SACRAMENTO, Calif. – St. Francis senior water polo player Sarah Mudd will play at Sierra College in the fall.
"I am excited for something new and something that will benefit me after the two years especially if I can continue at a four-year school playing water polo," said Mudd.
Mudd, who lives in Auburn, was a three-year letter winner for the Troubadours. She posted single-season career-highs for goals (11), assists (6) and steals (13) as a senior, finishing her career 17 goals and seven assists for the varsity team.
"I am proud because I never thought I would be here," said Mudd about playing in college. "When I started off playing water polo, I hated it. Then I realized freshman year it was something I loved and by the time I got to junior year I decided that I would not play in college. But I realized I would miss it so I decided to reach out to some schools."
Mudd will play for a Sierra College team coached by Scott Decker and a program that became the first Northern California school to win the CCCAA State title in 2018.
"I picked Sierra because it is close to home and I feel it would be a great opportunity because my goal is to go to Loyola Marymount after two years," said Mudd. "I couldn't play on the water polo team at LMU without going to Sierra first. It gives me that advantage."
Mudd was part of three teams that reached the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I finals, starting with her sophomore season promotion to the varsity team.
"My favorite moment was making it as far as we did each season," said Mudd. "We made it to section finals both times and it is really impressive."
St. Francis Head Coach Emily Whalen said the partnership will be a good one for Mudd.
"I'm excited that Sarah has decided to stay local and continue her water polo career," said Delta League Coach of the Year Emily Whalen. "Over the past 4 years she has grown and improved greatly. Her game awareness and versatility will be a huge asset for the Sierra college team. I'm excited to be able to watch her play next year!"
Mudd continues to play for American River Water Polo in preparation for next year. She is also a member of the St. Francis Chamber Choir.
Mudd will participate in the St. Francis Signing Day Celebration on April 22.