Carlmont High School junior Aeron Gurskis’ mornings don’t start with first period. Instead, they begin in the pool at 6 a.m. sharp.
Gurskis has been playing water polo for Carlmont for the past three years, and this year, he was selected as varsity captain.
“Since my freshman year, I’ve been starting on the varsity team, so everybody recognizes that I have skills that I can teach other people,” Gurskis said.
Gurskis has been playing since sixth grade, when he joined a Stanford water polo skills camp. He had been swimming for three years when a friend introduced him to water polo. At the camp, Stanford athletes led skills clinics that served as Gurskis’ first exposure to the sport.
“I joined a skills camp for water polo, just to try it out,” Gurskis said. “It was at Stanford, so we got to use the facilities that the college team uses.”
After that, Gurskis decided to join the Stanford Water Polo Club, and in eighth grade, just his second full year playing, he was selected to play for their highest-level team.
“I played for Stanford 14 Red, which is the club’s top team. I think we were ranked third in the country,” Gurskis said.
Gurskis’ time playing club has helped him have a leg up on the competition while playing for Carlmont.
“He has really good game sense, he can pass really well, so he gets a lot of assists,” said Nate Dempsey, varsity co-captain. “I think he has the most assists on our team.”
However, Gurskis’ water polo skills aren’t the only things that set him apart; he also displays great leadership and a strong work ethic, excelling both academically and athletically. He was named an Academic All-American by USA Water Polo for the 2024-25 season.
“I have half the time that I normally would to get all my work done,” Gurskis said. “I had to learn how to manage my time and minimize distractions in order to get everything done.”
This work ethic can be seen in the pool, as Gurskis constantly works to help his teammates improve.
“Aeron is the definition of a team player, constantly looking to see if someone else has a better angle for a shot than him or how he can help on defense,” said Justine Hedlund, Gurskis’ coach during his freshman season. “I have never met someone who came in as a freshman with the skill level he had and be so incredibly thoughtful about the true meaning of a team sport.”
Through his experience with the sport, Gurskis has gained insight into being a better teammate and leader.
“I’ve gotten to grow a lot as a leader through water polo,” Gurskis said. “Learning what to say at what moments, what not to say, and to lead by example.”
