2015 Awards
- 2015 GHSWPA All-Star Teams (D1/2/3/Girls)
- 2015 All-GHSWPA Division 1 Team
- 2015 All-GHSWPA Division 2 Team
- 2015 All-GHSWPA Division 3 Team
- 2015 All-GHSWPA Girls Team
- 2015 Boys State Champion: Blue Devil A
- 2015 Girls State Champion: APS
- 2015 Division 1 Most Valuable Player of the Year: Michael Rojas, Collins Hill A
- 2015 Division 1 Goalies of the Year:
- Garrett Bruce, Norcross Blue Devil A
- Max Johnson, Collins Hill A
- 2015 Division 1 Coach of the Year: Andy Neff, Lakeside A
- 2015 Division 2 Most Valuable Player of the Year: Colin Forsyth, APS Knights A
- 2015 Division 2 Goalie of the Year: Mack Hodges, APS Knights A
- 2015 Division 2 Coach of the Year: Stu Sheldon, APS Knights A
- 2015 Division 3 Most Valuable Player of the Year: Coleman Ehrlich, Collins Hill B
- 2015 Division 3 Goalie of the Year: Noah Fleece, Collins Hill B
- 2015 Division 3 Coach of the Year: Lauren Hall, Cambridge
- 2015 Girls Most Valuable Player of the Year: Ciara Sadaka, APS Knights
- 2015 Girls Goalie of the Year: Sara Goldstein, Lakeside
- 2015 Girls Coach of the Year: Andy Neff, Lakeside
2015 Standings – Division 1 (final)
| Final Standing | Division Standing | Team | Division Record | GHSWPA Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Blue Devil A | 9 – 3 (0.750) | 16 – 3 |
| 2 | 1 | Collins Hill A | 12 – 0 (1.000) | 19 – 1 |
| 3 | 3 | SPX A | 9 – 3 (0.750) | 17 – 4 |
| 4 | T4 | Lakeside A | 5 – 7 (0.417) | 12 – 9 |
| T5 | T4 | Southern Crescent | 5 – 7 (0.417) | 12 – 9 |
| T5 | 6 | Pace | 2 – 10 (0.167) | 9 – 12 |
| T9 | 7 | North Springs | 0 – 12 (0.000) | 3 – 16 |
2015 Standings – Division 2 (final)
| Final Standing | Division Standing | Team | Division Record | GHSWPA Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T7 | 2 | GAC | 10 – 2 (.833) | 12 – 8 |
| T7 | 3 | Dalton | 9 – 3 (0.750) | 11 – 9 |
| T9 | 1 | APS Knights A | 11 – 1 (.917) | 13 – 6 |
| T9 | 4 | SPX B | 5 – 6 – 1 (0.458) | 6 – 11 – 1 |
| T9 | 5 | Blue Devil B | 3 – 9 (0.250) | 4 – 15 |
| T13 | 6 | Wildcats | 2 – 9 – 1 (0.208) | 3 – 14 – 1 |
| T13 | 7 | Pope | 1 – 11 (0.091) | 1 – 17 |
2015 Standings – Division 3 (final)
| Final Standing | Division Standing | Team | Division Record | GHSWPA Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T13, D3-1 | 1 | Wesleyan | 16 – 0 (1.000) | 16 – 2 |
| T13, D3-2 | 2 | Collins Hill B | 13 – 4 (0.764) | 13 – 6 |
| D3-3 | 3 | Lakeside B | 11 – 8 (0.579) | 11 – 8 |
| D3-4 | T5 | SPX C | 4 – 14 (0.222) | 4 – 14 |
| D3-5 | 4 | APS Knights B | 5 – 12 (0.294) | 5 – 12 |
| D3-6 | T5 | Cambridge | 3 – 14 (0.176) | 3 – 14 |
2015 Standings – Girls (final)
| Final Standing | Division Standing | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | APS Knights | 14 – 0 (1.000) |
| 2 | 3 | Collins Hill | 8 – 6 (0.571) |
| 3 | 2 | Lakeside | 10 – 5 (0.667) |
| 4 | 4 | North | 3 – 12 (0.200) |
| 5 | 5 | Pope | 1 – 13 (0.071) |
2015 Results
2015 News
12/19/15: With the 2015 fiscal year coming to a close, please consider a tax-deductible donation to the GHSWPA, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Every dollar donated goes toward providing water polo opportunities for high school athletes in the state of Georgia. Our current needs include an additional portable shot clock and scoring system, funding towards referee recruitment and training, and start-up resources needed for new clubs in order to sustainably grow the league. We appreciate your support and look forward to another successful year in 2016!
