'Hard work has never stopped me.' Buhach Colony star headed to Long Beach State.
Pamela Solano didn't expect to cry. The Buhach Colony senior was overcome with emotion when she tried to thank all the people that helped her dream come true.
On Wednesday afternoon Solano was surrounded by her teammates, family, friends and coaches in a small room on campus where she announced that she has verbally committed to play water polo at Long Beach State.
As Solano tried to express her gratitude to everybody who gathered to celebrate her announcement, she fought back tears.
"No, I didn't think I was going to cry," Solano said. "I was trying to express how thankful I was to all the people who helped me. It was just a sentimental moment. To be following a dream and for it to become a reality, it was just overwhelming."
Solano only started playing water polo in high school. Through hard work, she picked up the sport fast and became one of the top players in the Central California Conference.
She was part of a core group for Thunder coach Justin Tanzillo as he turned around the program in the last three years.
"She's a very skilled athlete," Tanzillo said. "She helped us get to the section semifinals, where our school has never been before. She's going to put in the effort.
"She was part of the group with Gwynne (McBride) and Erin (McBride) that were the foundation. We went from 2-10 my first year to 10-2 the next year and then winning the league championship for the first time last year."
Solano was one of the Thunder's best all-around players; a player who made an impact on offense and defense.
She was a first-team all-CCC selection her senior year.
"I'm so happy with our team," Solano said. "We pushed each other to win CCC for the first time in the history of Buhach Colony. We made it to the semifinals in the section playoffs for the first time. I'm so proud of everything we accomplished."
Tanzillo says Long Beach State is getting a tireless worker in Solano.
"She'll never not work hard," Tanzillo said. "She's extremely dedicated to the sport."
Solano takes care of her work out of the pool too. She had a 4.0 GPA last semester. She plans to major in marine biology.
That was a big reason she chose Long Beach State.
"I went down there last summer for (the Junior Olympics)," Solano said. "Before I visited the university I fell in love with the town. I could just see myself going to the beach to study. I loved the campus and I loved the environment. I met the team and fell in love with them. It just seemed like the right place for me."
Solano is ready for the challenges she'll face in college. Even though she's headed there as an official recruit, she's not guaranteed a scholarship.
"I'm so excited I'm speechless," Solano said. "Hard work has never stopped me. I've never shied away from that. I like to push myself. I'm excited to see how coach (Gavin) Arroyo and coach (Liz) Grimes can take me to the next level of Division I water polo."
This story was originally published April 11, 2018 at 4:26 PM with the headline "'Hard work has never stopped me.' Buhach Colony star headed to Long Beach State.."