City Council Honors Boys High School Water Polo Team

The Agoura Hills City Council awarded the Agoura High School boys water polo team with a certificate of recognition at Wednesday night's City Council meeting. The award cited the team's back-to-back CIF Division IV championships and its six Marmonte League championships.

"It's a special honor for us to be able to recognize the water polo team," Mayor John Edelston said before the packed council chambers as he handed the proclamation to the team's coach, Dusty Litvak.

The team's achievements have never been equaled in the region, Edelston said.

As each member of the team was called to the dais, he was handed a copy of the award. The team later posed for photos with the council members.

"This is very special for the guys," Litvak later told Agoura Hills Patch. "It shows them other aspects of what goes on in the community and obviously rewards their hard work."

Tammy Beaudine, whose son Dominick is a sophomore, said she was teary-eyed throughout the ceremony. "They are so successful," she said. "I don't know where my son would be if it weren't for Agoura water polo. [The program] has opened so many doors for him, and we're now able to look at colleges that we ordinarily wouldn't have been able to consider."

An issue that Litvak voiced at the meeting, and which team parents have been fighting for, is a major overhaul of the high school swimming pool. According to Litvak, the facility is outdated and limits what the aquatic teams are able to do.

"A lot of the schools we travel to have giant, 50-meter Olympic-size pools, and it doesn't just benefit the schools, it benefits the community with regards to visiting families, Y's and camps," said Litvak.

Parent Jill Flyer wrote in her blog: "While recognizing the Agoura High School aquatics program for its historical accomplishments is an appreciated and unparalleled honor, the City of Agoura Hills can best demonstrate its recognition for the value this program imparts to its residents and reputation by taking proactive measures to contribute to its longevity and continued success."