Bay Area water polo primer — top boys and girls players, teams, storylines

Water polo is alive and well in the Bay Area.

And the prep polo scene that has birthed many an Olympian contains a number of strong teams again this season. A region that stocked the Northern California regional championships last season is chock full of contenders once again this year.

With the season a few weeks in, it’s time to take a look at what the Bay Area polo community has to look forward to this year.

Regional powers reign

On average, the East Bay has pumped out the best water polo teams in Northern California for some time. By and large, that should continue this season.

Miramonte, Campolindo and Acalanes should be major factors in the deciding of the NorCal regional championships at the end of this fall. Miramonte is the reigning Division I girls champion and was the runner up in the boys Division I final.

• WATER POLO RANKINGS: Bay Area News Group boys, girls Top 10

De La Salle entered the inaugural Bay Area News Group boys rankings at No. 3 and moved up to No. 2 after a 12-7 win over Miramonte. Campolindo sits at No. 4 in the latest boys rankings after a big win over Bellarmine, and the Cougars’ girls are squarely in the top three.

But don’t forget about Sacred Heart Prep in Atherton. The Gators are the defending champions in the NorCal Division I boys tournament, and the SHP girls rose to No. 1 in this week’s rankings with a 13-7 win over previous No. 1 Miramonte.

Several teams will have a shot at section and regional glory, though. After all, the same day the latest rankings were released, Miramonte’s girls team avenged its defeat with a 11-8 road victory over the Gators.

Fierce competition isn’t just limited to likely NorCal Division I selections. 

Division I was flooded with Bay Area teams last season, as Miramonte, Campolindo, Sacred Heart Prep and Acalanes comprised four of the top five seeds in the girls bracket. All four advanced to the regional semifinals, with No. 5 Acalanes upsetting No. 4 Soquel 9-7 to get there.

But Carondelet was seeded sixth and gave Sacred Heart Prep all it could handle, losing 6-5 in the Division I quarterfinals. Archbishop Mitty entered the Division III field as the top seed before losing in the semifinals. And perennial South Bay power Leland took down Clovis North 16-10 to win the Division II championship.

It was more of the same on the boys side. All four of the top NorCal Division I teams hailed from the Bay Area, and all advanced to the Division I semis. Los Gatos and St. Francis were seeded fifth and sixth.

In Division II, Campolindo cruised to the title, winning its matches 14-9, 14-4 and 14-12. Mitty was the No. 2 seed in the Division III bracket and advanced to the semifinals, while No. 5 Piedmont gave Ponderosa a tight game in a 10-8 quarterfinal loss.

Key players to watch

It’s still early, but several Bay Area water polo players are making their mark. A number have already invaded the Bay Area News Group athlete of the week polls with sterling individual performances. 

In this week’s edition, Maxwell Buran, Jace Cleghorn and Andrew Limawan were featured on the boys side. 

Buran, from Leland, scored 36 goals over a six-game span. Liberty’s Cleghorn had 12 goals, six assists and four steals in a pair of contests. And Dougherty Valley’s Limawan netted four goals in a 16-6 win over Pittsburg.

On the girls side, Pittsburg’s Yesenia Moffett was one of the top contenders for athlete of the week after posting 15 goals, five assists and a steal at the Sierra Shootout Water Polo Tournament. Notre Dame-Belmont’s Samantha Gould was nominated after stopping 20 shots on goal against Burlingame.

A litany of stars returned from last year’s top squads. In the West Catholic Athletic League, the Sacred Heart Prep boys return first-team junior 2-meter Oliver Marcin and junior driver Andrew Spencer. St. Ignatius brings back senior 2-meter Gigo Sarimsakci, and Mitty returns junior attacker Tucker Gavin.

On the girls side, SHP returns 2023 WCAL first-team senior drivers Natalia Szczerba and Megan Newby and utility Vivian Golub. SI brings back senior first-team attacker Anya Frey and senior center defender Eliza Harlow. St. Francis returns senior driver Anna Fazioli, and Valley Christian brings back senior utility Grace Herrin.

In the Diablo Athletic League Foothill Division, the Miramonte boys return senior first-teamers Patrick Stice and Griff Tunney, plus junior first-teamer Tristan Tucker. Campolindo brings back first-team players Dylan King and Hayden O’Hare. 

The Campolindo girls return DAL Foothill outstanding goalie junior Sydney Kring, plus a first-teamer in senior Ainsley Hogan. Acalanes also brings back a 2023 first-teamer in junior Ella Del Rosario. Miramonte returns senior first-teamers Ali Sagara and Alley Larsen.

The Leland girls return sophomore utility Chrissy Flynn, who was named the Blossom Valley Athletic League Mt. Hamilton Division’s co-most valuable player. Amador Valley’s senior duo of Bryce O’Nesky and Landon Kenney forms a potent one-two punch for the Dons, and both players are receiving interest from college programs in the Bay Area and across the country.

We want to hear from you

As the Bay Area News Group broadens its water polo coverage this season, we want to hear from our audience. We want to know the key storylines and big performances that you want to see covered. Please reach out to us at highschools@bayareanewsgroup.com with story tips, scores, stats and feedback, as well as to submit nominees for athletes of the week. 

Athlete of the week nominations are due by 11 a.m. on Monday for competition taking place from the previous Monday through Saturday.

We will also be checking MaxPreps regularly for scores and statistics. Boys and girls top 10 rankings will publish every Tuesday throughout the season.