The Santa Barbara Water Polo Club stepped into the national spotlight in June, and the local aquatics standouts once again cemented themselves as some of the best in the country.
Santa Barbara had several teams competing in the Futures SuperFinals and US Club Championships throughout the month, coming home with two national championships, seven major individual awards and multiple podium finishes.
“These two weekends were a tremendous reflection of the culture our coaches and athletes have built,” SB Water Polo Club director Kelsie Karam said. “Winning championships is exciting, but what makes me most proud is seeing athletes at every age group competing with confidence, supporting one another, and continuing to improve.
“We had teams representing Santa Barbara from 10 & Under through 18 & Under, and every one of them contributed to what was an incredible month for our club.”
The Santa Barbara 16U and 18U Girls squads led the charge, as they each captured both the Futures SuperFinals and US Club Championship titles.
The 16U team dominated its way through both tournaments, beginning with victories over 680 (13-4), Stanford (13-4), Meridian (13-1), Regency (9-6) and Mission (11-7) to claim the SuperFinals championship.
The trio of Jade Pattison (San Marcos), Reagan Mack (Dos Pueblos) and McKenna Stuart (San Marcos) led the way for the 16U team at the Futures SuperFinals.
Pattison was named the Tournament MVP, Mack pulled in the Top Goalie honors and Stuart was the Top Defender.
They followed that up with an undefeated run at the US Club Championship, earning wins over Rose Bowl (14-1), San Diego Shores Black (14-2), Diablo (14-6), Meridian (8-6), Stanford (11-5) and Mission (12-9).
Mack was recognized as the 16U Most Valuable Player at the US Club Championship tournament.
Meanwhile, the 18U team was just as dominant. They began their month with a SuperFinals title thanks to wins over Viking A (13-8), Stanford (12-6), San Diego Shores (9-4), Newport (9-6) and Regency (10-9).
In the SuperFinals, Charlotte Raisin (San Marcos) was in the middle of the 18U team’s success on her way to the Tournament MVP award. Alex Stoddard earned the Top Goalie nod, Aali Kim was the Top Defender and newly-hired San Marcos girls water polo head coach Jamie Neushul earned the Coach of the Tournament honor.
The 18U team’s run at the US Club Championship was also a sweep, taking down Tsunami (16-5), Clovis, Rose Bowl (21-10), San Diego Shores Black (12-4), Diablo (12-10) and Tsunami (13-7) along the way.
Raisin continued her stellar summer with a Most Valuable Player award at the US Club Championship as well.
While the older girls teams led the way, the younger Santa Barbara Water Polo club squads also delivered impressive performances throughout the month of June.
The 12U Boys secured a second-place finish at the US Club Championship, thanks in part to a Tournament MVP performance from Hayes Parrish. That team also came in 24th place at the SuperFinals.
The 12U Girls squad also secured a podium showing, taking third place at the SuperFinals. The 10U Girls Team rounded out the top-five performances for Santa Barbara, coming in fourth place at the US Club Championship.
The SuperFinals and US Club Championship were just the latest in a summer of success for the Santa Barbara Water Polo Club, which has 17 teams qualified for the 2026 USA Water Polo Junior Olympics.
Those 17 teams, which is the most of any club in the Coastal Zone, will compete in the Championship, Classic and Invitational divisions in late July.
“The exciting part is that we’re not done,” Karam said. “To qualify the most Junior Olympic teams in our zone and then follow that with performances as we saw at Futures SuperFinals and US Club Championships says a lot about the commitment of our athletes, coaches, and families.
“We’ve built something special here, and we’re excited to carry that momentum into Junior Olympics.”