Sports
Williams Aids Water Polo Team at Junior Olympics
The Terra Linda High athlete helps Sleepy Hollow Aquatics' 14-and-under boys squad earn a 22nd-place finish at the national event; four other San Rafael athletes help SHAQ shine as well.
’s R.J. Williams helped the Sleepy Hollow Aquatics 14-and-under water polo team earn a Top 25 ranking at the recent National Junior Olympics in Irvine.
The SHAQ club sent seven teams to the event, with the 14U squad recording the top finish among the boys. Thanks in no small part to Williams, the team went 4-4 to improve from its No. 30 seeding to a 22nd-place finish among 48 teams.
“The team way overachieved,” SHAQ coach Matt Swanson praised. “They beat some teams that were not expecting to lose to a small club from Marin County. It (angered) a lot of (the opponents’) parents.”
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Four other San Rafael athletes contributed to SHAQ’s overall team success at the Junior Olympics.
Susan Providenza was one of the leading scorers as the 16U girls recorded three wins by one goal apiece en route to a 5-3 record and a fifth-place finish in the Bronze Division.
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Brothers Dylan and Quinn Woodhead played roles as the 12U boys had a four-match winning streak en route to a seventh-place finish in the Gold Division. Dylan Woodhead was one of the team’s top defenders.
And ’s Ben Miller, one of the team’s best swimmers and defenders, helped the 18U boys win their first match of the tournament before settling for 18th place in the Silver Division of their competition.
Overall, the seven SHAQ teams finished with a 29-27 record in the national competition.
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