Whether it was making it to regionals for the first time since 2018, or beating East Kentwood, water polo had several momentous achievements throughout its season.

“The season went really well. We did a lot better than we were supposed to,” Nora Magers stated.

People doubted the success of the water polo team because it was an entirely new team with a new coach. The returning girls managed to make the most out of it and welcomed the new girls as if they were old teammates. The new team dynamic and new coach ended up being a great change. Although there were significant changes this year, the team next year is staying the exact same, for the most part, as they only graduated two seniors: Sydney VanLente and Sydney Bacon.

Already, a few of the girls are focused on how to take down Hudsonville next year to redeem Forest Hills’s name. They have learned that the best way to beat Hudsonville is to take down their offense.

Nora Magers added, “We also need to try to score at least one or two goals and not have a shutout. As a team we need to keep the morale up.”

As an upcoming varsity player, Nora Magers has been playing on JV and occasionally on varsity during this season.

Magers described her experience from switching from JV to varsity by saying, “JV is interesting because it is a completely different atmosphere; it is not as intense. Once you go to a varsity game, it is a lot more intense and more serious.”

Magers is excited for what is in store for next season already. This season was life changing, not only for her but for all of her teammates, including junior Ashley Schenck.

“For the first time in my high school experience, everyone got along with no drama and no messes. Everyone worked really well together as there were no conflicts of interest,” Schenck said.

Throughout the whole season, the waterpolo team showed the district that even as an underdog team with many underclassmen, FH was in it to win it. The spirit this team has is unsurpassable, and it showed in their performance. The girls had a lot of great wins and tough losses, and ended up having a 17-14 record. They were also successful in many tournaments throughout the season. Things are looking bright next year for the waterpolo team.

“Although waterpolo may be a largely unknown sport, it is a lot of fun and if you are interested you should try it,” Ashley Schenck expressed.