Bucknell University Athletics
Gins Succeeds in Unlikely Places
4/18/2006 8:00:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
April 18, 2006
By Todd Merriett, Bucknell Athletic Communications
Thinking of water polo tends to evoke images of bright sunshine and the long, sandy beaches of California, a traditional hotbed of the sport. Central Pennsylvania, the home of Bucknell University and its eight-year-old women's water polo program, is not usually associated with the sport.
Another location that does not come to mind when thinking of water polo is the arid landscape of New Mexico, which contains just one club team and a handful of high school squads within its borders.
The process linking these two places where water polo is often on the back burner began a couple of years ago when Bucknell's now seventh-year head coach John Zeigler ran into the Duke City Aquatics Coach, Robbie Bova, at a camp. Bova, a three-time All-American who will be inducted into the Collegiate Water Polo Association Hall of Fame later this month, was coaching a talented player named Meagan Gins back in Albuquerque.
A persistent Zeigler immediately sent a letter to Gins to initiate the recruiting process.
Meanwhile, Gins was back in Albuquerque working on her game, like she had continuously since the age of 11, with her sights set on a scholarship to a West Coast school.
Gins, currently a sophomore at Bucknell, started year-round swimming at six-years-old and picked up water polo five years later despite the lack of a water polo program in her home state until she was 13.
With the opportunity to finally play, Gins and her teammates made an immediate splash.
"My high school team didn't lose a game the entire five years I played," remembers Gins, who attended Valley High School. "The starting lineup would play the first quarter and build a big lead and then let everyone else get a chance."
With her high school team dominate, Gins gained most of her experience on the club circuit. Her squad, which featured three players that ended up at Division I schools, would take three or four trips in the summer and one more in October, mainly to Utah and California.
Eventually Gins received the letter from Zeigler. Her mom saw it and was familiar with Bucknell and its academic reputation due to her time living in Delaware. She encouraged her talented daughter to explore the opportunity.
"I applied and came to visit and absolutely loved it," recalls Gins, who was a member of both the AWPCA and CWPA All-Academic teams as a freshman. "It was mainly because of water polo, but I did choose Bucknell because of its academic reputation as well."
Adding to Bucknell's appeal was Kinney Natatorium, the state-of-the-art home of the women's water polo program that hosted the 2005 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship.
"I always tell John (Zeigler) had there been the six-lane, shallow-deep pool, I would not be here," explains Gins, referring to Bucknell's old Freas-Rooke Pool.
Despite Zeigler's unwavering quest for Gins, there were some tense moments in the recruiting process. Already facing a decision between Arizona State and Bucknell, Gins received a last-minute offer from Loyola Marymount on May 1, the first day of the signing period. After taking a quick trip to Los Angeles to check out the Loyola Marymount campus, Gins stuck with Bucknell, partly because of Zeigler's determination.
"I think I made the right choice," exclaims Gins with a wide smile.
The Bucknell water polo program and its fans are glad Gins stuck with the Bison as well. Nearing the end of just her second year in Orange and Blue, Gins' name already dots the Bucknell record book. After scoring 48 goals and dishing out 13 assists as a rookie, she leads the team with 62 goals and 88 points this season. She is just four goals shy of tying the program single-season record held by Meg Blitzer and only five points short of Adrienne Schober's single-season standard that has stood since 2001. Additionally, Gins is 10th on the career points list with 149 and seventh on the career goals list with 110.
While it appears Gins made a seamless transition to college water polo, she did experience a few speed bumps last season.
"The most difficult adjustment for me was playing every weekend," says Gins, who was used to only playing in a few tournaments a year. "It was hard because it is tough to be consistent playing every weekend. You are going to have bad games and not be rested for some tournaments. I wore down and hit a wall in the middle of last year, but this year I have been able to work through it."
While she was able to work through the fatigue this year, Gins has been unable to tolerate the chilly Pennsylvania winters after spending her first 18 years in sweltering New Mexico. Fortunately she won't have to deal with the first half of winter next year when she spends the fall semester abroad in the tropical Turks and Caicos Islands as part of her environmental studies major.
Unable to play water polo for the first time in nearly a decade while abroad, Gins does expect to stay in shape swimming everyday and working out a local high school gym, having already scouted the training landscape months ahead of time.
Possessing a double major in political science in addition to environmental studies, Gins is unsure of what she wants to do following graduation from Bucknell in 2008. However, the semester in the Turks and Caicos Islands is satisfying her intense desire to travel.
Following her stint in the Caribbean, Gins will return to Lewisburg primed for her junior season. Zeigler hopes she can exceed expectations, much like she has done this season.
"I am pleasantly surprised by how much she has carried us this year," comments Zeigler. "I expect she will only continue to develop her game as well as her leadership abilities."
Should Gins continue her assault on the record books, Zeigler may have to make New Mexico a common stop on his recruiting trips.
