Eagles aim to prolong solid start

Steve Virgen

Year No. 3 for Coach Bob Bandaruk at Estancia is proving to be a

special one, and the best for his girls water polo team.

The Eagles have started the season 4-0 and are playing the way

Bandaruk has expected. They are also improving and plan to take

advantage of a wide-open race for the top three spots in the Golden

West League.

“I think we are going to do real well,” Bandaruk said. “We are

much improved and basically all of my starters are returning. This is

by far my best team out of the three years I’ve been here.

Absolutely.”

Bandaruk said experience has been important for his team. Seniors

Marilyn Reich and Britta Pitti are the leaders in that department.

Reich, who also runs cross country, was voted as the team’s Most

Valuable Player last year and she held the same honor after the swim

season when she won the Golden West League title in the 100

freestyle.

“She’s probably the best female athlete on our campus, in my

opinion,” Bandaruk said. “She is our best returning player and will

be playing at two meters.”

Junior Courtney Hess, along with junior Jessica Kasper figure to

be key contributors throughout the season. Senior Lauren Mahan, and

sophomores Carolina Barnes, Katie Mahan and Chelsea Kaplan provide

depth. “We want to finish in the top half of the league,” Bandaruk

said. “I’ve mentioned the playoffs to them, that is one of our goals,

and I think that is very much within reason.”

Bandaruk is aware cross-town rival Costa Mesa is solid and poised

to repeat as Golden West League champion. But that is of little

concern to Bandaruk. The Eagles don’t use Costa Mesa for motivation.

They rely on their own talent to get excited.

“I don’t gear anything to beating Mesa,” he said. “When we play

them it’s another game to me. It’s week to week. I don’t sit here and

say we need to beat them. I don’t even have it on my head until it’s

time to get ready. I’m excited about us. Compared to my other teams

everything we do is just better than it was in the past. From ball

handling skills to shooting, we are a little bit more committed. We

have an opportunity to step up and win more than we have in the past,

which is exciting for me and them. I don’t feel that I have any

weaknesses in my starting group.”