11/30/15: Information for the 2015 Orlando Holiday Water Polo Camp has been released. The cost per camper is $495 and if you mention you are from the GHSWPA, the late fee will be waived! There are still spots available.
Camp dates are December 27th – 31st, 2015: 9a – 3p for 12/27 – 12/30, and 9a – 12p for 12/31. For those campers that need housing or daily transportation to the pool, please contact camp coordinators as they will assist you with the necessary arrangements. Note that accomodation and transportation fees are not included in the camp registration fee.
10/27/15: Congratulations to the student-athletes named to the 2015 All-GHSWPA Division 1 Team, and to those who earned individual awards!
10/27/15: Congratulations to the student-athletes named to the 2015 All-GHSWPA Division 2 Team, and to those who earned individual awards!
10/26/15: Congratulations to the student-athletes named to the 2015 All-GHSWPA Division 3 Team, and to those who earned individual awards!
10/26/15: Congratulations to the student-athletes named to the 2015 All-GHSWPA Girls Team, and to those who earned individual awards!
10/21/15: Reminder: 2015 post-season meeting, and D1 / D2 award-vote meetings, Saturday morning, 10/24 at GAC, starting at 9:00a.
10/18/15: Congratulations again to the student-athletes named as an All-Star for the 2015 GHSWPA season ! See below for team pictures from yesterday’s All-Star Games:
10/18/15: The 2015 CWPA Southeast Division Championship was held at Emory University on October 17th/18th. Towards the end of the tournament, players who had previously competed within the Georgia High School Water Polo Association (GHSWPA) posed for a group picture. This picture is a reminder of the impact that the GHSWPA is having on the larger game, and serves as encouragement to all the graduating seniors to keep playing at the next level.
Please refer to the 2015 CWPA Southeast Division website for final tournament results.
10/15/15: Reminder: Middle School Expo / Game this Saturday at 12:00n at GAC! It is free to the public for any middle-school-aged athlete who wants to try water polo! Get a chance to get in the water, pass, shoot, learn from coaches… simply show up at the GAC Aquatic Center to participate!
10/14/14: Congratulations to those student-athletes named as an All-Star for the 2015 GHSWPA season! We look forward to watching you in the water at the All-Star games this Saturday!
The All-Star games are the league’s annual celebration for completing another successful season. Please join us this Saturday afternoon, October 17th, at the GAC Aquatic Center as we think back on another oustanding year!
10/14/15: A detailed writeup, with action photos, of the 2015 GHSWPA championship final has been posted by American Water Polo.
10/13/15: The final league standings for the 2015 season have been posted.
10/11/15: Blue Devil A defeats Collins Hill A, 8 – 5, in the championship final to take the 2015 GHSWPA State Championship title! SPX A tops Lakeside A for 3rd place. Congratulations Blue Devil A, and congratulations to all GHSWPA participants on a successful 2015 season!
10/10/15: Results from Day 1 of the 2015 GHSWPA State Championship have been posted! Collins Hill A, Lakeside A, Blue Devil A and SPX A have advanced to the semi-finals, which will take place concurrently at 11:00a on Sunday. The state championship final will be played later in the afternoon at 4:00p, with the 3rd place game being played immediately before at 3:00p. Good to luck to all remaining teams!
2015 GHSWPA State Championship tournament. Photo credit: Shannon Davis (visual64.com)
10/6/15: The seedings, bracket and schedule for the 2015 GHSWPA State Championship have been released! Games run on Saturday, October 10th, from 8:00a to 5:00p, and resume on Sunday morning, October 11th at 9:00a. The 3rd-place game will take place at 3:00p on Sunday, with the championship game to follow at 4:00p.
Admissions for the State Championship is $10/day unless a wristband was preordered. As a reminder, please keep wristbands for access for both days. Good luck to all participating teams!
