Embracing the Journey: From Anteater to Olympian

When you look at the list of United States Women’s Water Polo Olympians, both past and present, you see that a majority of the group played collegiately for one of the ‘Big Three’ programs - Stanford, USC or UCLA.

You haven't seen the name UC Irvine next to a U.S. Women’s Water Polo Olympian - until now. And it’s no surprise to the Anteater community that Tara Prentice ‘22 is that trailblazer for UCI.

“It was very clear to me when coaching Tara that she had the tools to be an Olympian,” UC Irvine Head Coach and Director of Water Polo Dan Klatt said. “She is a phenomenal athlete, and she has the competitiveness. Then, her work ethic and resilience is just incredible. You know someone is special when they come with a high level of preparation, intensity and desire to be great.” 

Prentice embodies everything it means to be an Olympian. She has proven at each level that she has the talent, work ethic and competitiveness to achieve excellence, while she also exudes gratitude, respect and compassion for others. 

Many of those qualities are a reflection of her parents, Samuel and Michelle. The two are from Northern Ireland but left everything behind to pursue their American dream. They made the decision to build their life in the United States, with the hope that it would provide more opportunities in both sport and academics for their children. They also passed along the athletic gene as her mother grew up playing field hockey and her father playing rugby.

Prentice spent her early years in Santa Monica and Westchester, where she first started swimming at the local YMCA. After third grade, her family moved out to Temecula where she also played soccer and eventually water polo.

“I grew up swimming but then I got tired of staring at the bottom of the pool and not getting to socialize with friends,” Prentice said. “When I was 14, my neighbor invited me to one of their water polo practices. I realized it was fun and wanted to give it a try.”

Although she loved playing soccer and has fond memories of watching the sport alongside her father, Prentice made the decision to focus on water polo. 

“You kind of had to choose a sport because practices started to be at the same time,” Prentice added. “I just enjoyed being in the pool a lot more and I didn’t like running in the heat.”

Prentice’s first coach in youth water polo also played a role in that decision because she created a fun and welcoming atmosphere where the players were able to make friends while also enjoying the competition in the water. It became a home away from home for Prentice who was in the beginning stages of what turned out to be a remarkable career.

Growing up, Prentice enjoyed watching the Olympics for both the competitiveness and camaraderie, but never really considered it a dream of hers until the tail end of her time at Murrieta Valley High School where she helped her team to the 2016 CIF Division 2 Water Polo Championship. When she came to UC Irvine, the Olympics started to become less of a dream and more of a realistic goal.

“I would say I didn’t have that belief at an early stage but (Dan Klatt) helped me a lot to kind of solidify that this dream can become a reality,” Prentice stated. “When you start getting whispers in your ear of, you’re kind of good at this and maybe you can take it a little farther, it’s like why not believe in yourself the way others believe in you.”

Prentice made an immediate impact at UCI, leading the Anteaters to the 2018 Big West Championship and an NCAA First Round win in her debut season. She carried the ‘Eaters back to another conference title and NCAA appearance as a senior in 2022. 

Individually, Prentice became the most decorated women’s water polo player in UC Irvine history. She is the Big West and UCI all-time leading scorer with 242 career goals. She was also a four-time All-American, four-time first-team All-Big West selection, two-time NCAA Woman of the Year nominee and the 2022 Big West Player of the Year.

Just as impressive as her athletic accolades is what Prentice accomplished academically at UC Irvine. The pandemic cut what would have been her senior season short in 2020, but Prentice understood the gravity of the situation beyond sport. She remained thankful for everything she did have and focused on finishing out her undergraduate studies as a double major in Criminology, Law & Society and Psychological Sciences. When the NCAA announced that student-athletes would be able to get their year of eligibility back, Prentice knew it was an opportunity she wanted to take advantage of, but wasn't sure what that would look like for her in terms of school. Luckily, Coach Klatt had a plan.

“I remember when I was coming back from 2020, I was just planning to extend my undergrad,” Prentice said. “But (Dan Klatt) was the one who told me no, you’re going to get your master’s and now I have two.”

With the Tokyo Olympics being pushed back to the summer of 2021, Prentice ended up redshirting the collegiate season to train with the national team while also completing her Master’s in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the UCI Paul Merage School of Business.

“I was doing so many things during that year,” Prentice recalled. “Trying to find that balance was a struggle for me, and I probably hindered my water polo a bit at times or hindered my schooling a bit at times, but it also showed me the power of community and the power of believing in myself. I had so much support from my professors, Dan and the national team coaching staff. Even if I felt a little panicked in some scenarios, I knew I had support. I’m really thankful for it.”

Although she didn’t make the 2020 Olympic team, Prentice learned from it and used it as motivation to push forward in her career. She returned to the pool for UC Irvine in 2022, leading the Anteaters to another Big West title, while earning her second master’s degree in Demographic and Social Analysis. Following graduation, Prentice played professionally in Spain and remained with the national team.

Being able to put all her focus on water polo, Prentice thrived. She helped Team USA earn their Paris Olympic qualification by winning the 2023 Pan-American Games. She was also a member of the squad that brought home gold at the 2022 and 2024 World Championships. With that experience, along with her team-first attitude and ability to cultivate friendships with her teammates and coaches, Prentice was well on her way to becoming a first-time Olympian. 

“I’m very fortunate I get to wake up, play a sport I love and be surrounded by so many inspiring people,” Prentice said. “I realized there are so many aspects of sport that are not only about the physical side; it's also the mental side, it's about being a good teammate, a good daughter and a good friend. For me, that was always what I valued most so that's what I would lean back on. There are going to be those ups and downs so it's just kind of taking those in stride and realizing if it's hard you are just growing from it. You have to enjoy the process as well.”

Making an Olympic team in any sport is never easy, and most people don't see the blood, sweat and tears that go into it. Over the years, Prentice has given it her all, physically, mentally and emotionally - without compromising her values. It ultimately paid off as she was officially named to the U.S. Women’s Water Polo Olympic Team for the 2024 Paris Games at the end of May.

“Nothing is ever given, and I wasn’t 100% sure I was going to make it by any means, but I had that feeling that I really put everything into the process. Whether or not I was going to be told I was an Olympian, I knew that I gave everything I had. When I was officially told, I was smiling and thinking about the people who supported me. I remember being so happy, so proud and just so thankful.”

Prentice was also quick to note how her time at UC Irvine and the people she was surrounded by impacted her current success.

“I would not be an Olympian if I didn’t come to UCI,” Prentice emphasized. “What I value most is how you treat people and the compassion you show. I was challenged a lot, but I always knew I had someone to lean on, whether it was teammates, Coach Klatt or the staff. Klatt brought in such strong women role models as assistants like Jamie Neushul, Melissa Seidemann, Kaleigh Gilchrest and Alys Moore. Having people like that in our lives was so important. I felt so supported during my time at UCI.”

Prentice has achieved excellence at every stage of her water polo career while staying true to her values, and the one thing she always comes back to is compassion and how you treat people. She understands she wouldn’t be where she is today without her family, friends, teammates and coaches, and she wants to spread her gratitude and compassion not only with those who have supported her but also to those who may be looking up to her.

When asked what advice she would give to the younger generation of Olympic hopefuls, Prentice said, “I think compassion can be lost in the sports world sometimes. It is very competitive which is important, and you need to have that drive, but you can also be compassionate while you’re doing it. You can connect with people; you can help them feel safe and comfortable. I just think that’s really important.”

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The United States Women’s Water Polo Team begins their quest for an unprecedented fourth-straight Gold Medal with their first Group Play game against Greece on Saturday, July 27. Follow Prentice and UCI’s Olympic coverage here.