Ukiah High School alumni and previous UHS girl’s water polo goalie Shannon Whetzel has accepted the position of head girl’s water polo coach.
Shannon Whetzel is a Ukiah High School Alumni and graduated with the class of 2016. She was the women’s water polo goalie at UHS and still holds the record for the most goals saved. Whetzel also participated in the UHS Swim team for her four years at Ukiah High School.
Once she graduated from Ukiah High School, she played for the Santa Rosa Junior College team for two years while studying sports medicine/athletic training.
Community members might remember Whetzel for her happenstance role in the Marin County college cheating scandal when the daughter of a wine. Whetzel was shocked when told her water polo photograph was used in the college cheating scandal. Agustina Huneeus, daughter of a wealthy Napa Valley winery owner, used Whetzel’s photo to mislead the University of Southern California into believing she was an elite water polo athlete.
Whetzel says that she loves coaching water polo: “I enjoy coaching water polo because I have always had a love for the sport. I really enjoy it when I get to help, encourage, and teach the sport to eager and enthusiastic athletes.” Even though water polo is Whetzel’s forte, she also enjoys coaching swimming and diving. “It’s definitely nostalgic walking back on the deck of my high school pool. I believe it’ll be a fun experience to see the new students and teaching them the game I love in the same place I was taught,” Whetzel said.
Physical activity is essential to Whetzel. While studying Kinesiology ( the movement of muscles and joints) at Santa Rosa Junior College, she learned that movements and exercise are “some of the best medicines we can give our bodies.”
2020 will be Whetzel’s first year back in her hometown and her first year as a water polo coach. She is looking forward to her coaching role, saying that coaching will be a fun experience, and is very excited to see what she can bring to the Wildcat water polo team.
