The Millikan girls water polo team made a splash heading into the 2025–2026 season with a 21-7 win in their season opener on Nov. 11 against Notre Dame High School. At the time of publication, the Rams sit at second place in the Moore League and hold a 14-9 overall record.
When asked about the team’s expectations going into the season, QUEST senior captain Kyley Seeds said, “Year by year we’re building a stronger team. This year we’ve gotten a lot of experienced freshmen, which only helps add to our ongoing success. I really hope to win a CIF title this year!”
Throughout the season Millikan has remained a top competitor, earning wins against Moore League contenders Cabrillo and Poly, as well as nonleague opponent Huntington Beach. The team is currently falling short in Moore League to aquatic powerhouse, Long Beach Wilson, who are currently undefeated holding a 15-0 league record.
Seeds and co-captain Grace Darby describe this season as a tight knit group of girls who push each other to be at their best to stay competitive.
When asked how she wants to leave the season feeling, Darby, a fellow QUEST senior, said, “I want to leave this season feeling proud of how hard we worked on and off season and the way we competed together.” She added, “Leading this team taught me how important it is to support each other while pushing each other and it taught me how to better lead by example.”
Millikan stands behind its team as they hope to have a deep run in the CIF playoffs following a strong season in the pool.
Sienna Ramirez • Feb 6, 2026 at 12:47 pm
I found this article to be eye catching and loved that you wrote about a sport that
doesn’t usually get a lot of recognition. I really liked how you started the article off with the teams stats and their current place in Moore League which is second. I like how you mentioned that the team won against Poly and Cabrillo, as well as Huntington Beach who is not in Moore League. I also really like how you addressed Wilson as an aquatic powerhouse who is currently
undefeated this season, because Wilson has been dominating aquatics for years now.
I also really like how you interviewed the two captains which are Kyley Seeds and her co captain Grace Darby. By interviewing them and adding their opinions to the article really just helped tie everything together. I also completely agree with Kyley in that this year the freshmen were super strong with their skills and that I also really hope they win a CIF title. I also really like how Grace said she just wants to leave this season feeling proud of how hard the team worked, which I think is something that every player wants to feel and especially for it being her last season since she is a senior makes it even more emotional.
Overall, I really liked the way you wrote the article and included interviews from both captains about this season and I enjoyed reading it.
Lina Modica • Feb 3, 2026 at 9:22 am
As a member of the Millikan girls’ water polo team myself, I think the article has a good base but could be improved somewhat. The article is extremely short and could go more in-depth on our season, for example giving our own league record in contrast to Wilson’s (we’ve won every match except the one against them, though I recognize that at the time this article was written that match had not yet taken place).
In addition, I think depth could also be added to the article by interviewing other members of the team. The quotes you already have from our captains are great and they flow well with the rest of the article (which is tricky to do properly, so kudos to Castillo), but we’ve got a lot of other girls on this team this year who I think it’d help to hear from. For instance, we’ve had a really strong team of incoming freshmen this year, and a quote or two from one of them would go a long way in balancing the two perspectives of graduating seniors and fresh-faced newcomers.
On the whole, though, this article did an excellent job and I’m happy with the way Castillo portrayed MHS water polo. Thank you so much!
Emily Guzman • Feb 3, 2026 at 8:48 am
Dear Corydon Editor,
On Feb 2, 2026, Kayla Castillo wrote an article titled “Girls’ Water Polo’s Splashin Season”. This writing does a great job representing the energy and spirit of the team while also clearly explaining their accomplishments throughout the season. I also enjoyed how the piece uses both data from game highlights, along with personal interviews from the team captains. Because of this, readers who may not be too familiar with the sport are able to clearly understand the content of the article. Including these into the writing also helps accurately depict and reflect on the supportive and hard-working nature of the team. Overall, I found this article very engaging and well-written.
One enhancement I’d recommend is interviewing the water polo team’s coaches as well. While the team captains provide excellent insight from the athletes’ perspective, the coaches are also a large and important part of the season. It would be interesting to hear the perspective of someone who contributes so much to the team aside from the players. Interviewing the coaches would provide the article an extra sense of credibility. Capturing the different perspectives between the coaches and athletes in the sport would also emphasize the unity of the team that led to a highly successful season. However, even without this enhancement, Castillo does a great job of using quotes from the water polo team captains to develop the article.
My initial reaction to this article was a positive one. It made me proud to see such an underrated sport be recognized. Highlighting not only the statistics and wins but also the supportive attitude between teammates. It also made me happy to hear about the team’s incredible season, especially considering how challenging the sport is. As a member of the team, seeing the sport acknowledged truly makes us feel appreciated! I enjoyed the authenticity and presentation of the article.
Sienna Ramirez • Feb 2, 2026 at 1:19 pm
I found this article to be eye catching and loved that you wrote about a sport that doesn’t usually get a lot of recognition. I really liked how you started the article off with the teams stats and their current place in Moore League which is second. I like how you mentioned that the team won against Poly and Cabrillo, as well as Huntington Beach who is not in Moore League. I also really like how you addressed Wilson as an aquatic powerhouse who is currently undefeated this season, because Wilson has been dominating aquatics for years now.
I also really like how you interviewed the two captains which are Kyley Seeds and her co captain Grace Darby. By interviewing them and adding their opinions to the article really just helped tie everything together. I also completely agree with Kyley in that this year the freshmen were super strong with their skills and that I also really hope they win a CIF title. I also really like how Grace said she just wants to leave this season feeling proud of how hard the team worked, which I think is something that every player wants to feel and especially for it being her last season since she is a senior makes it even more emotional.
Overall, I really liked the way you wrote the article and included interviews from both captains about this season and I enjoyed reading it.
Sincerely,
Sienna Ramirez
Natasha Willaert • Feb 2, 2026 at 11:26 am
This article was very informative, not only about the water polo’s teams wins and the teams they go against, but how they did overall in their season. I really enjoyed reading this article because it clearly showed how much dedication and teamwork the players bring into the pool each game. The inclusion of quotes from captains Kyley Seeds and Grace Darby added a personal perspective and helped readers understand the team’s goals and leadership dynamic.
I also appreciated how the article acknowledged both the team’s successes and their challenges against strong competitors like Wilson High School, which made the coverage feel balanced and something to look forward to. In addition, I think it was a really nice touch when you mentioned that the incoming freshman this year made an impact on the strength of the team because when someone is new to such a big school it is a great way for someone to feel included and not left out. Being on a sports team not only lets you connect with others but also spreads the school spirit which I think connects the team even more. Overall, this article does a great job representing Millikan athletics and leaves readers feeling hopeful and excited about the team’s potential CIF playoff run.