Nov. 25, 2014
SAN DIEGO - Starting with the first week of classes back in late August, we began to look at every varsity women's water polo team in school history, which spans 20 seasons. This week we look at the 2002 team. The Aztecs finished with a 20-15 record and finished eighth nationally under head coach Carin Crawford.
Where are they now?
Katie Clark, who played at SDSU from 2001-02 after transferring from Riverside CC, earned a varsity letter in 2002 and picked up a pair of academic awards that season as well. Clark was named to the MPSF all-academic team and the ACWPC all-academic superior squad.
Questions for Katie:
1. Where are you living and what have you been up to since graduating from SDSU?
"I live in Riverside, California. I worked for four years in Community Services at the City of Fontana where I ran all the aquatics programs/pools. I left Community Services to become a police officer with the City of Fontana. I have been a police officer for seven years. I got married and have two daughters who both play water polo for Riverside Water Polo where I volunteer as a coach."
2. What is one thing you miss about being a student-athlete at SDSU?
"Being a student-athlete allows you to have the time to do something you love. I miss having the time to play water polo everyday like I had at SDSU."
3. Can you recall your favorite game/tournament while playing at SDSU?
"Women's water polo was at an exciting place in its history when I played at SDSU (2000-2002). 2000 was the inaugural year for women's water polo at the Olympic Games. Any game we played against Olympic athletes was exciting for me (Stanford, USC, UCLA, California)."
4. Are you or anyone in your family playing water polo these days? Where?
"My 16-year-old daughter plays water polo for Martin Luther King HS in Riverside and plays for Riverside Water Polo club. My 13-year-old daughter plays for Riverside Water Polo club as well. As for me, I play with the Masters group at Riverside Water Polo and Redlands Renegades. Annually, I get to participate in a "Guns vs Hoses" (Police vs Fire) Charity Water Polo game in December."
5. What's the biggest difference you see in the game of water polo now and when you played at SDSU?
"The game of women's water polo has gotten much quicker and the women have gotten stronger, which is exciting. I am lucky to have been able to be a part of the history of a sport that has given me so much in life."
A Look Back at 20 Years of SDSU Water Polo: 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001