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AVA CAFFARINI
Illpolo.com's All-Illpolo Fourth Team
Lincoln-Way Central's girls team continued to improve this year with a
20-8 regular season record, and a great deal of credit for that can be
given to Ava Caffarini for her performance as their starting hole set. She was named to the
All-Illpolo fourth team as a result of her performance. We asked Ava the following
questions in an exclusive Illpolo.com interview:
College choices, major, current GPA?
I'm interested in going to college at University of Illinois in
Champaign-Urbana. I'm not really sure what I want to major in, but I think
I may want to go into medicine, so I will most likely go into premed once
I get into college. My current GPA is 4.0 on a 4.0 scale.
Experience, Club Team, Zone Teams, Off-season work?
I've been playing water polo since freshman
year (late start, I know), and I play on Lincoln-Way Area Water Polo Club
in the summer. There aren't many water polo oriented activities in my area
during the winter, so most of my off season training involves age group
swimming. I have been a member of the varsity swim team since my freshman
year, and I started playing varsity polo my sophomore year.
When did you start? How? Where?
I was first introduced to polo the summer before my freshman year (summer '02) when I went to the polo camp at my high school. I fell in love with it immediately and decided to start playing that spring.
Awards and achievements?
Last year I was honorable mention
All-sectional. I had special mention All-Conference this year, and I was
on the Second All Sectional team this year.
Personal interests? Music? TV shows?
I am a hardcore bookworm, and my favorite books include Fight Club, Odd
Girl Speaks Out, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and the Harry
Potter Series and I have a huge stack of books that I want to read this
summer. My favorite bands include Dashboard Confessional, Alkaline Trio,
Something Corporate, the New Amsterdams, The Beatles, and Queen. And, this
sounds really nerdy, but I am captain of my high school Science Olympiad
team. I am also and avid member and spirit leader of my school's chapter
of the junior classical league.
Goals for the future with polo? School? Life?
I know that I would love to play polo in college, but I don't know if I'll
be able to hack it with the big dogs. I want to finish out high school
with a 4.0 GPA and stay in the top 5% of my class, while juggling two
varsity sports, and I am almost certain that I can do it. I don't really
know what I want to do after college, or even after high school (other
then go to college that is).
Motivation, inspiration?
I get most of my motivation from my teammates
and coaches even though I have always been a self starter, and I owe much
of my success to my coaches, family and teammates.
First Season, Career role?
I was the starting hole my freshman year on JV. It was pretty sweet. I liked playing point better though, because I could run a point-to-hole drive. My Sophomore year I started as driver, and this year I started at hole set.
Additional?
I taught myself how to do a backhand! And this year I am going to work on a left hand backhand and a side arm shot, which right now I couldn't do to save my life. And I am in five honors classes and next year I am taking four AP classes.
