2016 Awards
- 2016 GHSWPA All-Star Teams (D1/2/3/Girls)
- 2016 All-GHSWPA Division 1 Team
- 2016 All-GHSWPA Division 2 Team
- 2016 All-GHSWPA Division 3 Team
- 2016 All-GHSWPA Girls Team
- 2016 Boys State Champion: St. Pius A
- 2016 Girls State Champion: Eagles
- 2016 Division 1 Player of the Year: Myles Williams, SPX A
- 2016 Division 1 Goalie of the Year: Andres Garcia, SPX A
- 2016 Division 1 Coach of the Year: Mike Peters, SPX A
- 2016 Division 2 Player of the Year: Steven Kent, Wildcats A
- 2016 Division 2 Goalie of the Year: Charley Plumly, North Springs
- 2016 Division 2 Coach of the Year: Graham Olson, North Springs
- 2016 Division 3 Player of the Year: Johnathan Haab, Norcross Blue Devils B
- 2016 Division 3 Goalie of the Year: Ethan Howe, Norcross Blue Devils B
- 2016 Division 3 Coach of the Year: Whitney Foster, Forsyth
- 2016 Girls Player of the Year: Katie Torrez, Collins Hill
- 2016 Girls Goalie of the Year: Caitlin Hamilton, Collins Hill
- 2016 Girls Coach of the Year: Karina Cordisco, Wildcats
- 2016 Referees of the Year: Sean Fitzgerald and Tim Watson
2016 Standings – Division 1 (final)
| Final Standing | Div Standing | Team | Div Record | Overall GHSWPA Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | SPX Golden Lions A | 12 – 0 (1.000) | 16 – 0 |
| 2 | 2 | Southern Crescent | 10 – 2 (0.833) | 13 – 3 |
| 3 | 3 | Lakeside Vikings A | 8 – 4 (0.667) | 11 – 5 |
| 4 | T4 | Norcross Blue Devils A | 5 – 7 (0.417) | 7 – 9 |
| 5 | T4 | GAC Spartans A | 5 – 7 (0.417) | 9 – 8 |
| 6 | 7 | APS Knights A | 0 – 12 (0.000) | 3 – 14 |
| T7 | 6 | Collins Hill Eagles A | 2 – 10 (0.167) | 4 – 12 |
2016 Standings – Division 2 (final)
| Final Standing | Div Standing | Team | Div Record | Overall GHSWPA Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T7 | 1 | Wildcats A | 11 – 0 – 1 (0.958) | 13 – 2 – 1 |
| T9 | 2 | North Springs Spartans | 10 – 2 (0.833) | 11 – 4 |
| T9 | 3 | Pace Academy Knights | 7 – 4 – 1 (0.625) | 8 – 6 – 1 |
| T9 | 4 | SPX Golden Lions B | 6 – 6 (0.500) | 7 – 8 |
| T9 | 6 | Dalton Catamounts | 2 – 10 (0.167) | 3 – 12 |
| T13 | 5 | Wesleyan Wolves | 4 – 8 (0.333) | 4 – 10 |
| T13 | 7 | Lakeside Vikings B | 1 – 11 (0.083) | 1 – 13 |
2016 Standings – Division 3 (final)
Group East:
| Final Standing | Group Standing | Team | Div Record | Overall GHSWPA Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T13 / D3-1 | 1 | Norcross Blue Devils B | 13 – 2 – 1 (0.844) | 13 – 4 – 1 |
| D3-3 | 2 | Forsyth | 11 – 4 – 1 (0.719) | 11 – 4 – 1 |
| D3-5 | 3 | Collins Hill Eagles B | 10 – 6 (0.625) | 10 – 6 |
| D3-T7 | 4 | GAC Spartans B | 4 – 12 – 1 (0.265) | 4 – 12 – 1 |
| D3-T9 | 5 | Cambridge Bears | 2 – 13 (0.133) | 2 – 13 |
Group West:
| Final Standing | Group Standing | Team | Div Record | Overall GHSWPA Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T13 / D3-2 | 1 | Wildcats B | 15 – 1 (0.938) | 15 – 3 |
| D3-4 | 2 | Calhoun Yellow Jackets | 10 – 6 (0.625) | 10 – 6 |
| D3-6 | 3 | SPX Golden Lions C | 6 – 10 (0.375) | 6 – 10 |
| D3-T7 | 4 | APS Knights B | 6 – 10 – 1 (0.382) | 6 – 10 – 1 |
| D3-T9 | 5 | Lakeside Vikings C | 1 – 14 (0.067) | 1 – 14 |
2016 Standings – Girls (final)
| Final Standing | Div Standing | Team | Overall Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Collins Hill Eagles | 12 – 0 (1.000) |
| 2 | 3 | Lakeside Vikings A | 8 – 5 (0.615) |
| 3 | 2 | APS Knights | 9 – 3 (0.750) |
| 4 | 4 | Wildcats | 5 – 8 (0.385) |
| 5 | T5 | Greyhounds | 2 – 10 (0.167) |
| 6 | T5 | Lakeside Vikings B | 1 – 11 (0.083) |
2016 Results
2016 News
11/10/16: With the 2016 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 funding towards referee recruitment and training, start-up resources needed for new clubs in order to sustainably grow the league, and additional resources needed to improve the athlete and parent experience. We appreciate your support and look forward to another successful year in 2017!
