CMC75 Moments: 2006 Women's Water Polo Takes SCIAC, Earns NCAA Bid
As part of the buildup to the 75th Anniversary celebration for Claremont McKenna College (visit CMC's 75th Anniversary Countdown Page to learn more), we are reliving many of the great moments from CMS athletic department history over the 75-day countdown from April 17 to July 1. If you were a part of this great moment and would like to add to the memories, or if you would like to submit your memories of your own favorite CMS Athletics moments, fill out the form on our main 75th Anniversary page.
Great Moments from 75 Years of Athletics
2006 Women's Water Polo: Athenas 6, Pomona-Pitzer 5 (SCIAC Championship)
The CMS Women's Water Polo team bounced back from a down year in 2005 with one of their most memorable seasons in program history in 2006. CMS fell to Pomona-Pitzer 10-7 in the regular season finale to fall to 5-2 in league play, but a narrow 7-5 win over Occidental in the SCIAC Tournament Semifinals set up a rematch with the Sagehens in the finals for the right to take home the championship trophy. The two rivals battled in a tight defensive struggle, but CMS was able to come away with the thrilling 6-5 win on a late goal from Tarrin Petersen to earn the league championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships.
In the format at the time, the SCIAC winner went to the big NCAA Championship to compete with Division I and Division II schools, which put the Athenas against No. 1 ranked USC in the opening round. After falling to the Trojans and UC Davis in the consolation bracket, CMS was able to end the year with another thrilling win, defeating Marist 10-9 in the seventh-place game.
Annie Richardson and Lisal Smith each had hat tricks in the 10-9 win over the Red Foxes, which saw CMS turn a 7-7 tie in the fourth into a 10-7 lead with three straight goals. Kristin Orkney added two goals and Kendall Snyder and Petersen each had one, while Kerry Henley had six saves in goal.
Richardson was named the DIII Athlete of the Year and the SCIAC Athlete of the Year, and earned first-team All-America honors, along with Henley. Orkney was second-team All-SCIAC and honorable mention All-America, while Petersen and Snyder were honorable mention All-SCIAC.
Diana (Kelly) Holdtman:
I remember that leading up to the championship game we really felt we could win. But the game definitely was a nail biter. There were some missed opportunities on both sides and if I recall I don't think we scored the winning goal until pretty close to the end. It was really fun to see everybody step up under the pressure, I remember Krissy Orkney in particular had some clutch goals that game. Since four of our starters were seniors, it made winning that much more exciting since it meant so much to those of us who were having our final season.
Of all the teams I was on in my life, our team that year was as close as any team I've seen. We spent so much time together, of course there was all of the water polo time, but we ate our meals together and hung out most weekends as well. We genuinely all loved each other. Winning the championship and getting to go to NCAAs with a team that had such a strong bond was so special.
Tarrin Petersen-Rice
This was such a sweet trip down memory lane. Of my four years as an Athena water polo player, the 2006 team was the one that I felt had the most cohesion and passion. The seniors—Annie, Diana, Kerry, and me—had been through a lot of highs, lows, and outright heartbreak losses over the previous three seasons, so I think we were really ready to go big on our way out. Having been party to that, Coach Settem really pushed us to leave it all in the pool in every game.
We also were the team that I think had the most fun together. We had a blast traveling to Hawaii for Spring Break scrimmages (thanks, Annie and Cat [Taschner]!) and catching a Clippers game from box seats (thanks again, Cat!). The 2006 team was a small, bonded, tight-knit crew that came together when it counted the most, and the SCIAC championship game was no exception. One of my major memories is that Annie and Lisal were ejected during the first half of the game. The rivalry with the Sagehens was intense, so it wasn't hard to get into defensive hot water—it happened to all of us at points in our water polo careers, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was owing to some questionable calls in this grudge match! Annie is basically a water polo savant, and Lisal was one of our star players, so needless to say, this was an unfortunate turn of events in a championship game. Like Diana, I recall that Krissy played fantastically, but I also remember that our freshman players had to step up in a situation where ordinarily the starters would have been relied on the most.
