After the 2024 season, six Campo water polo commits will continue to pursue their athletic and academic careers at highly competitive programs across the nation.
Senior athletes Garrett Chivers, Nikki Frazier, Sammy Frazier, Dylan King, Hayden O’Hare, and Avery Sullivan have all committed to Division 1 water polo programs such as UCLA and LMU. The NCSA has all ranked these schools as top 10 programs throughout the college division levels.
When asked ‘why Campo’ regarding his athletic career, UCLA commit and senior captain O’Hare stated, “Campo water polo has a really rich history of good water polo,” Campo’s water polo teams have earned merit for a variety of achievements with several NCS championships as well as several recognized players from the collegiate and professional standpoint. “[While] I was on the border between Acalanes and Campo, I really thought that going to Campo and getting to play with my older cousin for a year would be fun.”
Located in Southern California, UCLA is well known for having the #1 D1 water program for both men and women in the country. Last season, the women’s team won the NCAA water polo championships with a perfect season while the men’s team were finalists. Alumni Ana Pieper committed to the program last year and will begin playing in the spring. “They have a really great program,” O’Hare said. “I went on a visit there and I loved the campus, I loved the team. The guys seemed really friendly to each other, almost like a family. I really wanted to be a part of that program and I thought it was the best fit for me.”
Regarding academic commitments, O’Hare states that when he attends UCLA he most likely plans to major in business economics.
Most players like senior captain and LMU commit Dylan King knew they wanted to play water polo at the college level from a very young age. Playing for CC United King stated, “I decided that when I was in 6th or 7th grade I wanted to play in college. I’ve been working toward that since freshman year.”
“Hayden and Dylan are the teams biggest leaders. The team will miss Garret’s energy- he’s super fun to be around,” said varsity junior Tyler Schmidt who looks up to these three seniors. “I think that Hayden is super hard-working.”
The team’s admiration and respect for these players does not go unnoticed with many players commenting that the captains have a positive impact on the team through their strong leadership skills and good work ethic. The team also feel theyhave to have a strongconnection due to many years of training and dedication toward their shared sport. “I like that everyone knows each other well. [Most of us] have been playing with each other for a long time. It’s a community which doesn’t have to be built from the bottom because it’s already there.” Said King.
Community proves itself to be an important aspect of the Campo water polo community. “I’ve been playing with them for all [four] years,” stated varsity junior Ella Binney when asked about the girl’s water polo captains and commits. “They are all very good leaders. They know how to keep the team in good spirits and they play very connected. They’re easy to connect with so it’s easy to play with them and play together.”
Binney believes that the commits’ attitudes and habits on the team right now will help them make an effortless transition from high school to college. “Avery is very outgoing. She gets what she wants done. In college, she’ll be a great asset to the team because she can play all positions. Whatever the college team wants her to play she’ll be able to play for them.”
“Sammy and Nikki- both of them are adaptable,” Binney continued. “They’ll adapt well to the team and I think they’ll get along with everyone. It makes them stand out.”
Sullivan will be attending SDSU in the upcoming school year while the Fraziers will both play at Indiana University.
The commits’ efforts and impact on the community recognize the driven work ethic and collaborative spirit of the Campolindo community as they strive to further their achievements in the real world.
