Two former Matadors traveled across the Atlantic this summer for the 2024 Paris Olympics. U.S.A Women’s Basketball player, Sabrina Ionescu, and U.S.A Men’s Water Polo player, Drew Holland, both returned home with medals to prove their skill.
While at Miramonte, Ionescu was a four year Varsity player for Miramonte’s Womens’ Basketball team. During her time on the team, she claimed a school record of 2,606 points scored and a win-loss record of 119-9. After her senior year, Ionescu decided to continue her academic and athletic career at the University of Oregon. She was ranked No. 1 point guard and No. 4 overall player in the recruiting class of 2016 and, at the time, was the highest-ranked recruit ever to commit to Oregon basketball. After college, the New York Liberty selected Ionescu as their first overall pick in the 2020 WNBA draft. Four years later,Ionescu was chosen to represent our American National team in the 2024 Paris Olympics. There, she helped the team win gold in Women’s Basketball after defeating France 67-66 and securing the U.S.A.’s eighth consecutive win.
As captain of the Miramonte Women’s Basketball team, junior Maeghan Eichenberger draws inspiration from watching Ionescu play; “Seeing a Miramonte alum in the Olympics adds another level of motivation by putting into perspective how far one can actually go in their careers from the same starting point that I am in right now,” Eichenberger said.
This year’s second Miramonte alumni medalist is Drew Holland; a member of the graduating class of 2013. Holland participated in two years of water polo at Miramonte and was on the swim team throughout high school. While a student, Holland helped lead Miramonte to CIF North Coast Section titles in 2009, 2011, and 2012, as well as DFAL titles from 2011-12. After his high school career, Holland committed to Stanford, where he played goalie for the Men’s Water Polo team and earned numerous All-American titles and league accolades. Holland has become a two-time Olympic athlete, competing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, finishing 6th, and the recent 2024 Paris Olympics, helping his team win bronze as the U.S.A.’s first-string goalie.
“Knowing a Miramonte student made it to the Olympics in water polo makes me feel inspired to be a part of and help represent a program — with some of the same coaches from when Drew Holland played — that has led people to have great success,” senior Ben Lucas said.
These accomplished alumni serve as inspiration for Miramonte athletes and students alike, with . their hard work serving as a testament to the potential within the school’s community. Viewing them on an international stage instills a strong sense of pride in fellow Matadors. “It makes the Olympics more personal knowing that we go to the same school that some of these incredible athletes went to and all of their careers started here,” Eichenberger said.
