Water polo became a sanctioned Illinois High School Association sport in the 2001-2002 school year.
Since then, only five schools have won the state title in girls water polo, with Fenwick having won eight of those titles. While New Trier hasn’t broken through to win it all yet, it is on the cusp.
“Illinois water polo for many years was based mainly in the Catholic League. Recently, however, water polo has had growing participation ever since it became an IHSA sport,” New Trier coach Matt Wendt said when asked about the state of girls water polo in Illinois.
“More high schools are adding water polo to their athletic programs and existing teams are adding Youth programs and training year-round in their respective clubs.”
After last season’s program-best second-place finish at the state tournament, Wendt was named the National Federation of High School Associations Illinois Coach of the Year.
“It means a lot to win the award. I have worked hard to make a positive impact on this program and feel honored and thankful,” Wendt said. “However, a large part of our success has been enabling our talented coaches and athletes to collaborate and work together as a team. New Trier attracts high-quality applicants for positions. We have been selective in who we hire, and as a result have been able to assemble a great group.”
Last season, the Trevians started 0-5 before rebounding to go 23-5 the rest of the year, including titles in the Central Suburban League as well as the Glenbrook North Sectional, the fourth sectional title under Wendt.
“In 2015 we had an extraordinary group of student-athletes,” Wendt said. “This group was unique in their combination of athleticism and mental strength. They were able to come from down three goals in the fourth period to send the game (versus Lincoln-Way Central in the state semifinal) to overtime and win it there.”
“Assembling a great team of coaches and enabling them to help the student-athletes reach their potential has been key for the program,” Wendt said. “Shannon Shamoon, Susie James and I were able to help this program improve to a high-level, earning us a fourth place finish in 2012. In 2013, Hungarian coach Laszlo Hruza joined the staff and he helped us take the program in a different direction technically which helped us get to the elite level we are at now.”
Wendt’s love for the game of water polo goes back to when he was a teenager playing at Oak Park-River Forest High School. There, the Winnetka resident was named the Illinois Player of the Year in 1988 before heading off to play at USC and being named captain in both 1990 and 1991 for the highly successful Trojan squad.
Wendt came to New Trier in 2009 and right away won a sectional in his first year. He’s won three more, each coming within the last four years.
“Working at a place like New Trier High School is truly a privilege,” Wendt said. “Athletic Director Randy Oberembt has been instrumental in a supporting role, and helping me grow as a coach, and the athletic administration as a whole is always there when you need them.”
Since Wendt took over, five Trevians have gone on to play collegiate water polo, including Maria Breen, who is a freshman at Villanova, and Lauren Barrett, who signed to play with national power Cal starting next season.
“I think the players that are coming into the program as freshmen now understand that this is a serious program and time commitment because of Coach Wendt and his entire staff’s emphasis on committing to the team as early as freshman year,” Kaleigh Dolan, a senior captain on last year’s squad, said.
While Wendt is happy to have received the award, he couldn’t have done it without his staff, he said.
“Susie James and Shannon Shamoon helped build the foundation for the program I walked into in 2009. Working together, we were then able to take the program to a fourth place finish at State in 2012,” Wendt said. “The next stage was when Laszlo Hruza joined our staff in 2013.
“Coach Laz is the best coach I know and I have learned a great deal from him. I have really had to figure out how to coach largely on my own and he’s the closest thing I’ve had to a mentor. Laz played an integral role in our second place finish by working individually with certain girls and taking the program to a higher level of technical instruction overall.”
If the Trevians are going to make another run at the state title, they’ll have to get past Glenbrook South and Loyola, two more of the state’s top 20 teams, in the Glenbrook South Sectional.
With the squad’s experience, training and power, it would seem they’re well on their way.
Michael Wojtychiw 