Juliana “Jules” Horton is only a freshman, but she has already proven herself to be an outstanding water polo athlete. Through four years playing the sport, Horton has accumulated accomplishments that demonstrate her hard work and contributions to the Santa Barbara water polo community.

In a game against Camarillo High School last month, Horton broke the in-game scoring record by securing 10 goals for Santa Barbara. In doing so, she passed the record set by Kami Craig, who played for Santa Barbara in the 2003-2005 CIF Southern Section Championships and is now a three-time Olympic medalist. Furthermore, Horton recently broke Santa Barbara’s season-long scoring record, meaning she’s scored more goals this season than any player in the team’s history. Last summer, she earned gold at the Junior Olympics in the top 14U division with 805 Water Polo, earning the title of First Team All-American. According to Max Preps, Horton has scored 125 goals in total, making her the top-scoring high school player in the nation this season. 

Horton credits her success to her teammates, emphasizing how she would not be where she is without them: “My favorite part about playing water polo is going to practice with my friends every day and how you really build strong bonds with your coaches and the other girls.” 

Mark Walsh has been coaching Santa Barbara water polo for 28 years. “(Jules) is a fierce competitor,” he says. “She wants to be great, (and) she wants the team to be great… One of my favorite qualities (of hers) is (how) even though she’s so talented, she doesn’t get upset if other players maybe aren’t able to give her the ball in the right spots… she stays really positive.” 

Horton played many sports throughout her childhood, including soccer, basketball, baseball, and volleyball. Remarkably, she did not discover water polo until she was ten. During the pandemic, Horton joined a swim camp to be closer to her cousins who were swimmers. Little did she know that this camp would ignite her water polo career, especially considering that swimming did not come naturally. “In the beginning, swimming was a big issue,” she explains. “I was not good at all. But with continuous practice, I’m really proud of how I’ve grown since then.” Now, Coach Walsh attests to Horton’s swimming capacity, describing her as dynamic and quick at sprinting through the water.

Outside of the pool, Jules loves to cook family recipes with friends, watch television series like Criminal Minds, and play volleyball on the high school team. She’s also enrolled in challenging courses like AP Environmental Science, AP Psychology, and the math compaction program. To uphold her academic success, Horton typically completes homework on road trips and plane rides while en route to tournaments. “Through water polo, I’ve learned that there is a positive correlation between more work and better outcomes. This has helped me a lot in school.”

Looking to her future, Horton aims to attend a four-year college on a water polo scholarship and subsequently make the national team. She’s already made the development national team, which is the youngest sector of USA Water Polo. This plan puts Horton on the trajectory to represent America in the 2028 Olympics. Additionally, Jules is interested in studying medicine to become a sports surgeon and help athletes like herself. No matter where her love of water polo takes her, Horton’s optimistic outlook, drive to get better, and balanced lifestyle will bring her success in whatever path she chooses.

Jules mid-action in a high school game against Thousand Oaks [Image Courtesy of Conan Horton]