-
CONTACT
AIM - illpolo2004
ILLINOIS WATER POLO
2005 SEASON
CLUB CENTER
Speedo
Cup
Summer
League
More
Categories
COLLEGE
PAGE
Player
Spotlight
College
Scene
Recruiting
Trail
More
Categories
COACHES
CORNER
Coaches
List
All-State
Selection
More
Categories
Player Spotlight
TOMMY O'BRYAN
Illpolo.com's Most Underrated Player
Tommy O'Bryan has helped Loyola challenge rivals New Trier and Evanston
throughout his career with his lockdown defense and ability to keep any
offensive player off the scoreboard. He was chosen as one of the Most
Underrated Players in 2005 by Illpolo.com. He was named to the
All-Illpolo third team at the end of the season and was also selected to
the All-State third team for his performance as well. We asked Tommy the following
questions in an exclusive Illpolo.com interview:
College choices, major, current GPA?
Going to Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA. Most likely majoring in
mathematics, but currently just intending to do a liberal arts education.
4.0 GPA in high school at Loyola Academy. I am also in the honors program
there too, taking 3 AP classes this year.
Experience, Club Team, Zone Teams, Off-season work?
No experience in water polo before my freshman
year. In the summer, I did a camp at Loyola and for the past few summers,
I participated in ones out of state, at Navy and at Stanford. I also play
at Stevenson during the summer.
When did you start? How? Where?
Started frosh year after swimming for the first time competitively ever. I was originally going to try to be on the basketball team, but by breaking my leg in 8th grade, I was unable to practice the entire fall and didn't make the team, so I joined the Loyola swim team. Since mostly everyone on the swim team did polo, I thought I should give it a try, and it has been my passion ever since.
Awards and achievements?
Soph year: most improved swimmer, most improved in water polo, defensive player of the year as a junior for water polo as well as co-mvp, this year will be my 4th varsity letter. Tommy was also named to the third team All-Illpolo, third team All-State, and was chosen as Most Underrated Player by Illpolo.com in 2005.
Personal interests? Music? TV shows?
I've been playing piano for 13 years and want
to continue doing that for a long time. I try to balance academics, piano,
my sports, and my free time in my life.
Goals for the future with polo? School? Life?
I am going to try out for the team at Bucknell, I am a recruit there. I have really no idea what I am going to do from college, but I am just going to try to get the greatest experience these upcoming four years at Bucknell. I want to be a key force as a Bison on the water polo team.
Motivation, inspiration?
My coaches over the past 4 years have given me
some of the most effective advice and motivation. Both my swimming coach,
Dennis Stonequist, and my water polo coach, Matt Casey, have been
excellent role models and have never given up on me and my potential. They
push me to my limits and I couldn't ask for more.
First Season role?
To learn the game and learn the fundamentals since I had never played before.
Soph, Junior Year role?
Start to become a force on the team, take shots, leg up out of the water, hit the elbow, etc.
Additional?
“Tommy is a defensive specialist from a very competitive league in Chicago,” said John Zeigler of Bucknell University. “He typically has been in charge of shutting down the opponent’s best players. He has the size and strength to defend center-forward. Additionally, he has been a scoring threat from the center-forward position and with his size should play a role at that position for us.”
