BISHOP’S SENIORS HOPE TO KEEP ROLLING IN OPEN DIVISION
In the spirit of the USC rallying cry, expect three seniors on this season’s Bishop’s girls water polo team to “Fight on!”
Knights standouts Alex Bonaguidi, Maggie Johnson, and Deming Wyer have committed to play at USC, the defending NCAA champion.
Before they leave, the trio, who have been teammates since their freshmen year, are first looking to a complete a sweep of San Diego Section Open Division championships.
Wyer committed to USC over the summer, followed by Bonaguidi in mid-September and Johnson at the end of that month.
Although already committed, Wyer joined her teammates on an official recruiting visit to USC in early September, and in turn, became even more set on attending the school.
“Going with them, I knew that this was such a special place,” Wyer said. “The team was super nice. We hung out at their practices. The coaches and everyone are familyoriented. So it was an awesome experience.”
To top it off, the three will reunite with two current Trojans freshmen, Bishop’s alum Sofia Stein and Catholic Catholic grad Izze Zimmerman. All five competed on the same club squad last summer.
“USC is a great school athletically and academically,” Bonaguidi said. “It’s going to teach you how to grind every day in the pool and become a hard worker and prepare you for life outside of college to get a good job.”
The Bishop’s pipeline to USC has included Lauren Arthur, Rachel Camacho, Dominique Sardo and Sarah Van Norman.
There’s another special tie-in for Johnson. Her father, Tom, attended USC. Her family has long rooted for the Trojans.
Johnson, the reigning section Player of the Year, doesn’t just play water polo, but also played field hockey, softball and swimming in high school.
“Water polo is definitely my favorite,” Johnson said. “There are aspects of every other sport that you can take and complement water polo really well.”
Johnson followed her older sister, Emily, on the Knights water polo team. The family aspect on the current squad extends to both Bonaguidi, joined by her junior sister, Julia, and Wyer, by her sophomore sister, Kendall.
Deming Wyer didn’t begin playing water polo until ninth grade when she switched from soccer.
“I didn’t really love soccer, and I wanted to find a sport that I loved,” Wyer said. “With water polo, I came to the pool, and I loved it. Every person should have a sport they love.”
Bonaguidi, Johnson, and Wyer often comprise the Knights front line with Wyer on left as a driver, the imposing 6-foot Bonaguidi in the middle, and Johnson on the right as an attacker.
“Team chemistry is so essential,’’ Bonaguidi said. “Maggie and Deming know where I want the ball, and I know where they want the ball.”
As fluid as the game can be, Johnson notes it’s just a matter of being in position to help each other.
“The biggest thing I try to focus on is being a good teammate,” Johnson said. “That’s especially valued in this program, just supporting your teammates.”
The Knights are 6-2 heading into the new year, including the championship of the prestigious Villa Park Tournament.
Also among the team leaders has been senior Alex Scafidi, bound for Indiana University.
Along with their fourth straight section title, the Knights are seeking their school’s 11th in 12 years under coach Doug Peabody, joined in recent years by cocoach Ian Davidson.
“Our coaches always say you’re not defending a championship. You’re fighting for a new one,” Johnson said. “You owe it to those people who came before us and worked too hard to build this program to maintain the culture and legacy of it.”
It’s a path well known to these team veterans.
“Definitely, winning is our goal, but there are so many things that add up to winning,” Wyer said. “Right now, our main goal is to look at things one game at a time, making sure that we’re focusing on everything that we need to focus on.”