CMS Women's Water Polo Finishes as National Runner-Up After Falling in Finals

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Grace Clark had a game-high four goals for the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's water polo team, but Pomona-Pitzer closed the first half on a 7-0 run and went on to take a 15-10 win over the Athenas in the finals of the USA Water Polo Division III National Championship on Sunday at Haldeman Pool.

The Athenas finish with a 20-11 record and end up as the second-place finisher at the USA Water Polo championship for the second straight season. Pomona-Pitzer finishes at 25-10 and earns its third straight title. 

CMS led 3-2 at the end of the first quarter, after Valerie Wraith broke a tie with her second goal with 1:55 left in the period. Mia Adsen also scored in the first quarter, pulling the Athenas even at 1-1 with 3:13 left, before Wraith put CMS ahead 2-1 just 24 seconds later. 

The Sagehens tied the score with 5:58 left in the half, before Clark put CMS in front at the 5:53 mark The Sagehens, though, started a 7-0 run with 4:57 on the second-quarter clock, a spurt which included four goals in the final 1:58 to turn what had been a close back-and-forth game into a 10-4 advantage at the break.

Pomona-Pitzer added the first two goals of the third quarter to take a 12-4 lead, before Clark ended the 9-0 run. Isabel Del Villar scored two second half goals, and Caitlin Muñoz added one to close out the scoring. Natalie Stearns had six second-half saves, while Del Villar had five steals to lead the defense. 

CMS will look to get back to the national championship stage next season after graduating four seniors: Adsen, Olivia Cairns, Cooper McKenna and Cassandra Ruedy.