10/4/15: Congratulations to the 2015 GHSWPA Division 1/2/3/Girls Champions!
Division 1: Collins Hill A
Division 2: APS Knights A
Division 3: Welseyan
Girls: APS Knights
10/4/15: Game scores and updated league standings through October 4th have been posted.
10/4/15: Congratulations to APS Knights for winning the 2015 GHSWPA Girls State Championship! APS claimed the title over Collins Hill 6 – 5 in a thrilling final game. Lakeside defeated North 15 – 8 in the 3rd-place game.
Please refer to the Girls State Championship bracket for all game results. The final Girls Division Standings for the season have been posted. Congratulations APS Knights, and congratulations to all Girls Division participants on a successful 2015 season!
10/3/15: Congratulations to Wesleyan for winning the 2015 GHSWPA Division 3 Championship! Wesleyan topped Collins Hill B 16 – 8 in the championship final. Per their top-two finishes in Division 3, both Wesleyan and Collins Hill B advance to the 2015 GHSWPA State Championship next weekend. Lakeside B defeated SPX C 9 – 8 in the 3rd-place game.
Please refer to the Division 3 Championship bracket for all game results. The Division 3 Standings for the season have been updated. Congratulations Wesleyan, and congratulations to all Division 3 participants on a successful 2015 season!
9/30/15: The bracket, schedule and seedings for the 2015 GHSWPA Division 3 Championship and for the 2015 GHSWPA Girls State Championship have been released! Good luck to all participating teams!
9/30/15: Please take a moment to congratulate the GHSWPA student-athletes who were honored as 2014-15 American Water Polo Scholar-Athletes!
- Alpharetta: Perry Brandes
- Cambridge: Darby Goodyear, Jason Yang
- Collins Hill: Evan Kellams, Kaitlyn Torrez, Philip Jenny, Maxwell Johnson, Michael Hall, Madison Helmick
- Dalton: Tanner Thomas, Eli Hasselberg
- Grady: Gregory Fedorov, Mack Hodges, Sloan Hodges
- Lakeside: Alejandro Nunez, Charles Cardot, Christopher Swahn, Max Adelman, Max Ware, Philip Li, Renee Rizzo, Tensaye Taye, Glenn Wikle, Timmy Uher, Will Buxton, Spencer Tomlinson, Will Secor
- Norcross: Blake Ryland, Jack Einig, Jake Einig
- North Springs Charter: Kevin Hopper, Alex Moses, Charles Plumly
- Pace: Mitchell Zwecker, Joseph Loughran, Avery Herman, Ciara Sadaka
- St. Pius X: Jordan Chatfield, Ben Steinberg, Daniel Figiel
- Westminster: Kellson Tucker
- Woodward: George Kimbrough
9/28/15: GHSWPA Action Co-Photos of the Week: [submit other action photos]
win over Collins Hill to help complete the APS Knights undefeated
2015 regular season. Photo credit: T.W. Robinson
scorers with four goals during last week’s 7 – 5
win over SPX A at Wesleyan
9/27/15: Game scores and updated league standings through September 27th have been posted.
9/22/15: GHSWPA Action Co-Photos of the Week: [submit other action photos]
assistant coach. Photo credit: Jeff Wheeler
against GAC. Photo credit: Laurie Moses
9/21/15: Game scores and updated league standings through September 20th have been posted.
9/18/15: Wildcat coach, Owen Sweitzer, introduced water polo to the Atlanta Swim Academy’s Bronze Group in Cobb County. Check out the full photo set via ASA’s Facebook page.
9/17/15: GHSWPA Action Co-Photos of the Week: [submit other action photos]
Knights defender as her shot makes its way towards goal
photo credit: Kevin Winkler
game while Coach Schreer talks strategy
photo credit: Kevin Winkler
9/15/15: Game scores and updated league standings through September 13th have been posted.
9/11/15: The apparel artwork for the 2015 GHSWPA state championships has been released! Contact your team rep or coach to place your order by September 21st!
9/9/15: GHSWPA Action Photo of the Week: [submit other action photos]
on August 23rd; Pius won the game 11 – 10 in overtime
9/4/15: Congratulations to Carolina Benoit (St. Pius / Lakeside / GHSWPA), Sloan Hodges (Grady High School / APS Knights / Miami Riptides Water Polo) and Ciara Sadaka (Pace Academy / APS Knights / Scots Water Polo) for being named as a USA Water Polo 2014-2015 Academic All-American!
