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Bill Steiner never had the chance to win a Central Coast Section Most Valuable Player award in water polo. But when he had the opportunity to play against those who did, he made it very clear who was the best.
As a junior at Los Gatos, Steiner and the Wildcats went up against the CCS MVP from Leland and held him to just two goals. Steiner scored four goals in a 7-5 Los Gatos victory.
A year later, Los Gatos challenged the Monta Vista Matadors and their CCS MVP goalkeeper. Steiner wasn't impressed--he scored eight goals against the MVP.
Circumstances kept Steiner from ever winning the prize himself. But nothing could keep the aquatics star from claiming All-American honors in both swimming and water polo during an outstanding aquatics career at Los Gatos.
For his outstanding accomplishments as a Wildcat, Bill Steiner will be among the 11 members that make up the second class of inductees into the Athletic Hall of Fame at the high school during ceremonies to be held April 30 at Villa Ragusa in Campbell.
Steiner had a storied aquatics career in four years at Los Gatos High School. He was a two-time All-American in swimming and claimed All-American honors as a senior water polo player.
"Los Gatos was not in a league for water polo, we were not able to receive league honors and had to earn an at-large berth to CCS, which we did my senior year," wrote Steiner in a list of his high school accomplishments. "All of this did not help with individual recognition."
What did help, though, were his tremendous performances in the water. Los Gatos played only three games in the CCS tournament his senior year, but he still managed to score 20 goals--second best in the entire tournament. The leader finished with 24 goals and played five games.
Steiner averaged more than six goals a game, incredibly scoring on 78 percent of his shots.
He won his team's Most Valuable Player award and made the all-tournament team at a mid-season event at Gavilan College before ultimately claiming All-American recognition.
Steiner was the team MVP in his freshman and sophomore years on the frosh-soph squad at Los Gatos, and he was the MVP on the varsity as a junior. He also won an all-tourney spot at a tournament at Leland that year.
But as good as he was as a water polo player, he was equally as successful as a swimmer.
Steiner swam for the Los Gatos varsity for 3 1/2 seasons and was the team MVP twice.
He showed the promise of what was to come as a sophomore when he teamed with three seniors to post an All-American qualifying time in the 400-yard free relay.
A year later, he was a league champion in the 100 backstroke and was second in the 200 individual medley, but a sprained ankle the night before the CCS meet effectively ended his season.
He came back with a vengeance a year later, though. Steiner finished second in the CCS in the 50 freestyle, and his time ranked second in the state and 13th in the nation. He had the third-best time in the state in the 100 free and was 19th in the nation. The Los Gatos senior won All-American honors in the 50 free, 100 free and 200 medley relay.
He won the 200 individual medley at the league finals and actually defeated the eventual CCS IM champ in a dual meet against Bellarmine earlier in the year.
Steiner set school records in the 50, 100 and 200 free events and the 400 free relay. His record in the 50 free stood for 18 years.
By the time he finished his swimming career at Los Gatos, he left his name among the top three best of all time in all eight individual events--three of them his own school records and three more times that ranked second in school history.
And now that name will live on forever in Los Gatos High School history as a member of the Athletic Hall of Fame.
Los Gatos High School Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremonies will be held on April 30 at Villa Ragusa in Campbell. Tickets for the Hall of Fame dinner are priced at $90. For ticket information, call the Los Gatos Athletic Association at 408.395.2002.
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