Sports Editor
Ever since childhood, senior Liam Amburgey has been enthralled with everything to do with space, leading him to major in astrophysics at the University of California San Diego, where he recently committed to play NCAA Division I water polo.
Amburgey describes his soon-to-be home in San Diego as the “perfect fit.” Alongside an intense, highly competitive water polo program, UCSD has a strong astrophysics program, and a stunning campus and surrounding area. When asked why he chose UCSD, he elaborated: “I met the team, and a lot of them are like me, and I felt like I would totally belong there… everything just clicked.” Amburgey competes on the LGHS Boys Varsity Water Polo team, as well as the LGHS Boys Varsity Swim team.
While he focuses on high school water polo during the season (Aug. through Nov.), he competes with Stanford Water Polo Club year-round. Amburgey started his water polo journey with San Jose Express in 2017, switching to Stanford in 2021. Though he was nervous about leaving Express behind, he found a home at Stanford. The highly competitive environment helped Amburgey gain exposure to college-level play and recruiters, helping him in his recruitment journey. Aside from nerves during his first few practices, Amburgey loves playing with the Stanford club, saying that “they all accepted me well, and I now have a lot of friends on the team.”
At LG, Amburgey’s relationships with teammates and coaches “extend beyond the pool,” into classes and other extracurriculars. Amburgey was part of the 2023 varsity boys team that recorded a historic season this year — undefeated in league play and winning the league title — never before done in LGHS history. Although excited to join a new team at UCSD, Amburgey stresses the sentimental nature of the season, his last with many of his best friends.
Once at UCSD, Amburgey will follow his passion for studying astrophysics, and he remembers that “even in fifth grade I wanted to be an astronaut. A lot of people had aged out of that [dream] at that point, but I hadn’t.” He explained that although being an astronaut may not still be his dream, studying space is and has always been. Amburgey loves his physics courses at the high school and studies more niche space subjects at home.
From a young age, Amburgey’s fascination with space propelled his interests in music and film. Starman (David Bowie) and Rocketman (Elton John) are cornerstones of his music taste. He notes that he loves Christopher Nolan’s work, like Interstellar and Oppenheimer, “also very space-y.” He recalls watching Oppenheimer recently with his parents and thinking “Oh my god, I love that guy.”
Nostalgic, Amburgey added: “I don’t know where I would be or if I’d be as happy if I went to a different school – the people I’ve met, the friends I’ve made, the teachers…Everything worked out really well, it’s been an incredible network of support the past four years.” Wish him luck at UCSD!