Muller ecstatic as Clarendon bags National Aquatics title in style
Clarendon High School for Girls first-team water polo coach, Hannah Muller, was over the moon after her side clinched gold at the National Aquatics Festival in Johannesburg on the weekend.
The annual tournament, which features some of the country’s top girls’ sides, was hosted at St Stithians College.
In a tense final, Clarendon defeated Durban Girls’ College (DGC) 8-7 to get their hands on the trophy after previously falling agonisingly short several times.
“I am incredibly proud of the girls and what they have achieved this weekend,” Muller told SuperSport Schools Plus.
“The effort, commitment, and resilience they showed throughout the tournament were outstanding. They worked together, stayed focused under pressure, and never stopped believing in their capabilities.
“Their determination and teamwork truly shone through, and I couldn’t be happier with their performance. It was a true testament to their hard work and dedication.”
Clarendon was drawn in Pool C and took on Kingsmead College and St Mary’s DSG (Kloof) in the round-robin stages.
The girls from East London were solid in both outings, beating St Mary’s 16-1 before outplaying Kingsmead 8-1.
In the cross-pool playoffs, Muller’s side hammered Maris Stella 15-6 to set up a semifinal showdown with the hosts.
Saints had played some outstanding water polo on their way to a final four berth, and they were favoured to topple the visitors. Clarendon had other ideas, though, and pulled off a fantastic 8-5 win, silencing the home crowd in the process.
They produced one last top-notch performance in the final and sealed a one-goal victory to make up for the disappointment of a semi-final exit in 2025.
“Last year’s disappointment definitely stayed with us, especially since it was at home, but that wasn’t our driving force this year,” Muller shared. “We were focused on taking each game as it came and giving our best, regardless of the outcome.
“Our main goal was to play as a team, to trust in each other and the plan, which resulted in the girls leaving everything in the pool, and I think that mindset really paid off for us in the end.”
Clarendon’s win against DGC was their second over the KZN side in as many weeks; they also beat the Durban school 10-6 at the Brian Baker Water Polo Tournament.
Coach Muller said teamwork and strong leadership were two of the vital keys to her side’s title win: “This achievement was a true team effort, with every player contributing in their own way to our success. To achieve this amazing result, every single player stepped up when it mattered most, and I couldn’t be prouder of their dedication and hard work.
“Quinn Carr (captain), Jenna Botha (vice-captain), Holly Jacoby, and Megan Philips, our four matric players, really stepped up and set an excellent example throughout the competition, both in and out of the pool.
“They played a key role in keeping the team focused in big moments and setting the standard for everyone around them.”
It wasn’t only Clarendon’s water polo side that made history. Their swimming team also won the overall prize. They claimed three gold medals, six silvers, and eight bronzes on their way to the historic triumph.
Muller admitted that her side drew inspiration from the swimming team: “I think winning the swimming section for the first time fuelled the girls to make history once again by winning both the swimming and water polo sections.
“I can honestly say the girls left every single last thing they had inside of them in the pool this weekend, and that is all a coach can ask of her. They played with heart and executed a lot of the skills and strategies we have been working on in practice.
“We have been focusing on some key components that we needed to sharpen up from last year, and I believe we saw a lot of improvement in those areas during the tournament this weekend.”
Clarendon side will return to action this month at the Old Petrian’s Water Polo Tournament taking place at St Peter’s College.
