Norcross Women’s Water Polo Claims State Championship Title for the First Time

By Emily Stevenson, Norcross Coaching Staff

The Norcross Lady Blue Devils capped off a successful water polo season when they claimed the Georgia High School Water Polo Association state title in October. 

A young team with big heart

The team’s founding season was three years ago, in 2021. Over half of the team has been playing only this sport since then. 

“When I first started, I was drowning 90% of the time,” goalkeeper Micaiah Hughes said when recalling her introduction to water polo. 

“Now I’m dragging my family to the pool, talking to everyone about the sport and sharing a fraction of what an amazing transformation it has had on my life,” she added. 

There’s no doubt that this sport has positively impacted these young athletes.

The road to winning a state championship

The Lady Blue Devils had a stellar season but were ranked third in the state, having lost to the Southern Crescent team of South Atlanta and the Wildcats of Cobb County during their regular season. 

In the state championships, coaches Mariana Lombello and Emily Stevenson knew they had to take a different approach to motivate the athletes to dig deep.

“The talent was always there for us to win the state championship,” Coach Lombello said. “The girls were conditioned, knew their plays and had the connection and camaraderie … the only thing we needed was the drive to win.” 

We encouraged them to dig deep and to really believe that they could be champions, so our theme for the weekend became ‘Believe.’ We had the girls visualize themselves scoring goals, completing passes to one another and holding the trophy,” she explained. 

This encouragement proved successful when the Lady Blue Devils were down by three points to the Lady Wildcats in the semi-final game with only minutes left to play. Coach Lombello called a timeout to center the exhausted athletes and recited their mantra: Believe. 

“I believe you guys can win. This is it. Leave it all in the pool,” Lombello encouraged.

Close game propels Lady Blue Devils forward

The Lady Blue Devils lost to the Lady Wildcats three times during the regular season, but they weren’t going to give up. The game ended on a buzzer-beater scored by Norcross High School junior Amelia Washburn. 

The crowd went wild, recognizing the mental toughness and physical skill required to make a comeback that epic. The final score was 16 to 15, and Norcross advanced to the finals.

Washburn transitioned from swimming to water polo full-time in 2021. 

“Water polo has taught me to not put limits on myself and what I’m capable of … to just go for it,” Washburn said. 

“That has improved my confidence in and out of the pool,” she added. 

Now Washburn, along with her teammates and other players all over North Georgia, plays water polo year-round. They play under North Atlanta Water Polo, the local USA Water Polo-sanctioned league founded by Elizabeth and Chris Arendale.

A special team dynamic 

Chestatee High School sophomore Frankie Arendale was a pivotal playmaker in the Lady Blue Devils’ successful season. With over 50 goals scored this season (10 of them scored in the semi-final game alone), Arendale’s skill was unmatched. 

She attributes her success to the positivity and shared love of her teammates.

“I’ve played water polo for several different teams, but this season was different,” Arendale said. “All of the girls really get each other. No one was down, and everyone was positive. Everything fit together magically.” 

Arendale was recognized as the 2023 Georgia High School Water Polo Association League MVP and has been playing water polo for eight years.

The future of water polo in Georgia is bright

It is the goal of both coaches Lombello and Stevenson, as well as the North Atlanta Water Polo club, to continue to foster a love for this sport in youths. 

“Making a name for Norcross early on in the growth of the sport will be huge,” Elizabeth Arendale, founder of Norcross Water Polo Club girls’ program and North Atlanta Water Polo club, said. “We want to be affiliated with high-level water polo.”

The Lady Blue Devils practice at West Gwinnett Park and Aquatic Center in Norcross, GA.

Team photos taken by Kryski Photography.