Published May 31, 2026
BY RUBY IRANMANESH
After years of travel teams, strength training and tough competition, CHS senior Jack Balas has signed to play water polo at Claremont McKenna College, the top polo team in Division III in 2025.
“Two things make Jack different,” says Jerry Smith, CHS water polo head coach. “First, it’s his drive to be great. Second, what makes Jack truly unique is his humility. Athletes that are extremely self-driven are often abrasive, but Jack is the opposite. He is a true leader.”
Balas has been playing for club teams since fifth grade and the CHS varsity team since freshman year, serving as a captain for two years and league MVP this year. Courtesy of JACK BALAS
Balas was a key player for the CHS team, receiving Pacific Coast Athletic League MVP this year and 1st Team All-League for the past three years. Between his junior and senior seasons, Balas scored 196 goals.
“In terms of individual statistics and team success, he’s one of the best players to come out of CHS,” says Smith. “He’s highly competitive, humble and coachable.”
Outside of school water polo, Balas played for the Channel Islands United Water Polo Club, located in Ventura, for the entirety of his junior year and throughout the summer. After his senior year of CHS water polo ended, Balas played for the Santa Cruz Water Polo Club.
“The biggest challenge living in our area is finding high-level competition,” says Balas, “so one of the things I did was start traveling for water polo.”
CHS senior Jack Balas is excited to play for the Claremont McKenna College water polo team, an opportunity that allows him to compete at a high level while also giving him the freedom to enjoy his studies. Courtesy of JACK BALAS
Playing on travel teams and standing out at CHS led to several college offers, including three Ivy Schools, Pomona College and Claremont McKenna College.
“I chose Claremont McKenna because they have a really strong program,” says Balas. “Plus, I enjoy the school and its values, as well as the team and the coaches. Being able to have the freedom to study abroad while still competing at such a high level is definitely what attracted me.”
Balas was introduced to competitive water polo in fifth grade when he started playing for Legacy Water Polo Club in Monterey. After Legacy came to an end, he moved to the Monterey Bay United Water Polo club and continued to play throughout middle school. Balas also played on the CHS varsity team all four years of high school.
“It wasn’t until my sophomore year that I realized I wanted to play in college,” says Balas. “Then, when Coach Smith came during my junior year, I really started to make the push to play college water polo.”
