Collegiate water polo is a sport dominated by west coast schools and athletes. No team outside of California has ever finished better than third in the 20 plus years of the NCAA tournament. Despite the growth of water polo in the Midwest, 2021 Naperville North graduate Anna Tarantino knew she needed to head to the coast if she wanted to compete with the best college polo players the world had to offer. This Where Are They Now segment is presented by Grow Sports Psychology.
“I wanted to go to California. My brother (Jack) went to USC, and so that kind of opened the door for me. And water polo, we all know in Illinois is not the biggest sport, not very popular,” said Naperville North alum Anna Tarantino. “But in California that I knew I wanted to compete at the highest level and be a part of a great team.”
To prove she had what it took in California, Tarantino needed to prove she belonged while playing for one of the best programs in the state of Illinois.
Tarantino made her mark with the Huskies right away
Following a promising youth water polo career that began during the summers at Cress Creek Country Club, Tarantino joined Naperville North as a freshman in 2018. She spent the next four years developing into one of the top players in the state. The Huskies finished third in the state in 2018 and as the state runners up in 2019 with Anna being named first team All-State following both seasons. North entered 2020 with dreams of breaking through and winning the first state title in program history under legendary head coach Andy McWhirter. But the COVID pandemic shutdown the spring sports season that year, giving Tarantino one final chance to earn that elusive state championship with the blue and orange.
“I think missing out on my junior year and everyone the seniors that year that weren’t able to compete, I think we would have won that year. 100% full faith on that. But just totally drove us to be more competitive. My senior year, it had to be done. We were winning that, no question asked,” said Tarantino.
A perfect ending to a decorated Naperville North career
The 2021 Huskies backed up that bravado with a perfect 29-0 record, capped off by a dominant state championship victory over Stevenson. Tarantino led the state by scoring over 150 goals that spring and was named the Illinois Water Polo Player of the Year. After an All-State and All-American season, Tarantino was recruited to continue her career at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.
“Going undefeated right after Covid, all of that happening. I think that year really solidified me wanting to take my water polo career further and pursue it as much as I could, and go to LMU,” said Tarantino. “I just think it set up such a strong foundation for me and how competitive water polo can be, but also how fun it is to be on a winning team and be a part of something. Our team was like a family. Honestly, it was one of the most fun seasons I’ve ever had.”
Success out west with Loyola Marymount
Despite being the only player from the Midwest on the roster, Tarantino has thrived, improving year after year under the California sun for one of the top programs in the nation.
“It’s really nice to be able to train outdoors in California. It’s beautiful, the campus is beautiful, and academically, everything lined up perfectly with my degree in education. I’m getting my four plus one, my master’s degree,” said Tarantino. “So academically, everything worked out. Athletically, it was just the perfect match for me. My team is really cool. Since I was a freshman, I’d say 70% of my team’s international. So I’ve met people from all over the world. We have an Olympian on my team. We have girls from really everywhere, which has been so cool to immerse myself in that.”
2025 proved to be her most successful season yet, setting new career highs with over 50 goals and 30 assists as the Lions won the Gold Coast Conference regular season and tournament championships, advancing to the NCAA women’s water polo tournament for the first time since 2012. Playing back in the Midwest in front of friends and family at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis, Loyola Marymount eventually fell 11-8 to defending National Champion UCLA in the NCAA quarterfinals.
“Just being at the tournament in general, being in that pool, swimming over the NCAA logo, our introductions. It was a dream. It really was,” said Tarantino.
With one final season in her water polo playing career before graduating with a degree in Elementary Education, Anna Tarantino hopes to end on a high note with her LMU teammates before returning to her hometown to give back to the game, the school, and the city she loves.
“I do want to come back to Naperville, and that’s been a lifelong dream of mine since, like third grade, to come back here and teach in an elementary school and to hopefully coach here at Naperville North. So that would kind of be my next transitioning into being more of a coach figure,” said Anna Tarantino.
For Naperville Sports Weekly, I’m Justin Cornwell.
