Carolyn Conway

Steve Virgen

Newport Harbor High girls water polo coach Bill Barnett called it

“the worst week,” but for senior Carolyn Conway it turned out to be

one of her best.

Barnett was referring to the Sailors’ difficult schedule that

included Santa Margarita, The Bishop’s, Foothill and the Santa

Barbara tournament, all coming in an eight-day span. The top-notch

opponents served as motivation for Conway and she thrived on the

challenge, starting with Santa Margarita, a team she has been quite

familiar with.

Conway grew up in Rancho Santa Margarita and she was set to play

for the Eagles, but moved to Newport Beach before her freshman

season. She competed with most of the Santa Margarita players during

their youth club water polo days.

If showing up her friends wasn’t enough inspiration, Conway and

the Sailors wanted revenge, as the Eagles knocked them out of the CIF

Southern Section Division I semifinals last year. Conway scored a

game-high five goals and set the tone with a sensational first

quarter to lead Newport to a 13-3 victory over Santa Margarita Jan.

9.

Conway scored two goals in the first quarter, recorded a steal

that led to a goal, dished out an assist, and drew an ejection.

Conway’s five-goal performance proved to be impressive, considering

it came against a solid team, and her playing time. Because the

Sailors were up 10-0 early in the third quarter, she sat out the rest

of the way.

The next day, Conway, the Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week,

delivered another five goals in Newport’s 12-7 win over The Bishop’s,

the top team in San Diego. It was the Knights’ first loss of the

season.

“We’ve all been coming together; it’s a team effort,” Conway said

in regard to her great week. “I don’t think [the 10 goals] were all

mine and about me. They definitely helped.”

Conway, bound for Indiana University, continued her hot streak

with a team-high four goals to help lead the Sailors to a 10-9

overtime win over Foothill, ending the Knights’ 49-game winning

streak Wednesday. She connected on a circus-type shot near half-tank.

The arching ball hit the post and caromed in, tying the score, 5-5,

in the fourth quarter. Conway smiled, actually appeared to have

laughed, after the shot went in.

Though Conway can be an intense competitor, she says she plays the

game for fun.

“I like to look on the bright side of things,” Conway said. “I

don’t like to take things so serious.”

Case in point, Newport used to have warm-up music before games,

but Barnett thought it distracted his players, namely Conway who got

caught singing along to ABBA’s “Dancing Queen.”

“We have to get pumped up with the music in our cars now,” Conway

said with a laugh.

Conway also said she is known to provide comic relief sometimes

for the Sailors.

“Carolyn is actually the court jester at times with the team,”

Barnett said. “She provides a lot of laughs.”

Conway wasn’t all smiles earlier this season. She started her

senior season battling the flu and trying to overcome a 104

temperature. She also sprained her thumb and had to miss a week.

“I think Carolyn had a slow start; she wasn’t playing with much

intensity,” Barnett said. “But she has increased her intensity and

she’s getting up and down the [pool] very intensely.”

Conway said the reason for her improvement is because she is

healthy and she also gained helpful training when playing against

former Newport players Katherine Belden, Annie Wight and Paige

Lansing during the winter break.

Now, Conway hopes to be consistent as the Santa Barbara tournament

ends today. The Sailors will most likely win the Sea View League

title since they defeated the defending champion Foothill, and then

they will turn their sights toward the CIF playoffs.