11/8/16: The announcement for Referee of the Year is late but not overlooked and certainly not unimportant. We want to first express our appreciation to all of our Referees for their dedication to the sport, to the League and to our athletes. Without their selfless commitment to us we could not function.
This year our coaches have selected two candidates deserving of special recognition: Sean Fitzgerald and Tim Watson. Sean and Tim exemplify our highest aspirations for competence, fairness and knowledge of the game. On behalf of the Board and our Coaches it is with our deepest thankfulness that we extend congratulations to our honorees. We appreciate you and look forward to your assistance again next season and hopefully for years to come.
10/18/16: Congratulations to those named to the 2016 All-GHSWPA Division 1 Team !
10/17/16: Congratulations to those named to the 2016 All-GHSWPA Division 2 Team !
10/17/16: Reminder: The league’s 2016 Post-Season Meeting will be held on Saturday, October 22nd at GAC beginning at 10:00a. All 2016 team reps and coaches need to be present.
10/15/16: Congratulations again to the 2016 GHSWPA All-Stars !
10/13/16: Congratulations to those named to the 2016 All-GHSWPA Division 3 Team !
10/13/16: Congratulations to those named to the 2016 All-GHSWPA Girls Team !
10/11/16: Congratulations to those student-athletes named as an All-Star for the 2016 GHSWPA season! We look forward to watching you in the water at the All-Star games this Saturday!
If your team has current players who are in Middle School, who would like to play in the Middle School Exhibition Game at 12:00 noon, and they are not currently listed on the Middle School Game roster , please contact Jenny Weaver (Collins Hill / GHSWPA VP) to have them added to the roster before the game.
The All-Star games are the league’s annual celebration for completing another successful season. Please join us this Saturday afternoon, October 15th, at the GAC Aquatic Center, to cheer on the all-stars and to reflect on another fun season!
10/11/16: Final game scores and league standings for the 2016 season have been posted.
10/9/16: Congratulations to St. Pius X A for capturing the 2016 GHSWPA State Championship ! The Golden Lions topped Southern Crescent, 4 – 3, in a tense and exciting championship final. Lakeside Vikings A finished third. [full tournament results ]
10/5/16: The bracket, seedings and game schedule for this weekend’s 2016 GHSWPA State Championship are now available. Real-time game results will be posted within the bracket throughout the tournament. Good luck to all participants!
10/4/16: Final reminder: Camp Registration for the 2016-2017 USA Water Polo Olympic Development Program is now open. The Southeastern Zone, Atlanta-area’s boys and girls camps will be on Sunday, October 16th, 2016 at Dynamo.
The Olympic Development Program exists to identify and prepare athletes to represent USAWP in international competition; while exposing, educating, engaging and developing all USAWP athletes, coaches and referees to the vision of our Men’s and Women’s Senior National Team Coaches. The goal is to identify and develop athletes at the USAWP club level and then integrate them into national team pipeline via the Olympic Development Program.
10/3/16: Game scores and updated league standings through October 2nd have been posted.
