Jace Nistane ’26

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Water polo is by far one of the most demanding Olympic sports to play, heavily stressful on the legs and requiring ample core strength. These attributes are necessary for making a goal. 

Along with athletic development, our Strake Jesuit water polo program also provides a great opportunity for bonding with teammates.

“I enjoyed myself, and enjoyed seeing my friends daily,” Matias Garcia-Prats ‘26 said. “I also got to play a lot.”

Seniors complete their years on our water polo team with a trove of great memories.

“This season meant a lot to me as a senior,” Ellis Vance ‘24 said, “because it’s the last year we all played together. Of all things at Strake Jesuit, I will miss playing water polo the most.”

In the 2023 season, our varsity water polo team became the first in our program’s history to play five rounds in the state playoffs, eliminating the reigning state champion Brazoswood. In the regular season, our varsity players beat St. Marks for the first time since 2012 as well as defeated every team that made state. 

By losing to Pearland Dawson in the playoffs, SJ Varsity Water Polo team finished the regular season as district runner-ups, a grand achievement. 

The end of the 2023 season brought the departure of most of our varsity team–18 seniors. “I’ll miss them a lot,” our varsity head coach, Mr. Keogh said, reflecting the sentiment among the program’s freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. “Water polo is a great sport. Come out and try it, and make friends.”