Women’s Water Polo Team Swims to Nationals

For the first time ever, the women on Carleton’s Water Polo Team won their regional tournament and earned a chance to vie for the national championship. This Carleton team is the best since water polo came to Carleton as a club sport in 2000. Although competitive in its division before, the team had never previously won the regional title.

Their winning match at regionals came against perennial rival Grinnell, with whom Carleton always enjoys an avid but friendly competition, says senior captain Sarah Mawhorter (Claremont, Calif.), adding “It was one of the best games I’ve ever played.”

At the national tournament in Chicago, Carleton competed against club teams from 15 other institutions, many of them large universities. Although they were unable to pull off a win, Mawhorter was proud of her team for competing at such a high level.

This accomplishment is even more impressive considering the team’s modest roots. Just a few years ago, Carleton could barely come up with the 7 players required for a team, whereas 13 girls headed to Chicago last weekend. Even more surprisingly, many team members had never previously participated in a water sport. “That’s one of the things I’m really proud of,” says Mawhorter.

To add to their challenges, the team has no official coach. Mawhorter and senior captain Ethan Mooar (Philadelphia) serve as de facto coaches for the women’s and men’s squads, respectively, assisted by other experienced players. This creates a strong dynamic of team unity, which manifests itself in matches. “We play really well together as a team,” says Mawhorter. “Without that, we’d have never made it to nationals