9/4/15: Game scores and updated league standings through September 6th have been posted.
9/2/15: The 2015-16 USA Water Polo Southeast Zone ODP Tryout / Camp for Atlanta-area athletes will be on Sunday, October 18th, from 9:00a to 5:00p, at a pool site to be determined. The event is limited to 100 athletes via preregistration only. Walk-up registration will not be allowed. Reserve your first-come-first-serve spot today.
9/1/15: GHSWPA Action Co-Photos of the Week: [submit other action photos]
photo credit: Shannon Davis
8/31/15: Game scores and updated league standings through August 30th have been posted.
8/30/15: Congratulations to Collins Hill for winning the 2015 PowerBar Cup championship! They defeated Blue Devil 8 – 7 in overtime in the tournament final:
8/26/15: GHSWPA Action Photo of the Week:
8/24/15: Game scores and updated league standings through August 23rd have been posted.
8/22/15: Thank you to Coach Watson (Southern Crescent) and Coach Jenny (Collins Hill) for their time and energy at this weekend’s GHSWPA Middle School Water Polo Expo!
8/20/15: GHSWPA Action Photo of the Week:
at the Cumming Aquatic Center [submit other action photos]
8/17/15: Game scores and updated league standings through August 16th have been posted.
8/16/15: The always popular GHSWPA Action Photo of the Week is back for the 2015 season! Simply take a photo of a GHSWPA student-athlete or team, submit the photo to GAPolo.com with caption, and maybe your photo will get picked for the week! Photos will be released on the website mid-week all season long! Get those cameras ready!
8/11/15: News and Notes for the week of August 10th:
New overtime rule: In the event of a tie in regulation there will be two, 3-minute overtime periods with each team allotted one 60 second time-out. If at the end of the two periods the game is still tied, it will remain a tie.
Background checks for all coaches and Referees need to be completed ASAP! Please reference the American Water Polo website for information and the appropriate links.
AWP Membership: Make sure ALL of your players are registered prior to their first competition. You can check by logging into your American Water Polo account and searching the directory by team name.
Table Workers: Please remind your table workers who attended the training to wear their t-shirts when on deck if possible. If you have more parents willing to help out, please let your ‘Certified’ table worker help train them at the table. If you have a parent with a question, have them ask you or look for a person in a t-shirt for assistance.
Initial Rosters are due by Friday. Remember, you can add to them if you gain new players.
Floaters will not be allowed this year. A player may move either up or down ONCE in the season. This needs to be reflected in the roster updates.
Submit Scores / Action Photos: Please use the submit news link to send in scores and Action Photos of the Week after your games. It would be a good idea to assign someone to do this as a season-long task, that way, no one assumes that someone else will be taking care of this important task.
8/6/15: Norcross High School, playing as Blue Devil Water Polo in the GHSWPA, is seeking a coach for the fall 2015 season. If you are interested, please email norcrosswaterpolo@gmail.com for details. Thank you!
8/3/15: The GHSWPA encourages all its athletes to Fix Your Suit during the upcoming 2015 season and beyond.
5/19/15: The 2015 GHSWPA Season Schedule has been published! The first swim-off will take place on August 11th at Pace Academy and game action will conclude at the 2015 GHSWPA State Championships October 10th & 11th at the Cumming Aquatic Center.
Additional highlights include the first ever Division III Championship on October 3rd, where the top two teams will advance to the GHSWPA State Championship the following weekend, and the Girls GHSWPA State Championship on Sunday, October 4th at the West Gwinnett Aquatic Center, where like last season, the girls champion with be crowned.
