Santa Barbara’s 14U girls team took sixth place at USA Water Polo’s Champions Cup in Shenandoah, Texas over the weekend.
On Saturday, after advancing second out of their bracket, SBAC collided with a strong Commerce team, losing 13-9. They then defeated Chicago in a nail biter 6-5. Santa Barbara met San Diego in the 5th place game on Sunday and lost a close contest 7-4.
A narrow defeat on day one of the Champion’s Cup kept Santa Barbara out of the medal games for the first time in club history. The girls gained valuable experience playing against the top teams from across the U.S. Santa Barbara fielded the tournament’s youngest team and will return a full squad in 2011.
SBAC veterans Megan Bergthold, Morgan Towner, Riley Heiduk, Kelsey Gellert, Jenna Phraener, and Jordan Williams will now lead the 14’s in the upcoming Winterfest, San Diego Cup, National Club Championships, and Junior Olympics. Jessie Brummett (“JB”), Jessie Ransone (“JR”), Brittany Prentice, Paige Hauschild, Ryann Neushul, and Christina Garcia gained valuable experience and will have another shot at the Champions Cup if Santa Barbara can qualify in 2012.
Riley Heiduk received the Maureen O’Toole sportsmanship award. O’Toole, the most distinguished women’s water polo player in US history, was in Texas to present the award in person.
For the fifth year in a row, Santa Barbara fell short of grasping the Champion’s Cup. This is the only championship that has eluded SBAC. Coaches and players will have to wait another year to see if Santa Barbara can drink from the cup.
