Some teams are able to put together that magical season from time to time, sometimes even back to back.
But imagine winning four straight CIF crowns? Well, a pair of seniors at The Bishop’s School has that as their target this season in their final year with the girls water polo team.
Sarah Van Norman and Chelsea Smith-Carmichael have been there from the start and have done an incredible amount of winning along the way for head coach Doug Peabody and the Lady Knights.
The two have The Bishop’s School right there at the top again this winter, eyeing yet another CIF crown.
“Coming in as freshmen, Sarah and Chelsea were expected to contribute to our success and have yet to disappoint,” Peabody said.
Van Norman, who will take her talents north to USC next season, is on track to break the CIF scoring record and possibly, along with Smith-Carmichael, win four consecutive CIF titles. Van Norman was last season’s CIF Division II and Breitbard Hall of Champions Player of the Year.
Smith-Carmichael, a U.S. National Youth Team member, has successfully continued the Stanford tradition by following ex-captains Megan May and Koree Blyleven to the farm next season. And according to Peabody, the success she has had is no surprise.
“Chelsea has brought such a work ethic to the program that the young girls coming up will be able to look back and be inspired for years to come,” Peabody noted. “The 2006-07 season especially has been great for Van Norman as she has taken on a role as mentor to our freshmen and sophomore two-meter players, often acting as a coach in practice.”
While stats and wins are great, Peabody noted that seeing a pair of young girls mature in front of his eyes and others in the school has been most rewarding.
“To have been able to watch two such committed young ladies come through the program and excel at every turn has been great for Coach Eric Gordon and myself,” Peabody said.
And how have two of the program’s most successful players felt about their winning ride these last three-plus seasons?
According to Van Norman, her love of the school is what stands out most in her mind.
“I am so happy that I have had the opportunity to go to Bishop’s,” Van Norman said via e-mail. “This school is a great fit for me. Beginning with Mr. Teitelman (headmaster), all my teachers, my coaches, and my teammates ” I love them all. They care about me and I care about them. We are like family, not just friends. This school makes me feel secure.”
Being part of a winning girls water polo program has been like icing on the cake for Van Norman.
“Water polo is a special part of my time here at Bishop’s,” she said via e-mail. “Winning has always been the goal. This season is no different for me except that some of us will not be returning. Writing that last sentence makes me sad, but it is reality. Besides winning, my goals for this year are to help my younger teammates learn as much about this game as possible and to prepare them for when the seniors are gone.”
For Smith-Carmichael, who played with the U.S. Junior Pan American Games squad that won a gold medal last year and was fourth in team goals, the ride at Bishop’s has been equally satisfying these last four years. It has even brought her some individual highlights along the way. Late last year, Smith-Carmichael was the only San Diego high school athlete to be invited and play in USA Women’s Water Polo’s 2006 Top 40 Tournament.
“Playing for Bishop’s girls water polo has been one of the highlights of my high school experience,” Smith-Carmichael said. “I don’t think that playing these past four years would have been the same without my two coaches, Doug Peabody and Eric Gordon. They have taught me so much, not only as a player, but as a person. Growing up on this team is something I will sincerely miss next year at college, but I am still looking forward to the new challenges and new friendships ahead of me.”
But before she and Van Norman pack their bags and head to college, the two wouldn’t mind adding one more CIF crown to their list of accomplishments.
“I would say the number-one goal of this season is to win a CIF title,” Smith-Carmichael said. “After winning our first CIF title as freshmen, Sarah and I always knew that one of our goals for our time at Bishop’s was to win all four titles. This year, I believe we have a really strong team and I am looking forward to the rest of the season.”
Heading into play last week, Bishop’s sported a record of 6-0 overall and 5-0 in league action. Van Norman has been averaging four goals per game, with Smith-Carmichael averaging around three a game, along with three assists and three steals.
But make no mistake about it, neither young lady assumes another CIF crown is headed their way.
“We do not take anything for granted,” Van Norman pointed out. “We try our hardest and we give our all to helping each other. I have learned that The Bishop’s School tradition of excellence is a very strong force. This school environment fosters achievement.”
And just going out on a limb ” assuming Bishop’s wins its fourth straight crown ” there is no doubt that while it was a team effort, these two young ladies would have had a lot to do with it.
“Our success over the last four years will always have Sarah and Chelsea’s stamp on it,” Peabody said. “They will leave the program hopefully with many great memories and stories as well as a truly magical legacy.”