Reporter/Times Herald/Montgomery Media 2021 Girls Water Polo All-Area Team

There were many moving pieces behind North Penn’s state-championship run this past fall, many players whose skills and determination paved the way to overall team success.

Several of these players landed on this year’s Reporter/Times Herald/Montgomery Media Girls Water Polo All-Area Team.

Paige Mitchell, this year’s Athlete of the Year for Girls Water Polo, Anna Evans, goalie Luna Hutchinson, Brenna Mancini and Ava Zollars all contributed in a big way to big wins in the pool.

“It was overall such an amazing experience winning states and I’m so happy to have been able to share this accomplishment with my team,” Hutchinson said of the season. “Going in as the fourth seed and taking out the first and second seeds was honestly the most surreal thing ever. Going in as a team, we took any pressure off and just played the game we have been playing our whole lives.”

Said Zollars of the Knights: “The state championship meant so much to me and the rest of the team this year, especially with it being my last year. The team had to overcome a lot of adversity during the season so to earn back the state title felt amazing. Overcoming the first seed as the fourth seed was such a big win for us, and it was really meaningful knowing we went into the game with determination, high energy, and really good team chemistry and that all paid off.”

It was also a tremendous run by the Wissahickon girls, as Maddie Johnson and Maddie Frustaci led the Trojans to a fifth-place finish in the state.

Pennridge also made it to the state tournament in 2021, surging to sixth, keyed by standouts Lea Preston and Adi Garges.

Upper Dublin continues to emerge, led by the versatile Emma McCarthy and Anna O’Malley.

Reporter/Times Herald/Montgomery Media Girls Water Polo All-Area Team

Paige Mitchell, North Penn

Anna Evans, North Penn

Luna Hutchinson, North Penn, Goalie

Brenna Mancini, North Penn

Ava Zollars, North Penn

Lea Preston, Pennridge

Adi Garges, Pennridge

Emma McCarthy, Upper Dublin

Anna O’Malley, Upper Dublin

Maddie Johnson, Wissahickon

Maddie Frustaci, Wissahickon