10/2/16: Congratulations to Collins Hill for capturing the 2016 GHSWPA Girls State Championship ! The Eagles finished ahead of Lakeside A, 9 – 4 in the championship final. The APS Knights finished third. [full tournament results ]
10/1/16: Congratulations to Norcross Blue Devil B for capturing the 2016 GHSWPA Division 3 Championship ! In an exciting final, the Blue Devils topped Wildcats B, 10 – 8. In the third place game, Forsyth finished ahead of Calhoun, 11 – 9. Collins Hill B placed fifth. [full tournament results ]
9/30/16: Congratulations to the 2016 GHSWPA Division 1/2/Girls Champions! And congratulations to the 2016 GHSWPA Division 3 Group Champions!
Division 1: SPX Golden Lions A
Division 2: Wildcats A
Girls: Collins Hill Eagles
Division 3, Group East: Norcross Blue Devils B
Division 3, Group West: Wildcats B
9/30/16: Didn’t get your t-shirt or sweatshirt order submitted by the team-order deadline? No problem! Bring some cash with you to a 2016 championship and buy your item onsite. However, supplies are very limited, so early purchases are encouraged. Exact change is always appreciated.
Co-Ed State Championship Design
Girls State Championship Design
9/29/16: Thank you to our 2016 banner sponsors! Each banner will be hung at its respective 2016 GHSWPA championship event, and, if a specific team is associated with a banner, that team gets to take their banner as a 2016 season souvenir.
Interested in learning more about our banner sponsorship opportunities? Please reach out to your team rep or to any GHSWPA Board member.
9/28/16: The brackets, seedings and game schedules for this weekend’s 2016 GHSWPA Division 3 and Girls State Championships are now available. Real-time game results will be posted within each bracket throughout each tournament. Good luck to all participants!
9/27/16: Game scores and updated league standings through September 25th have been posted.
9/27/16: GHSWPA Action Quint-Photos of the Week: [submit other action photos]
Photo credit: Bruno Cardot
Photo credit: Kryski Photography
Photo credit: Shannon Davis / Visual64.com
Photo credit: Bruno Cardot
9/24/16: We are thrilled to have had 26 athletes participate in our middle-school exhibition game! Thank you to all those who participated, their parents, and to our generous coaches and administrators for organizing the successful event. We look forward to seeing you in the GHSWPA in the future!
9/23/16: All middle-school players are welcome to attend a middle-school scrimmage that will take place on Saturday, 9/24 at Dynamo, at 6:15p. This game will be a great opportunity for athletes of the same age to experience water polo in a game against their peers.
If an athlete is not affiliated with the GHSWPA already, there will be a $5 charge for insurance coverage. We will collect cash on site and last minute attendees may register the day of the event. All players should show up at 5:45p in order to be divided in to teams and to confirm registration.
Look for Tim Watson, the Southern Crescent coach, on deck before the game in order to partcipate.
9/21/16: GHSWPA Action Co-Photos of the Week: [submit other action photos]
over Lakeside A; Photo credit: Jill Matherson
Photo credit: Shannon Davis / Visual64.com
9/20/16: Game scores and updated league standings through September 18th have been posted.
9/13/16: Game scores and updated league standings through September 11th have been posted.
9/4/16: Game scores and updated league standings through September 4th have been posted.
8/30/16: GHSWPA Action Photo of the Week: [submit other action photos]
8/28/16: Game scores and updated league standings through August 28th have been posted.
8/28/16: Congratulations to St. Pius X (SPX) for finishing first within the high school division of the 2016 PowerBar Cup tournament! SPX defeated the Miami Riptides, 7 – 6, in the championship final, while fellow GHSWPA team, Lakeside Vikings, finished third.
8/24/16: GHSWPA Action Photo of the Week: [submit other action photos]
8/23/16: Game scores and updated league standings through August 21st have been posted.
8/22/16: Have you been watching some GHSWPA or Olympic water polo lately, and are interested in learning more about what it takes to be a water polo referee? We would love to hear from you, as starting at the high school level is a great way to learn about refereeing from the ground up! Contact our Head Referee for more information!
8/18/16: Game scores and updated league standings through August 14th have been posted.
8/18/16: GHSWPA Action Photo of the Week: [submit other action photos]
the APS Knights A center; Southern Crescent went on to win the D1 game, 16 – 5
8/3/16: The always popular GHSWPA Action Photo of the Week is back for the 2016 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!
8/1/16: Want to watch 2016 Olympic water polo competition from Rio? Check out the full schedule of water polo games via the NBC Sports website.
