Santa Barbara will be well represented at the NCAA Division 1 Women's Water Polo Championships in Ann Arbor, Michigan next week.

A total of 16 women from Santa Barbara, San Marcos and Dos Pueblos high schools are represented on five of the nine participating teams, and all 16 played their club water polo for the Santa Barbara 805 Club.

"We are incredibly proud of all of our alumni," said Connor Levoff, director of the 805 Water Polo Club. "These women were able to navigate playing a sport they love, at this level, through a pandemic. A great part of what we do is watching our youth athletes develop into adults. Every class that graduates, leaves a legacy for the next class to build on.

"These athletes have taken that challenge with confidence and strength. We could not be more proud of them. They are an inspiration for our current kids to keep improving and pushing through. It’s always great watching them compete and supporting them wherever they are in life."

San Marcos has the largest contingent of local high school alumna with eight, Dos Pueblos is next with five and Santa Barbara High has three.

DP graduate Ryann Neushul and former Charger Jewel Roemer play for top-seeded Stanford (22-2), which beat USC, 11-9, in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament championship game last Sunday. Neushul scored four goals and was named to the all-tournament team.

The other DP alums include Abbi Hill at No. 3 seed UCLA and sisters Toni and Sabina Shackelford at Big West champion UC Irvine.

From San Marcos, Olympic water polo gold medalist Paige Hauschild and Hannah Meyer play for second-seeded USC. Hauschild scored four goals in the MPSF final and was named all-tournament.

The other NCAA tourney-bound Royals are Fiona Kuesis, Claire Kronen and Cassidy Miller of fourth-seeded UCLA, Piper Smith and Chloe Spievak of Big West champion UC Irvine, and Megan Musick of No. 3 seed Cal. They all played for coach Chuckie Roth.

Santa Barbara High is represented by Abigail Hendrix (USC), Grace Raisin (Cal) and Faith Tedesco (UC Irvine). They played for coach Mark Walsh.

The NCAA Tournament begins May 4 with a play-in game between Wagner (34-3) and Salem (18-15). The winner plays No. 1 Stanford on May 6. 

Rounding out the bracket will be UCLA (22-5) taking on UC Irvine (22-6) in Game 2, USC (18-3) competing against Fresno St. (19-7) in Game 3 and California (16-5) facing Michigan (26-8) in Game 4.

The first round and semifinal games will be streamed on ncaa.com. The national championship will take place at 1 p.m. Sunday, May 8, on ESPNU. 

A local player is also competing in the NCAA Division 3 Tournament. San Marcos alum and 805 WPC member Zosia Amberger is playing for Pomona Pitzer, which won its conference tournament title to earn a spot in the Collegiate Water Polo Division III National Championships on Saturday, May 7 at Pomona.

 

Local Players in the NCAA Div. 1 & Div. 3 Women's Water Polo Tournament

 

Paige Hauschild (805/SM/USC)

Abigail Hendrix (805/SB/USC)

Hannah Meyer (805/SM/ USC)

Ryann Neushul (805/DP/Stanford)

Jewel Roemer (805/DP/Stanford)

Abbi Hill (805/DP/UCLA)

Cassidy Miller (805/SM/UCLA)

Claire Kronen (805/SM/UCLA)

Fiona Kuesis (805/SM/UCLA) 

Grace Raisin (805/SB/Cal)

Megan Musick (805/SM/Cal) 

Toni Shackelford (805/DP/UCI)

Sabina Shackelford (805/DP/UCI)

Piper Smith (805/SM/UCI)

Faith Tedesco (805/SB/UCI)

Chloe Spievak (805/SM/UCI)

 

Division 3 Championships

Zosia Amberger (805/SM/Pomona Pitzer)

 

805 Players Who Participated in League Championships But Did Not Qualify for NCAAs

 

Olivia Kistler (805/DP/Hawaii)

Kelly Meckelborg (805/DP/Hawaii)

Annie Ackert (805/Santa Ynez /SBCC/Hawaii)

Mary Rhodes (805/Atascadero/UC Davis)

Anna Cable (805/DP/UC Davis)

Szamira Koppány (805/Ơbudai, Hungary/UOP)

Ella Prentice (805/SM/Harvard)

Bella Godlis (805/DP/Brown)

JuJu Amaral (805/SB/UCSB)

Sarah Owens (805/SM/UCSB)

Bella Obando (805/SB/Loyola Marymount University)

Elise Power (805/SB/Claremont Mudd Scripps)

Shannon Connolly (805/DP/Marist)

Mackenzie Greco (805/Marist)

Kayla Peacock (805/DP/UC San Diego)

Chloe Pena (805/DP/UC San Diego)

Caroline Courtois (805/SM/UC San Diego)

Sydney Klakeg (805/Choate Rosemary Hall/Gannon)