Lady Acorns send five players to all-league teams
MORGAN HILL — As a tribute to their 19-5 finish that included a fourth consecutive trip to the Central Coast Section quarterfinals, the Live Oak girls water polo team had their entire starting lineup mentioned in the all-Mount Hamilton Division lists.
Rachel Cretcher was named Junior of the Year as a driver and made the first team along with senior teammates Katie Rick (driver) and Sarah D’Angelo (utility), who received all-league recognition the past two seasons.
Rick, who plans to compete for a four-year aquatics program, was Junior of the Year in 2008 and a second-team driver in 2007 — the same year D’Angelo was named the Mount Hamilton’s top sophomore and a second-team 2-meter defender.
“Sarah and Katie have been all over the place the past three years,” Lady Acorns coach Lynn Gautschi said Monday. “They train so hard. Katie is very fast, very dedicated, and Sarah is very smart in the water. … She has leadership material.”
Senior Sarah Sendejas, a first-team driver in 2007, returned to the second-team list.
“She was very valuable to our team,” Gautschi said. “She was even keel. I think she underestimated herself at times.”
Gautschi said Cretcher is one of the team’s hardest working players. Cretcher was a second- and first-team honoree in 2008 and 2007, respectively.
“She has a great work ethic. She’s consistently in shape,” said Gautschi, who coaches many of Live Oak’s girls and boys water polo players during swimming season. “A lot of kids go out of shape in the offseason; Rachel’s always in shape. We’re very glad she’s coming back next year.”
The Lady Acorns also will return their second-team all-league goalie, Priscilla Orona. The junior rose to the challenge in the cage this fall after being a field player the last two years.
“The combination of all these kids; they all have their individual focuses. The hardest part was taking their talents and meshing them,” Gautschi said. “It wasn’t perfect, but we had some really good moments this year.”
