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Bulldogs earn league honors
Pata, Connors are second-team choices
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Ceres High sophomore Julia Pata earned first-team all-conference honors. - photo by DALE BUTLER/The Courier

Ceres High varsity girls water polo standouts Julia Pata and Annie Connors were selected to the Western Athletic Conference Second Team in a vote by the league's head coaches on Nov. 3 at Livingston High School.

"Those were my strongest players," Bulldogs head coach Stephen Dias said. "Julia is definitely the leader of the team. And Annie has a fiery passion as well."

Pata earned first-team all-league honors her freshman year. The sophomore standout scored 12 goals in WAC play this season.

"Julia should have been on the first team this year," Dias said. "I was so surprised when they didn't vote her in."

Connors, a junior, scored a team-high four goals during Ceres High's 15-7 victory against Pacheco on Oct. 16.
Bulldog teammates Kyndal Chapman (Sr.), Jasmine Moore (Jr.) and Kaitlyn Foster (So.) were honorable-mention selections.

Ceres High posted a 1-7 record on its way to a last-place finish in the WAC.

"It's not like we were really bad," Dias said. "We wanted to win. We tried our best."

Ceres High never recovering after losing its first four matches of the WAC season.

"Anytime you lose, you're sad," Dias said. "It's discouraging. We didn't click like a team should click at this level."

Ceres High dropped its WAC season finale, 8-3, at Livingston on Oct. 30.

"It was a tough way to end the season," Dias said.

Chapman and Anna Rogers will graduate in June.

"I'm very encouraged for next year," Dias said. "We're gaining three really good players from the lower-level team."