By Stories of change and growth dotted the American water polo landscape as TWp’s expanding coverage of the interscholastic sport ballooned in 2012. Here we highlight a select few that stood out, straying some from our typical focus on the interscholastic game to include references to the pinnacle of our sport in an Olympic year. Surely not everything that was good or interesting about the game is included below, and your additions and comments are encouraged.
As the year ends know that TWp is grateful for your readership. Thank you for being there in 2012 and we hope to give you more in the next 12 months. And now, in some order:
The most important story in American water polo in 2012 (though only vaguely related to the interscholastic game). Maggie Steffens, barely out of high school, emerged as perhaps the only American female superstar in the world on its most deeply talented team. Her 21 goals led all scorers at the London tournament and firmly placed her in a position of leadership on the national team for the next decade.
Coach Adam Krikorian succeeded where his predecessors did not, earning the gold medal that most followers of American water polo felt it deserved since women’s Olympic water polo kicked off in 2000. His team shrugged off an embarrassing semi-final blunder in which he called for a time-out when he had no right to do so, leading to a match-tying penalty goal by the Aussies. The Yanks then outplayed their rivals in extra time to earn a spot in the championship match against the young, talented, and overmatched Spanish squad. A loss in that game would have unleashed vigorous calls for change and likely doomed Krikorian’s tenure with the national team. But they won and are now well positioned for future success with a deep pool of emerging talent.
USA Men Collapse, Finish Eighth in London
A shocking and glorious run to the gold-medal match in at the 2008 Olympics led many to believe the men were poised win it all at London. But relentless pre-Games optimism, bolstered by exhibition wins over Hungary and Croatia, proved to be misplaced as the Yanks were decisively outplayed by the same two opponents in the Olympic tournament. Once eliminated from medal contention the Americans lost twice more in desultory fashion to Spain and Australia to finish eighth.
Thus begins a giant transition in American men’s senior water polo, who lose a legendary figure in retired Coach Terry Schroeder, and a core of veteran, European-trained players. The youth movement begins in January with a new leader in interim coach Jovan Vavic, and what’s certain to be an updated roster of relatively inexperienced athletes.
Lyons Boys Set Aside Fenwick, Win First Illinois High School Championship
New blood emerged in The Prairie State as nine-time champion Fenwick was tossed aside in the York Sectional final by Lyons Township, who went on to claim its first state title with a decisive win over Loyola Academy. The Lions and Friars vied for top ranking in Illinois throughout the season and Fenwick earned the top seed in the York Sectional. But Lyons persevered and went on to capture its first state tournament title, the first time Fenwick has not won it since 2003.
Mater Dei Boys, 79 Straight Wins and Five Consecutive CIF Southern Section Championships
Santa Ana, California’s Mater Dei cemented its place in American boys’ water polo history with a fifth straight CIF Southern Section Championship, and extended its winning streak to 79 games, a section record. Not since 1953 had a team won consecutive section championships without a single loss, this in the most talent-laden water polo region in America. Dominant over the best from throughout California, many consider the team among the finest ever at the high school level, and certainly the best in the US right now.
Parkway West Wins Missouri Championship, First Title Since 1984
With a dramatic 11-10 sudden death victory over favored powerhouse St. Louis University High (SLUH), Parkway West became the first public school to win the Missouri Water Polo high school state championship since 1999. Naval Academy recruit Steven Emde paced the Longhorns with four goals in the title match against the Billikins, who had won six state championships in the past 10 years. The championship match was streamed live.
Ransom Everglades Girls Win 3rd Consecutive Florida Title, Goalie Johnson Featured in Press
Behind standout play by keeper Ashleigh Johnson Miami’s Ransom Everglades won its third straight state title with a 9-5 victory over Winter Park. The US Youth National Team member, who started for RE each of her four years, garnered outsize press coverage as the talent turned down offers to play collegiate water polo on the West Coast to attend Princeton.
USC Takes 5th Straight NCAA Championship, Vavic Takes Helm of US Men’s National Team
USA Men’s Senior National Team announced the hiring of University of Southern California men’s and women’s head coach Jovan Vavic as interim head coach on November 20. The news, which arrived only 12 days prior to the men of Troy’s run at five straight NCAA championships, did little to alter USC’s trajectory. Down for much of the championship match to a sharp UCLA squad the Trojans steadily rallied and finally overcame the Bruins with only 40 seconds remaining, 11-10.
Vavic and USC stand alone with their five consecutive NCAA championships (next best is Cal, which won three in a row twice). Fans of US water polo now hope the Montenegrin can translate his collegiate success into Olympic victory, though some insiders speculate he will embrace the interim label and turn over the team to a successor prior to to the Rio games.
Virginia Military Institute’s First Varsity Women’s Water Polo Match
Two years after announcing the Institute would sponsor a Division I women’s water polo program the VMI Keydets inaugurated their first season with a 22-6 victory over Salem International on February 21. The victory proved to be a season highlight as the team won only one other match in 2012. The squad’s creation was good news for collegiate water polo, the Mid-Atlantic region in particular, as Maryland eliminated its team in 2012.
Inspired Maryland Women Threaten in East Before Program is Eliminated
University of Maryland President Wallace Loh announced in November, 2011 that women’s water polo and seven other sports faced elimination in the face of massive budget deficits. The team was given a year to raise over $2 million for it’s own survival. But supporters could only muster a fraction of that goal. The team was cut, but not before twice beating Eastern powerhouse Michigan and losing to Princeton in a close CWPA championship match.
Since then the university has joined the Big 10 Conference in an effort to drastically increase revenues for the athletic department and President Loh has hinted at reinstating water polo, but not before 2014 and possibly later.
Strake Jesuit Boys Break Through to Win Texas High School Championship, Coach Let Go
The Crusaders from Houston ended an undefeated season with consecutive wins over St. Mark’s and Clear Creek to win their first state championship. Coach Brian Chambers, who led the team to third place in 2011, was placed in the odd position of knowing he was unlikely to be retained after the season, but pressed on to claim the TISCA title. The school now lists swim coach Kevin Kehoe as their head coach.
Division II Mercyhurst Men Roil the East
The plucky Division II Lakers punctuated a stirring Eastern collegiate season, in which several teams vied for top status, with a stunning run of success in tournament play. St. Francis’ late run to win the Eastern Championship and Bucknell’s Southern Division Title were surprising. But not nearly as much as Mercyhurst’s historic wins over Johns Hopkins and heavily favored Princeton to place themselves in the Southern Division Championship match, which earned them a spot in the Eastern Championship tournament. There they nearly upended eventual champions St. Francis in a 12-11 loss that had the Lakers ahead by four goals with 2:45 in the third quarter. Some speculate that Coach Robinette’s squad will be even stronger in 2013. But its 2012 performance stands on its own, and gives Pennsylvania water polo a well-earned boost.
Monmouth (IL) to Add Varsity Water Polo After Men Capture DIII Club Championship
A sign of hope that the sport can grow at the collegiate varsity level, especially among men, the Scots have all but announced the addition of men’s and women’s varsity water polo in 2013. This as the men’s club (with the soon-to-be retired nickname of the Crab People) captured its first ever DIII club championship. Player/Coach Tony Marino is hopeful that recent success and varsity status will attract more talent from the under-represented Chicago and St. Louis regions while some view the promotion as a model for other colleges to follow to increase the number of varsity programs.
