The Medina touch: daughter takes coaching baton from father

Not everything that Ernie Medina has touched has turned into gold, but his track record as an aquatics coach in the Metro Conference speaks for itself. Hilltop won last year’s San Diego Section Division III girls water polo championship.

Now there are two Medinas to contend with on the pool deck: Medina’s daughter Rachael enters this season as head coach of the Olympian High School boys water polo team.

The Medina touch appears to have rubbed off from father to daughter: Olympian won its opening four games of the season.
The Medinas have already faced each other on the other side of the deck in an early season scrimmage. However, both remain equally supportive of the other’s program.

Rachael Medina is already a trendsetter as a member of Otay Ranch’s first four-year graduating class in 2007.
She spent eight years under her father’s wing as an assistant coach.

“I’m very grateful,” Rachael Medina explained in regard to her father’s longtime tutelage. “He’s helped me a lot. He’s been very supportive.

“Even though now we’re in opposite leagues and on the opposite side of the pool, we still share the same camaraderie and support each other’s program. I am continuing to learn as a coach; my teams continue to represent the South Bay.”
The elder Medina obviously remains proud of his daughter.

“Rachael went from athlete to assistant coach to leading a high level program,” Ernie Medina noted. “I’m proud to support her and proud to have received her support all these years. I see so much growth in her program and in her as a coach.”

Flying high
The Eagles shared last season’s South Bay League championship banner with the San Ysidro Cougars. The balance of power in the league this season will be previewed when the teams meet Oct. 6 at the Parkway pool.

Prior to that, Olympian opens South Bay League play Oct. 4 with a game against Southwest High School at the Parkway pool, Both games feature 5 p.m. starts.

“We are a very fast team that reacts quickly to the ball,” first-year Olympian head coach Rachael Medina explained. “We’ve learned that communication and patience bring results.”

Key players include two-meter set Brandon Sanchez and driver D.J. O’Brien, both seniors.

The Eagles defeated Bonita Vista, a finalist in last year’s Division III championship game, by a score of 13-12 in two overtime periods in a non-league played Sept. 14 at the Las Palmas pool in National City. Allan Contreras scored the game-winning goal.

Green machine
The Hilltop High School boys water polo team advanced as far as last year’s San Diego Section Division III semifinals before losing an overtime decision to Mesa League rival Bonita Vista. The Lancers have moved up to Division II this season and have found the competition more challenging.

After the opening three weeks of regular season play, Hilltop sports a 2-3 record with wins over Monte Vista (15-6) and Mira Mesa (17-2) and losses to Helix (16-9), Ramona (12-10) and Point Loma (15-4).

Hilltop lost a lot of firepower  — not to mention experience — with the graduation of standout Emilio Maldonado last season. The newcomers have been learning as they go, and it’s been a slow but steady process. Medina indicated he does admire the potential he sees present in this group.

“We have some raw talent — we just don’t have much depth on the bench this year,” he noted. “We have some good personnel; we just don’t have stamina at this point.”

Skylar Garces led the Lancers with four goals in the setback to Ramona while Mark Estrada scored two goals.

The Lancers will not have to wait long to see where they stack up in this year’s Mesa League championship chase.

Hilltop opens Mesa League play Tuesday, Oct. 4, at Mater Dei Catholic High School. The Lancers then host Eastlake Thursday, Oct. 6, at the Parkway pool. Both games are slated for 3 p.m. starts.

“I think there’s a lot of parity in the league this year and I think it could be anybody’s championship,” the elder Medina said. “I’m not excluding Hilltop from a shot at it.”