In the last few weeks, four Murrieta Valley High School student-athletes have learned they have been selected to the USA Water Polo Olympic Development Program.
This is a prestigious honor and Patch was able to contact the four honorees—two girls and two boys—via Facebook and email to ask a few questions.
The four are Maddie Sanchez, Paige Virgil, Tristan Reinhardt and Hudson Rawlings.
Maddie, Paige and Tristan are entering their senior year of high school. Hudson is the youngest and will be a sophomore this year at MV.
Each has participated in youth national team selection camps where they received their selection notice.
“I was sitting with about 60-70 other girls and they called only about twenty that made the team,” wrote Maddie.
The Olympic Development Program Web page shares a few insights into its principles, mission, purpose, objective and goal. The stated purpose of the program “is to serve as the feeder system for USA Water Polo's National Teams.”
Participants also receive an enhanced respect for the game, have opportunities to be seen by national team coaches, and raise their own college profile and chances for an athletic scholarship.
We asked each student-athlete how they rank this honor among their top accomplishments thus far.
Hudson: “I am extremely happy about this selection as it was one of my main goals during the off-season to make the cadet national team selection."
Tristan: “I’m honored to compete with some of the best players in the country.”
Maddie: “I was very excited to be a part of this team because you are playing with the best of your age in the nation.”
Paige: “It was tough competition with girls from all over the USA. We worked hard and I tried my best. It felt good making it to the next level—it’s exciting!”
This is Paige’s third year in a row being selected for ODP. Both Tristan and Hudson are in their second year of competing with the ODP. Each team member is a part of the ODP team for the school year but they take a break during their California Interscholastic Federation season.
The boys’ CIF school matches are in the fall and the girls’ are in the winter.
Training with the ODP team occurs at various southern California locations. From June 23-27, intense training will occur. At the conclusion of that week, players will be selected to two teams—one to stay in the U.S. and play their Australian equivalents and the other to travel to Argentina to do the same.
Of the four, Paige started playing competitively at the youngest age. She was 7 years old playing with a water polo club where the athletes were playing up in age with “10 & Under’s” in tournaments. Maddie started at age 10, Tristan said he was in the fifth grade, and Hudson was in the sixth grade.
Patch asked the foursome, “Besides a ton of hard work invested, who do give credit to for your success?”
Tristan gave credit to his “Mom, Dad, cousin Brandon, Grandma, and my sister Randi, who will be a freshman next year playing water polo also.”
Hudson credits his coach, Bryan Lynton, “for always pushing me to do what he knows I am capable of, my parents, and my brother Carter for supporting me through all my problems and keeping me focused.”
Maddie expressed appreciation for the honor to her family and coach “for always pushing me...and the loving support from my friends in Murrieta.”
Paige said she appreciates the support and encouragement she’s gotten from her parents. “Coach Lynton has been a big role model and works with us a lot,” she added.
Hudson’s parents noted their son’s natural gift and wrote that he has been swimming since he was 2 years old.
“We are so proud of the work ethic he has developed that has allowed him to achieve such great success,” they wrote Patch.
Tristan’s parents wrote that they are very proud of their son achieving this goal.
“He could not have done it without all the support from his family, friends, and teammates,” they wrote.
Paige’s parents are impressed with their daughter’s smart match play and dedication towards water polo.
“It’s so nice to see her interest in helping others to be their best by teaching this sport,” they wrote.
Maddie’s parents have witnessed first-hand the work it takes to excel in this sport and pointed to how dedicated their daughter is toward water polo.
“We are very proud of Maddie’s accomplishments,” they wrote.