The schedule also includes administrative or non-league items for all GHSWPA members to be aware of:
- August 1st: Athletes, coaches and referees need to be registered with American Water Polo
- August 1st at GAC: PreSeason Meeting
- August 8th at GAC: Table Worker Training
- August 7th, 8th & 9th at Dynamo: TURBO / Kap7 Clinic
- August 15th & 16th at Cumming: Referee Evaluation Clinic
- August 22nd at Collins Hill: Middle School Expo, all GHSWPA players invited
- August 29th & 30th at Dynamo: PowerBar Tournament
- October 3rd at West Gwinnett: Middle School Expo, all GHSWPA players invited
- October 9th at GAC: Coaches / Referee Meeting, season award voting, dinner and celebration
- October 17th at TBD: GHSWPA All-Star Games
2015 will be the GHSWPA’s 10th season of operation. The schedule is packed with exciting in-pool action, and with out-pool learning and growing opportunities for coaches, referees and parents. We can’t wait to get started in August!
5/14/15: The league’s 2015 PreSeason Meeting will be held on Saturday, August 1st at GAC at 9:00a. Additional details about the meeting will be emailed to team reps and coaches once known.
5/11/15: Congratulations to Alpharetta High School junior Perry Brandes (SPX WPC) who won the North Fulton County Positive Athlete Award for an Alternative Sport (Boys) for water polo for the 2014-15 school year! Way to go Perry!
4/20/15: Congratulations to Wheeler High School sophomore Steven Kent (Wildcats / Kraken WPC) who won the Cobb County Positive Athlete Award for an Alternative Sport (Boys) for water polo for the 2014-15 school year!
Positive Athlete Georgia is a movement by high-character professional athletes tied to Georgia professional and collegiate sports teams to promote the benefits of “positivity” to young athletes. Steven and others were awarded for their traits of optimism, encouragement, being a servant leader, having a heart for others, admitting imperfections, always giving 100% and putting the team first. In 2014-15, Positive Athlete had nominations from over 150 high schools who provided 2000 nominations.
Steven and the other 2014-15 Cobb County winners will be recognized at a ceremony this Wednesday, April 22nd. Way to go Steven!
4/14/15: American Water Polo recently updated its training information and policies about concussions. All GHSWPA coaches, parents and team administrators are strongly encouraged to review this information and pass their knowledge on to their athletes.
AWP and the GHSWPA want to ensure the safety of all GHSWPA athletes, coaches and officials. It is important that member athletes, clubs and coaches understand the posted information, signs of a concussion and proper steps to return to competetion. Coaches and team administrators should always error on the side of caution when dealing with these type of injuries. Always consult a medical professional if you have questions about any potential injury.
4/13/15: Registration for the 2015 K7 Atlanta Skills and Drills Clinic, hosted by Atlanta Dynamo Water Polo, is now open.
The clinic is an excellent chance to dramatically improve your level of play in one weekend! The 2014 event featured an incredible staff of clinicians and sold out in a matter of weeks. The clinic is designed for high school players, but middle school players with experience or strong swimming backgrounds are welcome.
The clinic will take place August 7th – 9th at Dynamo’s Chamblee location per the following schedule: Friday (4:30pm – 8:00pm), Saturday (9:00am – 3:00pm), Sunday (9:00am – 12:00noon)
Please refer to the clinic website for details, cost, payment options and more.
3/16/15: The league’s Divisions for the 2015 season have been finalized. Changes from last season include Pace and SPX B moving up a division, and GAC moving down a division. Divisions 1 and 2 will be playing a few crossover games between divisions, while Division 3 will compete within itself with the intent of keeping its games more level and developmental. And finally, St. Pius (SPX) has added a C team that will compete in Division 3. 2015 league scheduling, based on the final Divisions, is now underway.
3/3/15: Division Petition Reminder: Petitions to change Division assignment for the 2015 season are due by Saturday, 3/7. The petition, with enclosed submission instructions, may be found on the League Rules page.
3/3/15: Blue Devil Water Polo Clinic: A 1.5 hour introduction to water polo clinic for interested middle schoolers on April 18th, 10:00 – 11:30am at West Gwinnett Aquatic Center. Registration for the clinic is through Gwinnett County Parks and Rec.
Blue Devil Spring / Summer Water Polo Information: Open to rising 8th graders through rising juniors for both boys and girls, Mondays and Wednesdays March 9th – 13th for spring and Mondays and Wednesday May 25th – July 15th for summer, both at West Gwinnett Aquatic Center, cost is $113.50 and $88.50/athlete plus American Water Polo Membership or $202/athlete for both sessions plus American Water Polo Membership. For more information and to register, please refer to the session flyer .
