Sedona Sweginnis | Newsroom Manager & Head Editor
February 20, 2025
San Clemente High School Girls Water Polo is set to play against Foothill tomorrow, February 21st, at Mt. SAC College in the CIF Southern Section Division I championship game. San Clemente Girls Water Polo has always been a dominant force in the pool, but this year the team has truly demonstrated just how successful they can be.
Since early December, the Lady Tritons have been challenging themselves against difficult opponents and putting in the work to improve as a team. Throughout this entire winter season, the team has earned an incredible 21-8 record against some of the top teams in the nation, demonstrating the remarkable skill and teamwork that this team possesses. After going undefeated for the duration of their eight games in one of the most competitive leagues in the nation, this talented team earned their tenth South Coast League title, securing a well-deserved spot in the CIF-SS playoffs.
In the CIF games leading up to tomorrow’s final match-up, the Tritons have earned a string of decisive victories. In the first round, they dominated against Huntington Beach, coming away with an impressive 14-6 win. From there, the Tritons defeated the Big VIII League Champions, Santiago, who held an impressive 28-4 overall record this winter season. After emerging triumphant from their quarter final game against Santiago, they went on to conquer their semi-finals opponent Agoura, who had maintained a similar 23-8 record, to punch their ticket to the CIF-SS Finals tomorrow.
Junior Kaitlyn Cook, who was member of the 2024 state-winning team her freshman year, expressed that “this season has been so much fun” and that she is very proud of the fact that “the team really learned how to work well together,” allowing them to achieve “the big wins when [they] needed them most.” Cook noted that they are “ready for finals this Saturday,” as they have been “practicing all season for this game,” and she is very thankful for “a super exciting season” this year “with such great teammates.”
Currently ranked 5th in the nation according to MaxPreps, the San Clemente Girls Water Polo truly has worked hard throughout the regular and post season to earn their spot in the CIF finals game, giving them an excellent chance of becoming CIF champions once again. They are set to face off against Foothill, ranked 8th in the nation by MaxPreps, tomorrow in the gold medal match. Foothill was also the undefeated champion of their league and currently holds a 18-11 record moving into tomorrow. Although the Tritons fell to Foothill back in early December, the team has grown throughout the season and has proven their dominance in the sport against high level opponents leading up to the finals.
Junior Hazel Thrash is very optimistic for tomorrow’s game, as she exclaimed that she is “so proud of [her] teammates for working” incredibly hard “to get to where [they] are.” All of their hard work and success this season make Thrash “really excited for the finals,” affirming that “it’s [theirs] to win!”
Additionally, the team only has four seniors, meaning that the team can continue to build off this year with many of the same players as they look to continue their legacy of success in the coming years. With such a young team, San Clemente is sure to come off this extremely successful season even stronger and more united, promising an incredibly exciting next year for the program.
Make sure to cheer on our Tritons tomorrow at 5pm at Mt. SAC as they go for another CIF-SS championship title, and keep an eye out for the future success of this incredible team!
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