Vaughn Bigelow Jr. loved competition and the friendships he found in sports. He was a proud member of the Rocky Mountain Neptunes water polo team when his life was taken from us.

It’s in his honor and spirit that Big Waves has dedicated itself to growing water polo through scholarships, education, and high school teams. We believe that water polo has the unique ability to help young athletes develop critical thinking, problem-solving skills, patience, persistence, and the ability to handle loss and disappointment healthily.

We’re proud to announce that Lin Naraoka is a 2025 Vaughn Bigelow Scholarship recipient.

Wave Hello to Lin

Lin is a 2025 graduate of Eaglecrest High School. She began playing at the age of 8 with Team Vegas Water Polo. She moved to Denver in 2018 and found a home with the Colorado Pirates.

Her list of water polo achievements is impressive. It includes national recognition, elite training opportunities, and even playing internationally for Serbia:

2021: 14u Girls All-American First Team, Junior Olympics (Session 3)
2016–2023: Olympic Development Program (ODP) participant, representing the Mountain Zone at nationals every year (grades 6–11)
2023: Nick Johnson Award for sportsmanship (ODP)
2023: Selected for the National Team Selection Camp (NTSC)
2024: Chosen for the Regional All-Star Travel Team, representing the USA in Belgrade, Serbia

Lin will be the first in her family to attend college in the United States.

Her family emigrated to the US from Japan as adults before Lin was born. She lost her mom when she was 4 years old and considers herself fiercely independent.

This fall, she will be attending Bucknell University and playing Division 1 water polo. She’s majoring in business to start, but her sights are set on becoming a nurse practitioner.

She’d also like to coach water polo someday, so she can grow the sport that’s had such a profound impact on her life.She’s looking forward to attending Coach Tierney’s alma mater. She’s excited about the extensive network of water polo players there.

Looking Back

Being a student-athlete comes with unique challenges.

Lin struggled with the demands of taking AP courses while competing in sports.

“As a freshman and sophomore, I participated in school sports during all seasons. I was able to letter in three varsity sports: cross country, swim, and track. Alongside that, I continued playing club water polo, often attending practices back-to-back while still maintaining consistent grades. During my junior and senior years, I decided that it was in my best interest to shift my focus to just water polo and swim to give myself more time to myself to succeed in the classroom,” says Lin.

“Through the shift in focus, I quickly improved in those areas, qualifying for 5A state in the 100 free my senior year after repeated years of only swimming relays at state. Through all this, I also attended Denver masters practices in order to keep up my high level of water polo. During the spring, I participated in the Futures water polo tournament, which required traveling multiple weekends, making my schedule even busier. I am successfully finishing out my senior year, earning a graduate honor for a high GPA, earning high honor roll all semesters of high school, and ultimately playing D1 water polo at Bucknell, which has always been my biggest goal,” explains Lin.

Community, Mentoring, and a Growth Mindset

Community is at the heart of why Lin loves water polo.

We think Lin says it best, “the community I gained from the sport has been truly irreplaceable. Whether it’s a master's player helping me improve or a coach giving me a pep talk, I have formed such genuine, lasting friendships through this sport. The constant support and connection felt through this community I surround myself around did, and will continue to make an impact on me and my motivation. Best of all, water polo has taught me important skills and lessons for self-improvement, both physically and mentally.”

Mentoring: Creating Her Own Ripple of Positivity

Colorado practices are combined with younger age groups. With the mix and range of ages Lin learned how to help newer and younger teammates. She’s coached splash ball, developing their skills and fostering a love for the sport in them. She sees herself in them. Their ambition. Their drive. Their effort.

She is also able to take feedback from coaches. Sean Tierney had this to say: “She works hard, is attentive to her shortcomings, receptive to coaching, and holds herself to a high standard.”

The Big Waves Impact

There’s no doubt Lin is ready to make big waves at Bucknell University. The Vaughn Bigelow Jr. Scholarship will support her through the ups and downs in college for the next four years.

But it’s more than that. We’re in the pool together.

By supporting Lin and other scholarship recipients, we’re creating a ripple that will turn into a big wave. Coach Sean Tierney said, "we’re getting someone with a strong affinity for Colorado water polo. I am sure that as her NCAA women’s water polo profile rises, she will be an excellent ambassador for our state and our sport.”

Beyond the pool and Colorado, we can’t wait to see where Lin’s resilience, determination, and grit take her.