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Coach Brzyski, a native of St. Louis, began her water polo career nine years ago. She attended Marquette High School, where she excelled in both swimming and water polo. As a varsity swimmer, her team won State titles in 2019 and 2020, and served as an alternate swimmer for the state team in 2020 and 2021.  

Her water polo career started in 7th grade & flourished in high school. After a successful year on JV as a freshman, she was promoted to captain of the JV team as a Sophomore & began playing on the Varsity Co-Ed team. Once Girls' Varsity water polo was started with the first-ever Lafayette Invitational in 2019, she instantly became a key player to Marquette’s success. As a three year Girls' Varsity captain she led her team to victory in the inaugural Missouri Girls State Championship in 2021. Her performance earned her unanimous selection for both first team and player of the year in all-conference and all-district voting, as well as the 2021 Female Player of the Year award.

Coach Brzyski continued her athletic career at Mercyhurst University, an NCAA Division I program, where she has been a team captain since her sophomore year in 2022. Under the leadership of her and the co-captains, the team achieved a third-place finish at the WWPA Championships in 2024.

Outside of school, Coach Brzyski remains dedicated to the sport. She coached in Southern California during the summers of 2022 and 2023, collaborating with the head varsity coach at Palos Verdes High School, the runner ups in the CIFSS Division 3 State Championships, organizing training sessions for JV and Varsity Girls programs. At Redondo High School, she developed practices and managed the Frosh/Soph Boys summer program, and she also served as the head coach of the 14U Blue Girls team at PV Water Polo Club.

Coach Brzyski is thrilled to return to St. Louis and coach with the Lions, having been a player during the STL Lions' inaugural year. She is passionate about fostering a positive and competitive culture for Missouri Girls Water Polo and looks forward to contributing to the growth and success of the STL Lions athletes.

Born and raised on the west coast, Coach Castillo has been playing water polo for 7 years. Her water polo career began in Portland, Oregon as she became one of the most decorated players in the state's history at Lincoln High.  She earned player of the year in the State of Oregon. After her freshman year, her family moved to Southern California which only further strengthened her water polo skills. Her club career skyrocketed, as she played Olympians, as well as the best club programs in the country. After her continued high school and club success, she accepted a full scholarship to play at The University of California-Irvine, ranked in the top five Division 1 water polo programs in the United States.

She graduated in 2020 with a Bachelors of Science in Educational Sciences.

After graduating she decided to follow her family to St. Louis to help out during the pandemic. Once things started getting back to normal she was able to continue her educational background by finding a job as a family nanny in the St. Louis area. She is continuing to grow in the educational community and hopes to explore more of what St. Louis has to offer. She is excited to be a part of the Lions and help grow women’s water polo in Missouri, the community and around the world. 

 Coach Clay has been involved with water polo since beginning playing as an 8th grader in 1998. He played high school water polo at Parkway North High School in St. Louis county, before playing college club water polo at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, serving as captain/coach during his junior and senior seasons.

Coach Clay began coaching the Ladue JV water polo team during the 2011 season. In 2015 he assumed the varsity coaching duties and has been head coach of the program since.  Highlights during his ten years at Ladue include three Final Four appearances (2011 as an assistant, 2017, 2018), two championship appearances (2011, 2017), and earning Missouri Water Polo Coach of the Year in 2018. 

Coach Clay strongly believes that relationship building, character development, and commitment to developing players of all ability levels creates the best possible experience for players.  He wants all of his players to reach their highest potential as polo players by teaching skills, developing confidence, and enhancing character traits.  

Born and raised in St. Louis, Coach Maddie has been around the pool for as long as she can remember. Growing up watching her older brothers play water polo, she quickly found her own path in the pool.

She started swimming for Cool Dell Swim and Tennis Club at just four years old, where she still holds records today.  From there, she joined Parkway Swim Club at age six before moving to Rockwood Swim Club at age eight. By 7th grade, she was competing at a national level.

She attended St. Joseph’s Academy and later Parkway South High School, where she graduated in 2016. During her three years on the Parkway South Swim Team, she became a three-time state qualifier and finalist, as well as team captain her senior year.

