Laguna defeats nemesis in pool

The Laguna Beach Age Group Water Polo 12-and-Under girls’ team polo team won silver last Saturday at the annual Laguna Beach Tournament.

One team scheduled to compete in the event withdrew late from the tournament, and Laguna Beach Coach Chad Beeler, who organized the tournament, was forced to enter two teams from Laguna.

Because Laguna didn’t have enough players to field two complete teams, the girls were required to play six games over the course of eight hours.

The championship game pitted Laguna against its biggest rival, Commerce, and the match came down to the final minutes. It featured several lead changes throughout the game and the final quarter had to be restarted three times due to substitution violations by Commerce.

Laguna won the match, 13-11.

Members of the 12-and-Under girls’ team are Holly Parker, Jenna Knott, Brigette Kimbrough, Caroline Renezeder, Mia Salvini, Katie Stanton, Makenzie Fischer, Daniela Lucidi, Olivia Forsyth, Sandonica Mwangi, Bella Baldridge, Diana Shirley, Caris Ferguson and Kendal Clawson.

“I am very proud of this team as they are very young,” Beeler said. “... Some of the girls should be playing on my 10-and-under team, given their age.”

Laguna hosts this one-day tournament for its five different age-group teams over several weekends.

In the past two weeks, the Laguna 14-and-Under boys won silver, and both the 14-and-Under girls and the 12-and-Under boys’ teams captured first-place in their tournaments.

The Laguna 10-and-Under coed team will compete in the next tournament March 22 at the Laguna Beach High pool.