As fall comes into full swing, Archie Williams seniors start to make decisions revolving around colleges. Although some of the first school deadlines are between mid-Oct. to early Nov. sporting commitments are already in motion.
Archie Williams has had many Division One athletic commits in the past, while the year of 2023-24 continues that trend. Seniors Loretta Hovey and Haakon Lacy both have decided to verbally commit to the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) to play Division One water polo.
Loretta and Haakon have grown up in the same community playing water polo side by side for many years. Both students have swam for the Sleepy Hollow swim team starting at the very young age of seven years old. Their former head coach Mark Anderson, has been a huge inspiration and motivation to Loretta’s success.
“He has always put an inspiration in me that I can’t really get rid of and I’ve just used that inspiration I got out of Sleepy Hollow, and used it throughout high school,” Loretta said.
Haakon finds his motivation through competitiveness, especially with his family.
“I have been very competitive with my brother, so he’s kind of pushed me to continue going with it and I’ve always just wanted to be better than him and just be competitive and better than everybody else,” Haakon said.
Haakon played with many different teams all across the country, traveling with the Olympic Development Program. He traveled to Brazil, Hungary, and even Greece playing all different levels and teams. Choosing the right college was difficult, but UCSB felt like the most fitting pick for Haakon.
“I wanted to make a larger impact on a team and I already knew a lot of the players there so it felt like home,” Lacy said.
Haakon also has family on the UCSB water polo team and will be playing next season alongside his older brother. The excitement that comes with Division One sports is something that Haakon has wanted for a long time.
“I’m excited for the competitiveness of college water polo and being able to wake up every day to become slightly better at your own sport and slightly better as a team,” Haakon said.
Loretta looks forward to playing her favorite sport in a beautiful environment, next to the beach. Loretta loves the ocean, and couldn’t be happier to end up at her dream school. Loretta has even already picked out her roommate.
“This is my one and only dream school. I couldn’t see myself playing anywhere else,” Hovey said.
Loretta is hoping to study environmental science and go into the school with that as her major. While in college she has an intense goal of traveling to many countries with the possibility of playing abroad, whereas Haakon wants to aim for Olympic level play.
Both senior Falcons share the excitement to continue their academic and athletic careers at UCSB to play Division One water polo.