7/28/16: Congratulations to the student-athletes from Georgia named as a 2015-16 American Water Polo Scholar Athlete!. In order to be named, student-athletes must meet the following criteria:
- Student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) or 87/100
- Athletes must have played in an AWP event, league (like the GHSWPA) or tournament
- Athletes of any age are eligible
Each year, GHSWPA teams are encouraged to submit their eligible student-athletes for recognition. The deadline to submit nominations this year was June 30th, 2016.
Congratulations and keep up the good work!
7/18/16: Reminder: The league’s 2016 Pre-Season Meeting will be held on Saturday, July 30th at GAC beginning at 10:00a. All teams planning on participating in the 2016 season need to be represented.
A required Concussion Training and CPR Certification course for GHSWPA coaches will be held immediately following the meeting. Additional details about the day’s agenda will be released closer to the meeting date.
5/19/16: The 2016 GHSWPA League Schedule has been posted online. Competitions get underway during the week of August 8th and conclude with the annual All-Star Games on October 15th.
Highlights of the timeline include the 2016 GHSWPA Division 3, Girls and State Championship Tournaments, occuring on October 1st, 2nd and 8th/9th respectively. The State Championship will once again be played at the Cumming Aquatic Center.
All known meetings, trainings, clinics and weather make-up slots are included in the posted schedule. Team reps, coaches, parents, players, referees and adminstrators are encouraged to review the schedule and begin planning ahead. If you have questions, please contact our Scheduling Coordinator.
The GHSWPA would like to extend a gracious ‘thank you’ to our aquatic facility and sponsorship partners for their help in making the 2016 schedule come to life! We also could not reach this point without our local water polo contacts, volunteers and friends. Your support of high school water polo in the state of Georgia is greatly appreciated!
Good luck to all GHSWPA teams and athletes during the 2016 season!
4/27/16: The league’s Divisions for the 2016 season have been finalized. Changes from last season include GAC forming an A-team and competing in Division 1. The APS Knights A team will move up to Division 1, while Pace and North Springs will now compete in Division 2. Wesleyan and Lakeside B will move up to Division 2, and the Wildcats have formed a A-team that will also compete in Division 2.
Five new teams, Lakeside C, Wildcats B, GAC B, Calhoun and Forsythe, will be joining the GHSWPA within Division 3, which will be split in to geographic regions due to the large number of divisional participants. Lakeside is splitting its girls program in to A and B teams, and the Wildcats will be fielding a girls team.
Overall in 2016, the GHSWPA will be adding seven new teams and two new clubs, while losing two teams from last year. 2016 league scheduling, based on these Divisions, is now underway.
4/15/16: Registration is now open for the 2016 Kap7 Atlanta Skills and Drills Clinic, hosted by Dynamo Water Polo.
The Clinic features the top collegiate, club, and international coaches and is structured to expose athletes to new techniques that can be put to use right away. All of the skills necessary to reach the next level will be addressed, from 6v5, to 5v6, to transition to counter, and more. Don’t miss this excellent chance to dramatically improve your level of play in one weekend!
The clinic will take place August 5th, 6th and 7th, beginning Friday evening and concluding Sunday afternoon. Sign up early, as space is limited. The 2014 and 2015 clinics sold out, and Dynamo expects the 2016 clinic to be sold out by June-end.
Please refer to the clinic website for additional information, including pricing, and to register.
4/12/16: Does your team have a Twitter account yet? Twitter is the easiest and fastest way to promote your team, your athletes and your team’s accomplishments.
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. Follow the league as a whole using the #GAPolo hashtag.
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 two full seasons of using Twitter, the league has experienced its benefits firsthand. We are hoping that each team will join us in the Twitter-verse in 2016!
3/8/16: Congratulations to the following girls from Georgia for earning roster spots on the 2016 USA Water Polo Olympic Development Program (ODP) Southeast Zone Teams!
3/1/16: Congratulations to Brian Kent (Wheeler High School / Kraken / Wildcats) for being invited to the USWP National Development Team Selection Camp (born 2002 and younger)!
The 2016 ODP Boy’s National Championship wrapped this past weekend in Riverside, CA. At the conclusion of the event, selections were announced for the National Team Selection Camp coming up this April 1st – 4th in Orange County, CA. Brian is 1 of 74 athletes nationally, and 1 of 2 from the Southeast Zone Development Team, invited to the camp, from which the 2016 National Development Team will be selected.
