Captain of The Week: Boys’ Varsity Water Polo
Forrest Zeng / The Exonian
By LOGAN BECKERLE, KEVIN THANT, and ARJUN VELAN
Exeter’s Bear Polo finds itself in a huddle, ready to go up against the top-ranked Choate team. Big Red, being on a 5-win streak and ready to snag their sixth against their toughest opponent yet, lines up. This lineup is led by sprinter and senior captain Winston “Winnie” Wang.
Wang, a four-year senior hailing from Shanghai, China, is the only captain of the water polo team this year in a divergence from tradition. Being a lifelong swimmer, he started water polo during his first year at the school, having never played the sport.
Coach Meg Blitzshaw commended his dedication to the sport: “He’s an inspiring example to look to—someone who came to Exeter without years of prior polo experience, and yet with dedication and effort, he’s grown into a starter who has had extraordinary success with the sprints that kickoff each quarter.”
The relentless work ethic that turned him from a novice to a starter on the water polo team is the same work ethic that motivates his team to work harder. Lower Ethan Lu, a new member of the varsity team this year, said, “I think he really leads by example, consistently winning the swim-offs, putting in a lot of effort on the counter-attacks, sprinting across the pool, and working hard on defense.”
Blitzshaw also highlighted Wang’s work ethic as a significant part of his leadership role, “Winnie has won nearly every sprint this season” and how it has, “gained the respect of his teammates that help him to be a strong leader.”
In contrast to the team’s three captains last year, Wang has assumed the role of leading alone. Despite the taxing duties and pressures of the position, he continues to try to fulfill his role as a captain. When asked about being a lone captain, Wang said, “Sometimes it gets lonely, but everyone’s responsible and has been playing water polo for a long time. My job is to bring them together and get their energy up in a game.” The whole team has been able to step up wherever needed, and with the example that he sets day after day, Bear Polo has been able to meld as a cohesive unit.
Blitzshaw agreed, saying, “Winnie is a glue guy—he helps to bring everyone together for our common goals of a supportive team that can be successful. His cheerfulness and his tenacity are contagious.”
But the energy Wang brings to each game is evident not only in the numerous successes of the team but also amidst their losses. When asked about a time he felt he changed the dynamic, he highlighted their first loss of the season against Brunswick. He talked about the impact the loss had on them, but then recalled bringing “confidence and that winning energy to our next games and to go three and two in the tournament. I think I was really proud of my team in that moment.”
Blitzshaw added, “He’s an inspiring example to look to – someone who came to Exeter without years of prior polo experience and yet with dedication and effort he’s grown into a starter who has had extraordinary success with the sprints that kickoff each quarter. It’s great to have athletes come to campus with a great water polo background and foundation but it’s a neat thing that at Exeter, water polo is a sport where you can be a novice upon your arrival to campus and grow into an impact player.”
This year, as one of the top teams in New England, the water polo team is projected to go far. With a very strong record and returning NEPSAC finalist players, championship goals are in sight for the water polo team. The example set by Wang and every player’s consistent, hard work is sure to bring this goal to come to fruition.
The water polo team has been one of Exeter’s most successful teams in the previous years and has had a lineage of strong captains and performances, so Wang hopes to add to the team’s history in a positive way. When asked about how he felt assuming his role as captain, Wang said, “I think coming into the captain position, it’s always like you’re trying to fill in the shoes of people that you looked up to. I think, a lot of the time, I haven’t filled those shoes yet. But other times, when I see how well our team is coming together and when I see how all our team is playing, in a way, I’m proud of not only myself, but everyone else as well.”
Despite his humility, Wang’s teammates and coaches agree that his responsibility, drive, and inspiration have already had a strong impact on the team and their dominant 7-1 record halfway through the season. In his fourth and final year as a member of the team, Wang will surely lead Exeter’s Bear Polo to an incredible finish to their season.
