Athlete of the Week: Carlmont’s Audrey Finigan

Finigan came to play — and earn Daily Journal Athlete of the Week honors in the process — matching her season-high with nine goals. Carly Foehr and Madison Lobo each scored one to put Carlmont over the top.

“Honestly, it’s a day in the life for her,” Carlmont head coach Ciera Stratton said. “She is incredible. She is one of the most amazing athletes I’ve seen in the water at her age.”

Thursday’s win capped an intimidating week for the Scots, who haven’t had much success against Aragon, or their Tuesday opponent Terra Nova, in recent years. Finishing in sixth place in the PAL Bay last season, Carlmont was swept in a two-game series by Terra Nova, albeit both were close game.

“So we were a little nervous going into it ... but we came out strong and gave them our best,” Finigan said.

With Carlmont sitting on a 1-3 record in league play, Finigan quelled the nerves by scoring a double hat trick in a 14-8 win over Terra Nova.

“So, this was really like our comeback,” Finigan said. “And I think the difference was our team chemistry. ... We were finally playing together as one team. So, I think that was really what pushed us over the edge and got us that win.”

Carlmont has been redefining its lineup since Finigan moved to the hole set to start the year. She played on the wing last year, but switched spots with Aubrey Button this year. The move has allowed Finigan to flex her range. Sure she can content in the post — “she’s kind of slippery in there,” Stratton said of the senior’s presence — but her go-to shot is pivoting to the outside where she can catch opposing keepers off guard with her long-range attack.

“I like to take shots from pretty far out, kind of like a surprise,” Finigan said, “and I find that catching them off guard works pretty well for me.”

Against Aragon, she did just that.

A majority of Finigan’s shots were back of the 5-meter mark. Those weren’t the ones that had her coach raving, though. Stratton broke down Finigan’s highlight reel play of the day, a play out of a timeout that saw Carlmont misfire twice. Lobo took the first and had it careen out, with Faure scooping up the rebound. Faure’s quick attempt missed too. Finigan was already crashing the cage, though, and earned another Carlmont rebound, this time converting.

Finigan’s water polo IQ comes from being a good study, Stratton said. Her older brother Owen graduated from Carlmont in 2022, and Finigan attended his games regularly. While she now plays in the offseason at the Burlingame Aquatics Club, her experience in the sport prior to playing in high school was mostly as a fan.

Now, she is Carlmont’s most commanding presence in the water.

“She is just constantly leading everybody in the pool,” Stratton said.