2/29/16: Brian Kent and his USWP ODP southeast zone teammates competed this past weekend, February 26th – 28th, in Riverside, CA at the 2016 Boys ODP National Championships. While at the tournament, Brian was awarded the Nick Johnson Inspiration Award, for embodying the vision and values of the Olympic Development Program.
Brian Kent with the 2016 Nick Johnson Inspiration Award
The 2016 Girls ODP National Championships will also be held in Riverside, March 11th – 13th. For more information on the USWP ODP program, please refer to the USAWaterPolo.com website.
2/29/16: Congratulations to the following boys from Georgia for earning roster spots on the 2016 USA Water Polo Olympic Development Program (ODP) Southeast Zone Teams!
- Development Team (born 2002 and younger):
- Brian Kent (Wheeler High School / Kraken / Wildcats)
- Cadet Team (born 2000 and younger):
- Myles Williams (Dynamo / SPX)
- Matthew Halbig (Scots / SPX)
- Youth Team (born 1998 and younger):
- Perry Brandes (Alpharetta High School / Scots / SPX)
The Southeast Zone Development Team finished 1 – 3, with games against the Mountain, Midwest, Pacific Northwest and Hawaiian teams.
The Southeast Zone Cadet Team went 4 – 1 during the tournament, losing a one-goal game to the team from Hawaii, and beating the Great Lakes, Mountain, Pacific Northwest and Southwest teams.
2/27/16: Congratulations to the following new GHSWPA Board members! Thank you for your service in support of water polo opportunities for high school athletes in the state of Georgia!
President: Mike Scott (appointed per vacancy)
Vice President: Jenny Weaver (re-elected)
Treasurer: Shari Wright (elected)
Secretary: Chris Sweitzer (elected)
League Outreach Director: Julie Ferris (appointed per vacancy)
2/19/16: Congratulations to Perry Brandes (Alpharetta High School / SPX) who signed a Letter of Intent to play collegiate men’s water polo for the University of California, San Diego beginning fall-2016! Perry is very excited to have the opportunity to play collegiately with a program in California and he hopes to see others from Georgia follow in his footsteps.
Pictured: Perry (center) with his parents Robert (right) and Tricia (left) Brandes, brother Alex (far right),
Dynamo Water Polo Coach Stuart Sheldon (top left), AHS Swimming & Diving Coach Lisa Marshall (top center),
and SPX Water Polo Coach Mike Peters (top right)
Dynamo Water Polo Coach Stuart Sheldon (top left), AHS Swimming & Diving Coach Lisa Marshall (top center),
and SPX Water Polo Coach Mike Peters (top right)
2/3/16: Congratulations to Jessica Hume (Grady High School / APS Knights) who signed a Letter of Intent to play collegiate women’s water polo for the University of Toronto beginning fall-2016! National Athlete Signing Day 2016 took place this morning at Frederick Douglass High School where all APS athletes with letters of intent were recognized.
Pictured: Jessica Hume signs her Letter of Intent with the University of Toronto
Photo courtesy of APS Athletics
Photo courtesy of APS Athletics
1/11/16: Reminder: The league’s 2016 Spring Meeting will be held on Saturday, February 27th at GAC at 9:00a. All teams planning on participating in the 2016 season should make sure they are represented. Additional details about the meeting will be released closer to the meeting date.
1/11/16: Information about the Dynamo Youth Water Polo program has been posted! Training begins February 9th and runs through June/July.
“Dynamo Youth Water Polo is where High School and Middle School aged kids develop and improve their technical skills and understanding of the game. Dynamo Youth Water Polo is a program of the Dynamo Water Polo Club, one of the largest and most successful USA Water Polo-member clubs in the Southeastern United States.”
See the Dynamo website for additional information about their Youth program, and for instructions on how to register and try-out.
1/7/16: All news from 2015 has been saved in our online archive. Please refer to our archive for all of our previous results, news and awards.
1/5/16: Did you resolve to volunteer more in 2016? The GHSWPA is currently seeking volunteers for its leadership team! Openings include President, Vice President, Secretary and League Development. Positions follow the rules outlined within the GHSWPA ByLaws. The leadership Board meets regularly, communicates often via email, and handles assigned action items both individually and as a team between meetings. Parents and coaches of current or former GHSWPA athletes, former GHSWPA athletes, and any Atlanta-area water polo leaders are ideal candidates.
Want to give back to your local community through the sport of water polo? We could use your help! Please contact us to learn more!