Caitlin Dean completed a personal trifecta of medals with the Ravens this season, as she finished her five-year Carleton Ravens women’s water polo career with a bronze medal at the National Collegiate Water Polo (NCWP) Championship in Kingston on Nov. 27.
Dean joined the Ravens in 2011 and has won a gold, silver, and bronze medal in the NCWP Championship with the team during her time at Carleton. For the 2015-16 season she was made captain of the team.
While playing with the Ravens, Dean pursued a degree in Communication, and was named team captain before the 2015-16 season.
The Charlatan spoke to Dean about her time as a Raven, and what she’ll miss most about playing for Carleton.
The Charlatan (TC): What are your plans for the rest of the year outside of athletics?
Caitlin Dean (CD): The season for varsity is over, but I am playing with another team, it’s a club team—we have three tournaments and we get to play against teams from all over the country, and I’m going to be doing that with the same coach, Zoltan [Csepregi], and some alumni players from Carleton too.
TC: Do you plan to continue with the sport once you have left Carleton?
CD: Ottawa is really a perfect place to live for any water polo player, because there [are] a lot of different teams. I have both my refereeing and coaching qualifications, so once the time comes and I get too old to play, I’ll stay involved that way.
TC: How did your final season go?
CD: I think I speak for the rest of the team when I say the first game was very disappointing. However we picked ourselves back up, and eventually we won a bronze medal, which completed my trifecta of medals, so I was very excited about that. Losing against McMaster, which I think everyone could tell was a tough loss for us, people from the men’s team know how devastated we were.
TC: What was the highlight of your career as a Raven?
CD: Probably in my first year, winning gold but probably also being able to welcome in so many new coaches over my five years as a Raven. I got to see my coach, the coach I spent the most time with, Victoria Peters, just get better and better with each passing year, and I think that had a huge impact on me as a player and the rest of the team who have been on this journey with me, and allowed us to grow as well.
TC: You talk about improvement in the team overall, have you also noticed an increased interest in the sport throughout your years here?
CD: Yeah, definitely a lot of the lifeguards are starting to get involved, because they are always at our practices, they are always seeing what we’re doing. It’s an obscure sport, but it’s one that if you find a love for it, it really helps you grow as a person and there’s no other sport like it.
TC: What was your best personal moment or performance?
CD: I think this year was my best year as a Raven, before I became a Raven I had to quit for two years. I was at college, and playing with the Ravens just not as a varsity athlete, but there wasn’t an age group for me. This year I really stepped it up, and I think that has a lot to do with our new coach Zoltan, I feel he really knew what to do just to light a fire under us this year more than any other. He chose me to be captain this year, so I think that was a high point in my year, being chosen to be the captain by such a well recognized water polo athlete, my coach was amazing.
TC: What will you miss most about being a Raven?
CD: I think the atmosphere in the athletics department, all varsity athletes are family, whether you know them or not, if you’re wearing your gear they recognize that. The friends that I’ve made, not only as a water polo player but a varsity athlete, is something I’ll miss a lot when I move on.
TC: Anything you’d like to add?
CD: There has been no greater feeling than the pride I have when I wear the Ravens logo on my chest both in and out of the water. I wish to all my little Ravens I leave behind and all my Ravens in the future the best of luck. We went from being the best team from one year to second last, but then bouncing back and to win a bronze medal. Don’t ever think you can’t do it because you definitely one hundred per cent can, and always trust your coaches. I’d also like to thank David McClintlock, Victoria Peters, and Zoltan Cserpegi.
– Graphic by Christophe Young
