CdM girls’ water polo sending four seniors to the next level

Parker Hoffman remembers her freshman year at Corona del Mar High, when senior teammate Grace Morgan would drive her to girls’ water polo practice. Morgan went on to play at Cal.

“It made me really want to pursue water polo in college,” said Hoffman, now a senior at CdM. “If she could do it, so can I.”

Hoffman will get that opportunity, as she announced recently that she is headed to UCLA as a preferred walk-on player. Every member of the CdM four-player senior class is playing in college, and staying in California. Chloe Harbilas is going to Stanford, goalkeeper Erin Tharp will play at USC and Riley Sidebotham is signed with San Diego State.

Harbilas and Tharp were stars for the Sea Kings, playing critical roles on a team that finished sixth in CIF Southern Section Division 1. But the fact that two bench players in Hoffman and Sidebotham also will be playing NCAA Division 1 water polo speaks to the strength of CdM’s overall program. Hoffman did share team captain duties with Harbilas as a senior.

Her story is one of hard work, both in and out of the pool. Hoffman said she had a 4.6 grade-point average last semester. She plans to possibly study biology at UCLA, and hopes to one day be a surgeon.

“Being able to get in as a preferred walk-on, I was really excited about it,” she said. “I think it just really goes to show the depth of our program. At practices, everybody was very competitive and very supportive.”

Freshmen Tekawy, Cook shining for CdM girls’ swim team

Before heading off to college, each of the four CdM girls’ water polo seniors is part of the swim team this spring. But it is two younger club swimmers who have been leading the charge for that squad.

Freshmen Michelle Tekawy and Karsyn Cook have emerged for the Sea Kings, who beat Beckman 96-73 on Wednesday to improve to 2-1 in league. Tekawy won the 200-yard individual medley and 100 breaststroke, while Cook captured the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly.

Leora Rose, Tekawy, Cook and Chloe Harbilas were all part of the winning 200 medley relay team, while Cook, Carter Britt, Grace Myers and Tekawy won the 400 free relay.

Tekawy is undefeated in her individual events in league for CdM, which has two league meets remaining, Northwood at home on Wednesday and at Woodbridge on April 25. The Battle of the Bay meet against rival Newport Harbor is the following day, April 26 at CdM.

CdM girls’ lacrosse prepares for Beckman

It has been a tough season so far for the CdM girls’ lacrosse team, which is young. The Sea Kings are 3-6 this season, but CdM still has a shot to at least share a Pacific Coast League title.

CdM has two key league games next week, at Woodbridge on Monday at 3:15 p.m. and at Beckman on Wednesday at 4 p.m. It’s the first league matchup with the Warriors, and the second with the Patriots. Beckman won the teams’ first meeting, 7-6 on March 19.

Matchups with the Patriots usually are close and have league title implications. Last year, CdM beat Beckman twice to earn its first outright league title in program history. The teams were co-champions in 2014 and 2016.

Prior to last year, Beckman had won or shared each of the eight league titles since the league was formed for girls’ lacrosse in 2009.

matthew.szabo@latimes.com

Twitter: @mjszabo