Not to brag, but I very clearly remember this game since my shot was the game clincher for us :) It was a breakaway situation after a steal, so I was all by myself in front of goal with the Sagehens chasing me down. I naturally defaulted to a move that Coach Settem had us practice many times that season, so it felt like it all kind of came together—opportunity and preparation manifesting as luck. I attached the professional photo that was taken of that moment (pictured at right). My expression is hilariously intense and kind of counter to my happy-go-lucky demeanor; I didn't even know I was capable of making that face! But I love this photo because in it I see the culmination of everything I had invested in this team and in water polo overall, and of inner strength I didn't know I had. And I know that that shot wouldn't have been possible if our whole team, freshmen to seniors, hadn't come together in a huge way that afternoon.
Earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament was an incredible turn of events. One thing I will never forget was running into my club team coaches at the banquet dinner before the tournament started. I always felt overshadowed on my club team, especially because I didn't join a Division I program, but I finally had a literal seat at the table, while most of my former club teammates who had attended D-I schools had not finished their four years or were still not starters on their squads. The Marist game was the icing on the cake that was our dream season; we got to say that we came in seventh and not last place in the tournament—ha! Then racing to the airport with Kerry for the Scripps commencement, wearing our Speedo shorts and tournament shirts underneath our gowns, and walking last (out of alphabetical order) was such a caper. In the days before this all went down, I remember sitting in Scripps President Nancy Bekavac's office, talking over the possibility of traveling from UC Davis to graduation in her friend's learjet and pinching myself that this was even happening. Obviously that wasn't necessary and Southwest worked out just fine, but still, what a trip!
Annie (Richardson) Wright:
Diana and Tarrin, what awesome memories you have! I would echo what you said. We did NOT have a deep bench that year and most of the starters were playing every second of the game. The Sagehens were definitely capitalizing on that by trying (and succeeding) in getting two of us ejected early on. The assumption was our team would fold under the pressure of having lost two of our top players. But that did NOT happen! Rather, this seemed to fuel everyone's desire to win.
Diana, Krissy, Tarrin, Kendal, Kerry and the rest of the team stepped up to the plate and fought for the win. That would not have happened had our team not been so bonded during the season. We had a shared goal and we were all determined to achieve it. I am still so proud of this team.
Kerry (Henley) Price:
The Pomona-Pitzer win was the sweetest one of my entire water polo career! I remember having a great game as the goalie with meaninful saves, including a one-on-nothing that I blocked and got roars of encouragement from my team and the crowd!
I played water polo for many years before I came to Scripps College, actually starting my college career at UCLA before I transferred my sophomore year. Funny enough, Annie (Richardson) Wright and I were both at UCLA to start! I came to Scripps for academics, but I found my family in my water polo team - this was by far the closest team I had ever been on. Yes we played and practiced together - but we ate meals together, went to class together, and even did turn-around trips to Vegas together (still making it to practice on time!). We really bonded as a team in every respect, and sharing that SCIAC victory is a win I will never forget.
I also remember playing in the following NCAA D-1 tournament, which was the same weekend as graduation. We played our last game (which we won!), and then Tarrin Petersen and I were rushed out of the pool and onto a plane to fly to our graduation, still wet from our last game at UC Davis. We changed in President Bekavac's office while graduation was already underway, and we made it just in time to walk across the stage in our tournament t-shirts underneath our cap and gowns. To this day, I love and hold dear each of my teammates, including CMC alum Annie (Richardson) Wright, my closest college friend and the one who got me to come to the pool at CMS. It was a team for the ages! Go Athenas!
2006 Women's Water Polo Roster
Head Coach: Tim Settem
Sarah Goodspeed (Jr., Scripps)
Kerry Henley (Sr., Scripps)
Diana Kelly (Sr., CMC)
Kristin Orkney (So., CMC)
Tarrin Petersen (Sr., Scripps)
Annie Richardson (Sr., CMC)
Lisal Smith (Jr., CMC)
Kendall Snyder (Fr., CMC)
Cathernine Taschner (Fr., Scripps)
Ashley Thorne (Fr., CMC)
Lanier Zimmer (Fr., CMC)