Newberg Girls
The Newberg girls water polo team took a third place finish in the 6A state championships, defeating Grant 7-5 on Saturday, Nov. 16.
While the Tigers came up short of their ultimate goal of a state championship, the Matt Bayha-led team broke through a glass ceiling with the third place finish.
“I’m so happy and proud of them,” Bayha said following the game. “I’ve seen a tremendous amount of improvement. The last couple of years, we were finishing 5th in the state. So to break that little ceiling is going to be extra motivating for next year’s group.”
On paper, Newberg drawing Grant for its last game was tough. The Generals had Newberg’s number all year, with three of the Tigers’ eight losses coming from Grant. While some would want to avoid Grant in that position, Bayha’s squad was hoping to get the monkey off its back.
“Honestly, it gave (them) more motivation,” Bayha said. “We were hoping to see (Grant) again.”
When it mattered most, the Tigers were able to pull through. Sydney McDonald, a junior, was the leader of the team and earned herself co-player of the year honors from the Three Rivers League as well as first team all-league recognition.