The Santa Barbara 805 Water Polo Club made a powerful statement at the CalCup State Championships this past weekend, competing with nine teams and over 100 athletes. SB 805 delivered standout performances across the board, highlighted by three division championships and a podium finish in a fourth.
The 12 Girls, 16 Girls, and 18A Girls teams each claimed first place, going undefeated in their respective divisions. Their dominant showings were the highlight of the tournament, showcasing the strength and depth of SB 805’s female athletes.
Meanwhile, the 12 Boys fought hard through a competitive bracket to secure an impressive third- place finish, winning three of their four games.
The 12 Girls opened with decisive victories over CHAWP (12-0) and Newport (7-0) before beating Northern California powerhouses Lamorinda (8-4) and Diablo (7-5) to secure the gold medal.
Led by Mark Walsh, the 12 Girls team consisted of Brylyn Abel, Charlotte Baer, Hannah Bernal, Grace Blanco, Carlina Drabik, Grace McGeoy, Kat Minnis, Caitlin Swenson, KK Walsh, Avery Wickman, and Revy Wilson.
The 16 Girls came out swinging with decisive victories over Commerce (17-5) and SHAQ (15-7) before calling upon their years of training to swim away with a dramatic win over Regency (10- 9). Day Two was a celebration of the success of Day One with wins over Odin (7-4) in the semifinals and Lamorinda (9-7) in the finals.
The 16 Girls were coached by Mark Walsh and Cathy Neushul and consist of Sophia Anderson, Lyra Gavazzi, Ella Grube, Mia Johnson, Kyra Jones, Amelia Kim, Talia Marshall, Keira McAvoy, Jenna Rippe, and McKenna Stuart.
The 18A Girls cruised to wins over Patriot (17-5) and SHAQ (17-4) before meeting Legacy (13- 7) in the quarterfinals. Sunday brought an exciting semifinal game over SET (8.4-8.3), with a shot clock buzzer beater tying the game 8-8 and then the defense getting a stop to end regulation play. The 18 Girls stayed calm through the shoot-out and relied on their years of big game experience to seal their place in the finals. A commanding win over Regency (11-9) allowed many of the 18 Girls to end their CalCup careers as champions.
The team was coached by Chris Parrish and Chad Yonker and consisted of HanaLora Abel, Marina Brown, Addison Bruno, Franki Court, Naomi Enright, Mia Fabros, Cierra Furneaux, Megan Garner, Lucy Haaland-Ford, Alina King, Bethany King, Ivana Malenkovic, Addison Parrrish, Charlotte Raisin, Kennedi Reeder, Sophie Yonker, and Celia Young.
The 12 Boys opened with a win against Foothill (15-6) before outlasting Commerce (10.7-10.6) in a shoot-out that went to the second round. Day Two brought a heartbreaking loss in the semifinals to San Diego Shores Black (5-6) before the 12 Boys bounced back with a huge win over CHAWP (9-3) to take third place.
The 12 Boys were led by Chris Parrish and Jenna Olson and consisted of Sylvester Bunker, Paul Diener, Javier Dresel-Velasquez, Aiden Garner, Levi
Gonzalez, Knox Kostechko, Haden Merrick, Hayes Parrish, Dax Pattison, Martin Petzov, and Utah Roth.
Other SB 805 teams also demonstrated strong efforts:
- The 10s Coed team ended with a 3–1 record.
- The 14 Boys, 14A Girls, and 18B Girls teams finished even at 2–2.
- The 14B Girls battled tough opponents in a 1–3 showing.
In total, 805 Water Polo teams competed in 38 games throughout the tournament, reflecting the club’s commitment to development, sportsmanship, and competitive excellence.
“This tournament was a great display of how far our athletes have come this season,” said club director Kelsie Karam. “We’re proud of all of them – they showed up to every game with incredible poise and teamwork and the results are a reflection of that.”
The CalCup State Championships mark a major milestone for the SB 805’s 2025 season and builds momentum heading into the summer.