A national championship on Las Positas waters set the scene: whistles blowing, humid air, a heated pool, and a single yellow ball. Athletes cut through the water as Las Positas Hawks, coaches, and scouts watched their every move — the best of the best gathered in one place.
On March 20-22, Las Positas College anchored the USA Water Polo Olympic Development Program National Championship. The championship hosted three age groups: 18U, 16U, and 14U. Teams traveled from across the country to compete in 12 matches over the three-day weekend.
Head coach Kate Faix Bennet of the LPC women’s water polo team invited Hawk swimmers to keep track of the book during the games, giving them a front-row view of elite competition. Coaches and scouts from Division I colleges, as well as former Olympic athletes, observed the matches closely, searching for the next generation of talent. Las Positas has offered its pool to this event for over a decade through Faix Bennett’s long-term relationship with USA Water Polo.
The biennial event gave young girls an opportunity to watch older generations compete, lead, and inspire. In years when LPC isn’t hosting girls, it hosts a boys’ version of the national championship. Faix Bennett’s main reason for coaching is to champion the women’s programs at LPC.
“I think it’s a very special opportunity for women to be able to compete at such a high level,” Faix Bennett said.
Hosting all-girl athletic events has been one of the main reasons Faix Bennett continues to coach. She appreciates how such events can help young women progress in the sport. A few years back, the U.S. National Team and the Greek National Team trained at the pool. They also hosted masters, an adult-only tournament, and the Junior Olympics.
Ever since she was young, Faix Bennet made it her mission to continue inspiring younger generations, just as her role models once did.
“As a little girl growing up, I had a couple of women coaches,” Faix Bennett explained. “When you’re little, and you can see someone like us in water polo, seeing strong women holding a place at the table is super important.”
Faix Bennett still resonates with that idea — to hold the possibility of giving women the chance to make their mark.
“I’ve tried to make that my goal,” Faix Bennet said. “To be able to have a seat at that table and invite other women to that table too.”
And so she did. Not only did she invite her swimmers, but she made sure to welcome everyone else who attended.
Last year, the ODP championship was held in Salt Lake City, Utah, from March to April. In prior years through 2022, and again this year, the event has been held in California every March. The 2026 event featured venues including Las Positas, Granada High School, Las Lomas and the Soda Aquatic Center.
.This year, it served as the primary venue for the Youth Division. In 2023, it was part of the rotation for all divisions. Faix Bennett emphasized how meaningful it was to host such a large tournament at their own facility.
“We have made our facility and our management of the facility in the game pretty well known,” Faix Bennett said.
She said the trust between her and USA Water Polo is strong. “They really like coming back to our facility, and they trust us to run a good tournament and event,” Faix Bennet said. “They really like being here.”
Over the three days, 13 zones from across the country participated, including the Midwest, Central America, New York, and the Northeast.
“Each team has maybe 12-ish on their roster,” Faix Bennett said. “And then some zones send two teams. So they would have the red team and the blue team.”
On Saturday Mar. 21, the tournament intensified.
“It’s a full tournament bracket,” Faix Bennett said. “So all the teams see each other. Friday is the first part of the bracket, then the semi-finals and placements are on Saturday.”
Faix Bennett also believes it’s important for her swimmers to learn visually.
“I made sure that my athletes, as well as my incoming athletes, work the desk so they could watch high levels and get a feel for what it looks like, and then to learn too,” she said.
Not only were games won and medals awarded, but younger generations had another opportunity to experience the highest level of competition for Olympic gold.
Maggie Vander Ende is a staff writer for the Express. Follow her on Instagram @maggie.vanderende
