19-05-2025
Mater Lakes' Dominguez, Gulliver's Vaughan are Dade Water Polo Coaches of the Year
Gulliver coach Carroll Vaughan had seen her girls' water polo squads endure heartbreak for several years at the state tournament.
That finally changed this season.
Meanwhile, Nelson Dominguez has helped turn the Mater Lakes boys' team into a powerhouse.
The Bears experienced the pain of coming up short of a state title albeit in a breakthrough season for the program.
For their efforts, Vaughan and Dominguez are this year's Miami Herald Miami-Dade Water Polo Coaches of the Year.
Vaughan led the Raiders to the state final four times since the prior time Gulliver won a state title in 2013.
This season, Gulliver cleared the final hurdle with an impressive comeback win over Seminole in the state championship game.
It was Vaughan's second state title as the Raiders coach.
And with most of their players returning including freshman goalie Sofia Beltran, the Dade Girls' Player of the Year, it may be the first in a sustained run for the Raiders.
We had been preparing for this for years,' Vaughan said after Gulliver's championship victory. 'We had some great practices this week. We talked about falling behind and staying in our game.'
Mater Lakes hopes next season will bring such a breakthrough as Dominguez, the Boys' Coach of the Year, also returns a loaded squad led by Boys' Player of the Year, Noslen De La Puente.
The Bears advanced to the state tournament for the first time in program history as the state's No. 1-ranked team, and did so by navigating through the state's toughest region after wins over Cutler Bay, Gulliver and Ransom Everglades.
Mater Lakes came up on the short end of a 10-9 loss in the state final to first-time state champ Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy.
But the Bears figure to have the core they need to make it back next season.
'We feel like we didn't lose. We only learned and we keep moving forward,' Dominguez said after the state final.
