ThisWeek reveals Super 6 boys, girls water polo teams for 2022

Both water polo state championships were won by Upper Arlington, so the Golden Bears are well represented on our Super 6 boys and girls teams.

The Athlete of the Year in each sport will be announced at the Central Ohio High School Sports Awards, presented by Encova Insurance. The winners will be announced during the live show on June 15 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. The show is produced with the support of Raising Canes and Nationwide Children's Hospital.

Nominated athletes will receive a free ticket to the event thanks to sponsors when they RSVP here. Additional tickets may be purchased on the show's website.

School: St. Charles

Year: Senior

Bateman was first-team all-state and the state's co-Goalie of the Year with Cincinnati Princeton's Jack McDaniel.

Also the starting goalie for the lacrosse team, Bateman had 215 saves, 42 steals and 13 assists and was named all-North Region as St. Charles went 31-7, defeating Princeton 11-8 in the third-place game at state. Last season, he had 148 saves and 43 steals.

School: Thomas Worthington

Year: Junior

Edwards proved to be an adept scorer for the Cardinals, who finished 19-19 and fourth in the North Region.

The center had 71 goals, 12 assists and 32 steals on his way to second-team all-state honors. Edwards led a team that scored 285 goals with 213 shots and turned the ball over only eight times.

School: Upper Arlington

Year: Senior

Gooding had 37 goals, 49 assists, 19 blocks and a team-leading 66 steals for the Golden Bears, who went 33-3 and repeated as state champions. UA defeated Toledo St. Francis in both the North Region and state finals, the latter by a 15-6 score.

The second-team all-state selection and two-time Super 12 honoree also is defending state champion in the 100-yard breaststroke and was runner-up as a sophomore.

School: Upper Arlington

Year: Senior

Pabst's balanced line of 97 goals, 32 assists, 34 steals, 12 blocks and 28 kickouts drawn led the Bears to their second state title in a row and ninth overall.

Pabst, who also had 55 goals, 36 steals, 34 assists and 10 blocks as a junior, was named state Field Player of the Year. He scored five times in the state final and his kickouts drawn were second on the team.

School: St. Charles

Year: Senior

Pettis, a first-team all-state honoree, was second on the Cardinals with 103 goals but led them with a 68.7 shooting percentage, going 103-for-150.

He also had 22 assists, 38 steals and seven blocks as St. Charles went 31-7 and finished third at state for the second consecutive season.

School: Upper Arlington

Year: Senior

A first-team all-state honoree and last year's Super 6 Captain, Ray paced UA in goals (101) and assists (64) and made 42 steals as the Bears repeated as state champions. Thirteen of his goals were in six-on-five situations, water polo's equivalent of a power play.

UA went 33-3, beating St. Francis 15-6 in the state final. The Bears’ losses were to teams from California and Pennsylvania in out-of-state tournaments.

School: Upper Arlington

Year: Junior

Barger had 42 goals, 52 steals and 20 assists to help the Bears to their fourth consecutive state championship and 20th overall.

She was second on the team in goals and third in steals as UA finished 33-2, defeating the Cincinnati Mavericks 11-1 in the state final. She had two four-goal games, both against Thomas Worthington during the regular season, and 11 multi-goal outings overall.

School: Upper Arlington

Year: Senior

A key player in the Bears’ defense and first-team all-state selection, Croci also was crucial on the offensive end during UA's run to a fourth consecutive state title.

She made a team-leading 71 steals, scored 41 goals — 24 more than a year ago — and added 28 assists as the Bears went 33-2. Croci was second on the team in assists and one of 10 Bears to make at least 20 on the season.

School: Worthington Kilbourne

Year: Senior

In her second year in the sport, Delma — a state qualifier in swimming — proved valuable in multiple roles, including a team-high 55 swim-offs won.

Delma, who was state co-Field Player of the Year with Upper Arlington's Naomi Maurer, also led with 68 goals, 29 assists and 34 kickouts drawn and added 60 steals as Kilbourne finished 20-11, fifth at state and third at regional.

School: Thomas Worthington

Year: Senior

Helm was a well-round field player, earning second-team all-state honors after being third on the Cardinals with 46 goals and tying for first with 29 assists.

Helm, a center, added 51 steals and 10 blocks and drew 24 kickouts for Thomas, which finished 16-16, fourth at state and second at regional.

School: Thomas Worthington

Year: Sophomore

Holub, who was second-team all-state, led the Cardinals with 87 goals and was third with 28 assists.

The attacker won 66 swim-offs and also proved to be strong on the defensive end. She had a team-best 87 steals and tied Helm for the team lead with 24 kickouts drawn.

School: Upper Arlington

Year: Senior

The state's co-Field Player of the Year and last year's Super 6 Captain, Maurer led UA in goals (63) and assists (29) and was second in steals (59) as the Bears won their fourth state title in a row and eighth in 10 seasons.

UA went 33-2, routing the Cincinnati Mavericks 11-1 in the final. Maurer, who had 54 goals in 2021, scored three times in both of the Bears’ state tournament games.

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