 by the CIF-Southern Section.
Vandeweghe, a first-team selection in 2018 (and niece of former NBA star Kiki Vandeweghe), and Christl came up big in the Eagles’ D-2 championship match victory over San Clemente. Christl scored eight goals and Vandeweghe tallied four in the 18-12 triumph.
The duo are the fourth and fifth Santa Margarita players selected for the top individual award. Haley Wan was a two-time Player of the Year (2013 and 2014), and Kristina Kunkel was the first Eagle selected (2002).
Earning first team All-CIF honors from the Eagles were senior Ava Perkins and junior Savannah Burns, while Brian Weathersby was named Coach of the Year. The All-CIF teams, as well as POY and COY awards, were selected by the Southern California Water Polo Coaches’ Assn. and presented by the LA84 Foundation.
In Division 6, three seniors of Villanova Prep’s squad that freached the D-6 CIF-SS semifinals earned first team selections: Kyla Lenehan, Lyla Moes 12 and Jillian Diaz, with Lenehan and Moes having been named to the D-7 team in 2018.
Named to the Division 1 first team was senior Hannah Constandse of Mater Dei.
Mike Nelson is the former editor of The Tidings (predecessor of Angelus News).
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