North Vancouver athletes were making a splash at the 18U water polo nationals last weekend.
Gabriella Chevalier (16) helped the Fraser Valley Water Polo Club’s girls team claim gold at the 18U NCL National Championships in Calgary.
Fraser Valley’s boys team had success too, picking up a bronze medal. Martin Radev (16) plays for that squad, and is also from North Van.
The girls team were underdogs going into the tournament, after placing third at the Western regional finals in May.
They also dropped their first match at nationals, losing 14-12 against the Calgary Renegades. But Fraser Valley fought back, winning their next three consecutive games to secure their spot in the final – a rematch against Calgary.
Saturday’s championship final was a nail-biter, with a tie at the end of regulation forcing a shootout. Fraser Valley won the shootout, clinching the national banner.
Over the five games, Chevalier was her team’s second-highest scorer, with 14 goals on 23 attempts (60.9 shooting percentage). She also recorded one assist, two blocks and five turnovers.
The Grade 10 Windsor Secondary student has been playing water polo for around six years. She got her competitive start with Pacific Storm, and switched to Fraser Valley in 2024.
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