Gulliver’s Kingston and Ransom’s Merrick are Dade Water Polo Players of the Year
Ransom Everglades’ Jack Merrick grew up in New York playing basketball, football and baseball.
But when he moved to South Florida, his friends convinced him to give water polo a try. His strong arm from his pitching days gave him a foundation that allowed him to develop into one of the most dominant scorers in the state.
Gulliver’s Sophia Kingston developed a love for the sport at a young age and it didn’t take long for her to become one of the most versatile players in the state either.
This season, Kingston and Merrick each finished their stellar careers on high notes while leading their respective teams back to the state tournament.
Kingston and Merrick are this year’s Miami Herald Miami-Dade Water Polo Players of the Year.
Merrick, a senior who is headed to the University of Florida this fall, led an experienced Ransom squad to its first state finals appearance since 2017. Their return to prominence came up short of the state title after losing to Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas in the final.
But along the way, Ransom went 26-3 and beat some of the top teams in the state.
“It sucked losing in the state final because we wanted it so bad, but it didn’t happen,” Merrick said. “But we had a great group of guys and even now after the season we get together and we swim two miles.”
Merrick took up water polo as he entered high school thanks to friends who were into surfing and spearfishing. He went from the baseball diamond to constantly practicing in the pool and quickly showed his prowess for scoring goals. This season, Merrick scored 113 goals and had 14 assists. But he became a more versatile player as he improved his defensive game, which helped Ransom become an even more formidable foe for anyone facing it in the pool.
“I hope to keep playing water polo (at Florida) even as a club sport,” Merrick said. “I can’t see myself not playing this game.”
Kingston, a senior who is headed to Wake Forest, was also a talented scorer for Gulliver from the beginning of her playing days with the Raiders. She was a key figure in Gulliver’s run to a state championship during her junior season, and followed that this year with 107 goals, 68 steals and 37 assists.
Her efforts helped Gulliver return to state, advancing to the state semifinals despite fielding a younger roster than last year’s championship squad.
“Having lost so many seniors, we still made it pretty far so I’m really proud of this team,” Kingston said.
But one of the biggest inspirations Kingston took from her time at Gulliver was how to stay mentally strong even in the most challenging situations. It’s something she has begun to pass on to others, and may potentially pursue as a career in the future. Over the past two years, Kingston started a club at Gulliver to promote mental health for students.
