Seven Metro Conference athletes were selected to compete in this year’s senior all-star game played March 5 at Coronado High School.
Olympian’s Cassandra Greene, Southwest’s Maria Gutierrez and Mar Vista’s Stephanie Morales and Isabelle Hastings on the small schools team, and Hilltop’s Nickie Torres and Priscilla Rude, along with Eastlake’s Brianna Mullaley, were represented the victorious large schools team.
The large schools team won 10-8 with a four-goal swing in the second half.
Hilltop’s Ernie Medina, whose Lady Lancers won this year’s San Diego Section Division III championship a week earlier, coached the large schools team.
The small schools team led by scores of 3-1 and 5-4 at the end of the opening two quarters. The teams entered the final quarter tied 8-8.
Hastings, who led the Lady Mariners to this year’s San Diego Section Division II championship title. scored the opening two goals of the all-star game while Mullaley had one goal in the third period to tie the game. Rude also had one goal while Torres contributed three assists.
“It was like an honor to be on that team,” Torres said. “I felt that all the hard work I put in throughout the years has paid off.”
“It was nice to be invited and considered to play with all the other girls,” Rude said. “It was interesting to see how everyone else played because we didn’t know each other. Everyone on the team was very talented.”
Both Torres and Rude are planning to continue their education at San Diego State University; Torres said he would like to try out for the SDSU women’s water polo team.
Torres called winning Hilltop’s first girls water polo CIF title a “surreal” experience.
“Our team started at the bottom,” Torres explained. “We progressed really quickly in three years to win CIF. We started with one win my sophomore year.”
Rude echoed Torres’ comment. “It was a cherry on top of the perfect game, four years of playing,” Rude noted.
Coaches for large team were Ernie Medina Hilltop and RBV’s Kym King joined Medina at the helm of the large schools team.
Clairemont’s Joey Kienle Clairemont and Coronado’s Alicia Began coached the small schools team.
Medina was also selected to coach the large school boys team in 2014. However, the large schools team lost, 12-11, in overtime in the otherwise closest game to date.