3/3/15: Eagles Youth Water Polo Information: Ages 10 – 14, Saturdays March 7th – March 28th, 6:30 – 8:00pm, at Collins Hill Aquatic Center, cost is $61/athlete. Sign up during your next trip to the Aquatic Center. For more information, visit eagleswaterpolo.com
Eagles Spring Water Polo Information: Registration on March 9th at 7:00pm at Collins Hill Aquatic Center, cost is $101/athlete (checks payable to GCPRD; Credit Cards accepted: Visa, MasterCard or Discover), plus $60/athlete (checks payable to Eagle Water Polo), plus $40 for an American Water Polo Membership (good for 365 days). For more information, visit eagleswaterpolo.com
2/11/15: Reminder: The league’s 2015 Spring Meeting will be held on Saturday, February 28th at GAC at 9:00a. Additional details about the meeting will be released soon.
2/7/15: USA Water Polo (USAWP) finalized rosters for the Olympic Development Program (ODP) teams in the Southeast Zone. ODP exists to identify and prepare athletes to represent USAWP in international competition and expose, educate, engage and develop USAWP athletes, coaches and referees to the vision of the USAWP Men’s and Women’s Senior National Team Coaches.
A record ten middle and high school-aged water polo players from the state of Georgia are included on Southeast Zone ODP rosters. These ten players (4 boys, 6 girls) represent four Georgia High School Water Polo Association teams. All ten play club water polo for Dynamo Water Polo Club in Atlanta, GA.
The ten young Georgians join teammates from across the zone (FL, GA, SC, NC, TN, AL) for a training session on Feb. 22nd at Saint Andrew’s School in Boca Raton Fl. ODP teams from across the country travel to Riverside, CA to compete in the USA Water Polo ODP National Championship tournament the weekends of 27 Feb – 1 March (Boys) and March 13-15 (Girls).
Based on National Team coach evaluations, select individuals at the ODP National Championship earn spots at the USA Water Polo National Team Selection Camps (NTSC) later in the spring. Perry Brandes (Center Defense; St. Pius X) and Erin Cunefare (Utility, Lakeside; now plays women’s varsity at California Lutheran University) were the two 2014 NTSC participants from Georgia.
Monica Szalma, ODP coach for Georgia, shared her thoughts on the bumper crop of Georgians: “This year’s USA Water Polo ODP cycle was conducted in a new format which made it highly more competitive than in the past. The Southeast Zone team selections will experience a valuable chance to compete in California against top players from around the country. They will also bring back their experiences to their high school programs and share their new found knowledge. I am excited about where Georgia age group water polo is going, and ODP participation is a great first step towards achieving our goals.”
GIRLS Junior 1997/1998 (Birth year)
Ciara Sadaka, Center Defense, Pace (coed) / APS Knights (girls)
Jess Hume, Attack, APS Knights
Sloan Hodges, Utility, APS Knights
GIRLS Youth 1999/2000
Hannah Farnsworth, Utility, St. Pius X
GIRLS Youth 2001 and Under
Isabella Nunez, Attack, Lakeside
Caroline Benoit, Utility, St. Pius X
BOYS Junior 1997/1998
Perry Brandes, Center Defense, St. Pius X
Phillip Jenny, Attack, Collins Hill
Jordan Chatfield, Attack, St. Pius X
BOYS Youth 1999/2000
George Kimbrough, Center/Utility, APS Knights
For more about the Dynamo Water Polo Club: dynamowaterpolo.com. For more information about the USA Water Polo Olympic Development Program: usawaterpolo.org/odp/.
2/6/15: Teams are encouraged to harness the power of Twitter: The easiest and fastest way to promote your team, your athletes and your team’s accomplishments is through a team Twitter account.
Once established, tweet immediate content, like behind-the-scenes photos or unofficial game results, and get retweets from the GHSWPA, from your school or maybe even from your local news agency. Your team Twitter account will be listed as part of the contact information for your team on the league website, and could possibly be used by those outside of the league seeking to learn more about your team or your athletes.
After a full season of using Twitter in 2014, the league has experienced Twitter’s benefits firsthand. We are hoping that each team will join us in the Twitter-verse in 2015.