Polo Breaking Records

The varsity girls water polo team concluded their whirlwind season on Saturday, Feb. 16. Making it all the way to The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) finals; this is the first time the team has ever done so in Dana’s history. The team was defeated 11-8 by the La Quinta Blackhawks.

Being the first time Dana has made it this far in the CIF process, the student section was full of supporters, adorned in white. The California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section (CIF-SS) was played at William Woollett Jr. Aquatic Center in Irvine.

This game comes after an amazing season by the lady dolphins, defeating schools such as Edison High School and Polytechnic School. Each game more competitive than the last, Dana played a very strong game in the CIF finals.

The game, lasting four quarters, was a test of strength for the Dana team. Both teams played strongly and competitively; the score remained very even on both sides until the remaining minutes of the game. Clever saves by senior goalkeeper Kaylynn Pierce and strategy by senior Lauren Bellavia and others allowed for each team to be kept on their toes for the entirety of the game.

Senior Julia Reznicek stated that the girls, “played up until the last second,” and that, “We felt extremely proud and happy about our efforts and for how hard we worked to make it this far.”

“It was definitely a tough loss,” expresses sophomore Kat Besanceney. “Hopefully, in the coming years, Dana will be able to make it this far again!”

Led by Head Coach Carrie Pierce, the girls “did everything they could to prepare for the game.” They kept their “nerves and composure at bay” and were able to “push to the very end.” Overall, the team’s work ethic and skill shone through at their last game of the season.“The Class of 2019 set the bar high,” expresses Pierce. They “paved that path for the future success of our program and I couldn’t be more proud as both an alumni of this program and its coach.”