San Diego Community College District

Nineteen-sixty-nine was a memorable year in New York City baseball folklore. The New York Mets won a World Series Championship just a year removed from an 89-loss season. As a result of that dramatic turnaround, the hometown nine have come to be affectionately known as the “Amazin’ Mets.”

Six decades later, the 2023 version of the San Diego Miramar College women’s water polo team can call themselves the “Amazin’ Jets!” Theirs wasn’t a story of recovery from losing nearly half the total number of games in the season ― only because the year prior there were no games to be played due to a canceled season ― but rather one in which, following a program hiatus, the “Amazin’ Jets” returned to the pool to win the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference title for the first time in school history.

In summer 2022, with fewer than seven players on the roster ― the total needed in the pool at any given time and necessary minimum required to compete ― Athletic Director Nick Gehler made the difficult decision to cancel the season. 
“I told the coach at the time that we needed to get at least seven players to participate,” Gehler said. “We fell short of that number and I had to make a difficult call.”

His next call wasn’t too difficult to make.

In December 2022, Head Coach Lucy Gates, 27, was hired away from Palomar College, where she had won the PCAC title during the 2022 season as interim head coach. It was now her job to find players and field a team in time for the start of the 2023 season. So, Gates searched San Diego County pools for players while also acting as the head coach of the Oceanside High School girls’ team.

“When I got the job, I had to hit the ground running with recruiting efforts,” Gates said. “Luckily, we had three returning players that stuck around after the canceled season, including our star goalie, Rylie Hage. So, I had at least those three to lean on during the process. I cast a wide net and talked to as many area seniors as I could. I tried to over recruit and it paid off.”

After each game Gates coached at Oceanside High, she would seek permission from the opposing coaches to address the seniors on coming to Miramar College to continue their playing careers. A community college athlete herself, having played at Palomar College before transferring to California State University, Monterey Bay, Gates espoused the benefits of playing at a community college.

“Recruits had to buy into my vision for the Miramar program,” she said.

Gates then hired assistant coaches Bennett Bugelli and Evan Dean, who she claims “were essential factors in our team’s success,” and away they went.
Along the way, the coaching staff added the offensive prowess of Poway High School’s Nalani Galindo, who would lead the Jets in scoring. On the defensive side, Chloe Fairchild showed up from nearby Clairemont High School and stepped up as the team’s guard.

“I was so grateful that Rylie stuck around, finding a talented goalie for your program at this level isn’t easy,” said Gates. “Rylie and the other two returners had their season robbed from them the year prior, so I just wanted to give them a great experience.” And that she did ― one that few could predict would come.

The 2023 season started September 8 with a five-game winning streak, which included the Jets’ first of two wins over San Diego Mesa College. By late October, the Jets were 16 and 3 and headed to their first ever PCAC title. The “Amazin’ Jets” wrapped up an undefeated regular season conference record before going on to win the PCAC tournament championship and qualify for the SoCal Regionals.

The Jets were able to avenge an early season loss to Cuesta College during the first round of the SoCal Regionals in early November. That victory set up a quarterfinals date with the state’s top-seeded program Santa Barbara City College. The Jets trailed 7-5 before ultimately losing 14-6. Santa Barbara then went on to win the SoCal regional and qualify for the state championship tournament. The Jets returned to Miramar College with a desire to improve in 2024 and a whole lot of post-season accolades for their efforts.

In the end, several “Amazin’ Jets” earned post-season honors. First team All-PCAC selections included: Hage, Fairchild, Erica Pircher, and Emma Roberson. Second team All-PCAC selections included: Jordy Jordison and Emma Fritz. Gabby Atta was named honorable mention. Additionally, Galindo and Hage were named 1st Team All-Regional and All-American while Fairchild and Erica Pircher earned 2nd team All-Regional and All-American.

Head Coach Lucy Gates was honored as PCAC Coach of the Year while Galindo was named PCAC Player of the Year.

With every current player on the team classified as an athletic freshman and eligible to return for next season, plus with another strong recruiting class, there’s excitement ahead for the 2024 season.