Coming off of CIF championships earlier this year for both the boys and girls water polo programs, the Orange Lutheran swim and dive team is back in the pool and ready for Trinity League competition.
The focus with the swimmers for OLu aquatics head coaches Brenda Villa, Matt Smith and Jacob Moore are speed and conditioning.
“The main point of emphasis for swim is getting all the players faster and conditioned,” says Moore. “We’re hoping to get some of these athletes into CIF with some league records.”
On the boys side, the Lancers return senior Wade Sherlock, who was a CIF Prelims qualifier last year in the 100-meter freestyle. Newcomer freshman Joshua Deng is expected to bring speed to the younger boys squad, and senior Brian Zhu will provide both skill and leadership as the backbone of the team.
The girls roster will include senior Kira Anderson, as well as freshman Allison Cohen, both water polo players who will bring speed to the pool. Sophomore diver Makenna Milne is returning and will be looking to make another CIF appearance.
Recently named captains Anderson and Sherlock will be leading their teammates this season, as the boys and girls programs continue to show the support and camaraderie seen during each team’s respective water polo CIF title runs.
“There's a lot of encouragement on both sides, and I think they have a really good relationship,” says Moore. “That's always been there between the teams, but I think this year it’s really strong with what (we) are emphasizing with our players as far as building a culture within the whole aquatics program.”
The Lancers kick off Trinity League dual meets on March 16 when they take on Santa Margarita, and as they continue to establish a strong culture, Moore says that discipline, hard work and team building will be big contributors to the team’s success.
“That’s what it's all about at the end, having fun, wanting to work hard and wanting to be good student athletes,” says Moore. “We want the kids to enjoy it and build some memories throughout the season.”