Santa Ynez High water polo star Henry Allen has accepted an offer to continue his career at UCSB.
“I picked UCSB because I feel it is the best place for me to grow and excel as a water polo player,” said Henry. “It will be a school that will support my academic interests and allow me to play the sport I love.”
He has an interest in engineering.
Henry was an All-Channel League first-team selection last fall, and he was selected to the USA Water Polo Coastal Zone Olympic Development Team.
He’s been working toward playing at the next level since he started high school.
“I think because I am so competitive, I have wanted to be the best player I could possibly be, and that has set me up on the path to playing in college,” he said.
Henry plays his club water polo with Santa Barbara Premier. But the club season has been put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s been weird during the whole quarantine thing,” he said. “I haven’t been able to get in the pool much, so I have been doing a lot of dry land cardio and (weight) lifting. The closest to swimming I’ve been doing is going to the ocean.”
— Noozhawk sports editor Barry Punzal can be reached at bpunzal@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk Sports on Twitter: @NoozhawkSports. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.