With years of intense competition background, Coach Maddie is dedicated to helping young athletes improve their technique, build confidence, and achieve their goals. Her coaching experience includes Ladue Horton Watkins High School Girls Water Polo (2025-present), Ladue Horton Watkins High School Girls & Boys Swim (2024-present), Nerinx Hall High School Girls Swim (2023-2024) and Racquet Club Ladue Swim (2014-2020).

  Coach Katie has spent her life near the water, first as a competitive swimmer and then water polo player growing up in Florida. She has been involved with water polo since the 1990s when she played high school water polo in Orlando, FL where she was an All-District, All-State and Academic All-American player. She also played collegiate club and masters water polo as an adult. She moved to St. Louis in 2010; she now calls Kirkwood home with her two children and husband, Ben.  She also serves as the CEO for the women’s health nonprofit Gateway to Hope. 

A life-long athlete and now enthusiastic swimmer and marathoner, Coach Manga understands the impact that sport can have for young women in all aspects of their lives. She is passionate about creating a positive environment for girls and women to compete, develop and grow as athletes - and as people. She aims to create opportunities for girls and women to make water polo and athletics a life-long endeavor and is honored to be a part of the St. Louis Lions mission. 

 Coach Claire grew up in the St. Louis area. She played club water polo for Mad Dog, swam for the Rockwood Swim Club and swam and played water polo at Marquette High School.

Since high school, she has been a Rockwood Swim Coach for 12 years. She is the head water polo coach at Marquette High School, after being an assistant coach for 3 years. In 2021, with Marquette high school, Maniscalco helped coach the girls team to Missouri's first-ever girls state championship and received the honor of Coach of the Year for the female conference. She coached the girls to a second place championship in 2022 and 2023. In 2023 she received conference female co-coach of the year. 

Coach Maniscalco also coaches boys swimming for Lafayette high school and is a member of the Missouri Water Polo Board and the High School Water Polo Board.

She has been with the St. Louis Lions since fall 2021, where she has coached many female athletes and coached teams at the Junior Olympics. Coach Maniscalco is excited to be a part of Missouri's only all-female water polo club and dedicated to the growth of the sport!

   Coach Alex was born and raised here in St. Louis. She has been on a pool deck since she was born. She started swimming at age 5 at the Manchester pool over the summer and is now one of the coaches for them. She coaches alongside her dad at Parkway South High School during water polo season.

She played water polo at Marquette High for 4 years and played on the Lions for a couple years. She won state in 2021 with Marquette and then took second place in state in 2022 and 2023 with them.

She says, "Water polo is my favorite thing in the world and I love coaching it. I am so glad I became a part of the Lions family and can't wait to stay with them. My goal is to help continue to develop the sport. I also want to not only create great athletes but create great people."

Coach Peglar was born and raised in St. Louis and started his 52-year involvement with water polo as part of the Missouri State Champion team at Ladue High in 1973.  He graduated from Wash. U, in St. Louis, with a B.S. in Computer Science, as well as two years of graduate CS study.  

He is a certified USA Water Polo coach and referee. He and Mike Clay led the first-ever Lions 16-U team to a top-16 finish at the 2021 Junior Olympics in Dallas. He was honored with the USAWP Distinguished Volunteer Award in 2022 for the Midwest Zone. The Lions have three consecutive top-10 Platinum Division 18-U finishes at JOs, 2022-2024.

He is the head water polo coach at Kirkwood High School, leading the boys to four consecutive state Elite Eight finishes including the silver medal in 2021 and the bronze medal in 2024, and the girls to two consecutive Final Fours including the silver medal in 2025. He was named Missouri Water Polo Coach of the Year in 2021 and Suburban Conference Coach of the Year in 2025. He is also the head coach of boys and girls swimming and diving at Ladue, guiding them to multiple top-ten team placements at the Missouri Class 1 State Championships.

He co-founded and leads the Lions for the purpose of growing girls' water polo in St. Louis, and beyond, and is dedicated to seeing student/athletes mature and become outstanding young people.