BAKERSFIELD — During a typical summer day, it's tough to get most high school students out of bed, but for two Bakersfield club water polo players it’s tough to get them out of the pool.
“I really love the sport,” said Logan Wimbish. “So it just makes me happy to play the sport."
Wimbish and Abby Schechter have played water polo together for the last four years representing their city. Now they'll be representing their country.
Logan was selected for the 2019 United States Water Polo Olympic Development Futures International Program where she will travel to Barcelona to compete.
“We are playing against teams that are out of the country and they’re supposed to be a different level,” said Wimbish. “So we are supposed to get used to all the other playing techniques.”
Schechter, a year younger than Wimbish, is following right in her footsteps. She was selected for the 14U national team, the same team Wimbish played for last summer.
“She got to tell me how it is, what not to do, how to act and stuff like that,” Shechter said. “So it’s almost like she is my big sister.”
These so-called sisters are in a rare class of their own, and the coach behind their success knows it.
“We’ve had plenty of kids that have gone through the program and not achieved this level of success,” Jason Gall said. “To have two female athletes from Bakersfield getting the recognition that they are is just fantastic for us.”
Once the summer training is over and Wimbish returns from Barcelona, the two will swim for Garces Memorial High School together. It creates a duo that gives Wimbish confidence.
“I played with Abby ever since I started,” she said. “Playing with her, it’ll definitely help the team.”
Wimbish heads to Barcelona on August 1st.
