North Penn’s Paige Mitchell is Reporter/Times Herald/Montgomery Media 2021 Girls Water Polo Athlete of the Year
The North Penn Girls Water Polo team never stopped pushing until it reached its ultimate goal, and senior Paige Mitchell was a driving force.
Selected Athlete of the Year for Girls Water Polo, Mitchell’s versatility helped the Knights live out their state-championships dreams.
“I think this group of girls was really close with one another so it helped us a lot in the pool,” the senior said. “We could always count on one another and I feel like trust is a huge part of the game. We all helped each other improve throughout the season and in the end, we were all there as one family to celebrate our state-championship win. I’m super excited to see what these girls can do next year.”
Mitchell was a catalyst for the Knights’ state-tournament victory.
North Penn earned wins over Pennridge (14-6), Cumberland Valley (12-11) and Wilson (7-4) to capture the state crown.
“This year was definitely one of my best seasons both in and out of the pool,” Mitchell said. “Our team went in it not really knowing what we would be like after losing a lot of seniors the previous year, but we all worked really hard and it was a great experience bonding with these girls and getting closer as we all pushed each other.”
North Penn brought everything – and everyone – together in the end.
“Winning the state title is an amazing experience and to be able to end my senior year with a victory was the best thing I could ever ask for,” Mitchell said. “Being one of the starters was definitely stressful but it was also just a fun experience being able to put together all the hard work throughout the season and show everyone what we could do.
“Going into the state tournament, our girls had a really positive attitude and I think that definitely helped me push myself in the pool and in the end I was so happy to experience one more win with these girls.”
Mitchell heads to La Salle next year, taking with her a plethora of memories from the pool at NP.
“Over the past four years, I have enjoyed how this team has become a second family to me,” she said. “I made friendships that I will have for a lifetime. Both the boys and girls teams are so close with one another, which is super helpful when we have each other there supporting us at our games.
“I also loved the intensity of practice and how dedicated everyone is on the team. Our team trains hard for many hours of the week and I loved having the opportunity to work hard and have a strong coaching staff to push me.”
