Ella Woodhead (SHP ’22) Leads Team USA Back to Dunlevie

Last night was a full-circle moment for Ella Woodhead (SHP ’22), returning to the place where she learned to dream big as a young athlete—this time as a member of the USA Water Polo Women’s National Team with sights set on the Olympics.

 

The Team USA squad recently won the World Championships in Sydney, where Australia finished third. The teams returned stateside for a series of four friendlies, the first at Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton’s (SHS) Dunlevie Aquatic Center. In honor of returning to her alma mater, Woodhead was named captain for the match, leading Team USA to a 9-5 victory.

 

“It definitely feels like a second home,” Woodhead said of returning to Sacred Heart Preparatory (SHP). “Just seeing familiar faculty and staff around, and seeing them at the game today, was super special.”

 

For Woodhead, the pool deck brought back memories of early-morning training sessions, practices with teammates, road trips to games, and the coaches and friendships that shaped her four years at Sacred Heart.

 

SHP Interim Principal Brian Bell remembers Woodhead from his freshman-year stained glass classroom. She was a standout in the pool and the classroom, he said, “a well-rounded student whose actions spoke as loudly as her eloquent words,” echoing Sacred Heart foundress St. Madeleine Sophie’s quote: “Your example, even more than your words, will be an eloquent lesson to the world.”

 

Those lessons were on display for multiple generations of SHP athletes. Students—including SHP water polo player Kiernan Hogan (SHP ’27) who trained with Team USA this summer—watched from the stands, while Olympians including gold medalist KK Clark (SHP ’08) also cheered on the match.

 

Woodhead hopes young athletes watching understood that the players representing their countries were once in their position, too.

 

“If you dedicate yourself to something and you really care about it and you put your heart into it, you can be here,” she said.

 

Team USA Head Coach Adam Krikorian has watched Woodhead’s evolution firsthand, describing her as a world-class athlete who’s always prepared.

 

“She’s an incredible teammate,” he said. “She has an exceptional work ethic—very determined, selfless, and has a passion for the game that’s just infectious.”

 

In a U.S.-Australia rivalry dating to the 2000 Olympics, last night’s match and the series that follows gives both teams an opportunity to extend their summers, and give younger, developing players valuable training and competition experience, Krikorian said.  

 

For Krikorian, Dunlevie is familiar territory. Team USA has returned to SHP regularly for training and competition, building a longstanding relationship with the school’s water polo community.

 

“It says a lot about a school that has developed players like [Ella Woodhouse] and KK Clark,” Krikorian said. “When I think about those two, and the others we’ve had come from SHP’s program, I think of first-class individuals who understand the importance of hard work, discipline, and being a good teammate as well.”

 

For Woodhead, there was an extra layer of significance to the match.

This summer, she received a letter she had written to herself before graduating from SHP four years ago. Her younger self reminded her not to give up on the dream of becoming an Olympian.

She hasn’t.

“I’m not there yet,” Woodhead said. “But she would be proud I didn’t give up on that.”