Australian native brings All-American skill to UCLA
By Daily Bruin Staff
May 9, 2001 9:00 p.m.
 KEITH ENRIQUEZ/Daily Bruin Senior Staff Kelly
Heuchan is the lone overseas player on the water polo
team.
By Emily Whichard
Daily Bruin Contributor
Water polo is all fun and games for Kelly Heuchan. Maybe someone
should have told USC’s head coach that when he was recruiting
her.
The Australian native can boast a long list of accolades,
including a world championship for her home country, but the
trophies come second to her desire to enjoy the sport.
At the 1999 Worlds in Sicily, Heuchan was approached by Trojan
Coach Jovan Vivac as a prospect for his team. He offered her an
appealing package, but it came with a price.
“He basically told me he would control my life, from what
I ate to what I did with my free time,” Heuchan said.
“I play water polo for fun. Of course I want to win, but I
don’t want to play if I can’t enjoy it.”
USC may have held no appeal for Heuchan, but a college career in
the United States did. Her father contacted UCLA Head Coach Adam
Krikorian and the rest is history.
Unlike teams like USC that boast an internationally diverse
lineup, Heuchan is the lone overseas member of the Bruin squad.
She joined the team last January, just in time for regular
season play. Krikorian was impressed with her easy transition. True
to her priorities, she walked on deck ready to have some fun.
“She was joking and clicking with the team right
away,” he said. “I think it’s a tribute to her
outgoing personality.”
Her blonde hair and tan may be distinctly Californian, but as
soon as she speaks, her Australian roots betray her. Her accent is
a constant source of amusement for the team.
“The Australian factor is fun to kid with her
about,” freshman Natalie Golda said. “We’re
constantly screaming for a translator for some of the things she
says.”
Golda recalled a recent car ride where Heuchan fell victim to
American influence, pronouncing “tomato” without her
native spin on the word.
“That is the last straw,” Heuchan said. “I
can’t start speaking like an American!”
She may be holding true to her Australian roots, but her water
polo loyalty is distinctly blue and gold. In the past year, she has
dominated as the starting two-meter player for the Bruins.
In the national championship game last season, Heuchan went up
against her other college prospect, USC. She scored two goals to
help the Bruins win, rubbing it in that she made the best decision
when she chose to balance good times with good water polo.
Based on a year of stellar performance, the all-Australian girl
earned second-team All-America honors for herself.
Her success can be attributed to a playing style as unique as
her accent. Her coaches and teammates marvel at her creativity.
“She’ll be underwater and the ball will go in.
She’ll have three people on her and the ball will go
in,” Golda said. “She’s so fun to watch, but
she’s so humble about it.”
Heuchan attributes her unique moves to fortunate experiences
with coaches and her desire to make the game fun.
“It’s more exciting to be creative in the
water,” she said. “It’s a game I play with
myself.”
Heuchan’s ability to be creative in the pool may stem from
her long history in the sport. Unlike the typical American path of
pursuing water polo beginning in high school, she began playing at
a very young age.
“She has had the opportunity to develop a keen awareness
for the game unparalleled by a lot of American players,”
Krikorian said.
Even with a host of qualities to set her at odds with the rest
of the team, Heuchan cites the closeness between her teammates as
one of the best aspects of her American experience.
Australia has a number of strong club teams across the nation
that the United States cannot compete with. However, collegiate
water polo does not exist there.
“It’s so good to be a part of a team. We’re
always doing so much together,” Heuchan said. “The
closeness to my teammates is really important to me. It’s
something I never could have gotten in Australia.”
With cross-continental roots firmly planted, Heuchan is heading
into her final season with the Bruins next year. Faced with
questions about her post-collegiate plans, she remains
undecided.
True to her fun-loving personality, Heuchan is not getting
worked up about the decision.
“I’m not sure what I’ll do yet,” she
said. “But coming here was the best decision I’ve ever
made. It’s been such a wonderful and fun
experience.”
