MEET ROSARY ACADEMY’S BAYLEY WEBER

With only her freshman year in the books, swimming and water polo standout Bayley Weber is already making a splash at Rosary Academy.

As a swimmer, Weber broke the Rosary record in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 53.31. Additionally, she led the Royals 4×100-yard freestyle relay team to the 2015 CIF-SS Division I Championships for the first time in four years. While there, she also finished 14th overall in the 100-yard backstroke.

In water polo, she led the Trinity League in goals last season with 90, earned First-Team All-Trinity League honors and was Rosary’s offensive player of the year. After a dominant year in the pool, Weber’s long list of accomplishments earned her the Rosary Freshman Athlete of the Year award.

In the water since she was six months old and swimming competitively since she was 4, Weber specializes in the 100-yard backstroke and 200-yard freestyle races, with a specific love for the backstroke.

When she was 9 years old, Weber decided to follow in her older brother’s footsteps and add water polo to the mix, and now plays center for the Royals. She has excelled, being named to the USA Water Polo 2015 Women’s Cadet National Team as a part of the Olympic Development Program. And it’s the Olympics that Weber has her sights set on.

“I’ve always wanted to be an Olympian,” says Weber. “I feel like this step in making the [Women’s Cadet National] team will help me [achieve] my goals.”

Despite her success, the 15-year-old sophomore remains humble and keeps it fun.

“Bayley is a special talent who never forgets that it’s all of the hard work that got her to where she is,” says Rosary swim and water polo head coach Rory Bevins. “But what really makes Bayley special is her ability to continue to have fun playing the sports that she loves. She always has a smile on her face, and despite the countless hours she spends in the pool, she still manages to bring a sense of humor and fun to every practice.”

The cross training that results from competing in both sports has given Weber an edge in the water when it comes to speed. But the benefits extend beyond the pool for the Fullerton resident, helping her to balance athletics and academics.

Swimming and water polo “have taught me to multi-task, never to give up and not get frustrated,” says Weber. “When you do make a mistake, you can’t get down…you’ve got to stop and rethink—I can do this next time. I can do better.”

Inspired by her brother, who now plays water polo for UCLA, and with her parents’ unwavering support, Weber is focused on her Olympic aspirations and leans on her faith for direction.

“I do pray. I do ask for guidance,” says Weber. “Win or lose, you’re still happy.”