DAVIS, Calif. — December 2, 2021 was just a taste of what was to come for redshirt junior goalkeeper Aaron Wilson.
 
The UC Davis men's water polo team sunk Long Beach State, the favorite, in the quarterfinals of the NCAA National Collegiate Men's Water Polo Championship with a 9-8 victory in overtime, thanks to Holden Neach's late goal.
 
But more importantly, Wilson stepped up, making four of his 14 saves in the extra frame to complete one of his best defensive efforts of the season and send his team to the semifinals.
 
"It exceeded every expectation for how I thought I would feel along the way," Wilson said of his first full season of competition. "I had a lot of confidence, but I didn't know if I realized how good this team was. When we were just competing and kept winning, we peaked at the right time at the end of the year. We went on to play USC and thought I had a really solid performance. I felt fulfilled and shocked that I was a part of the big circus that was happening. All the people in the stands were invested in me and my teammates. That was a big honor."
 
The Aggies later fell to the No. 1-ranked Trojans by a close 11-8 margin, but that's not where Wilson's journey ends.
 
He's just getting started.
 
Wilson, one of the very few Black athletes playing water polo, hopes to be an inspiration for those who seek to follow his footsteps.
 
"You just have to try," Wilson said. "The biggest barrier is the fact that often if you try to play the sport, you will be the only Black kid at every single event you go to. I was the only Black kid on the pool deck countless times at tournaments and events growing up. You just must have faith in your abilities. This is just a sport that Black athletes simply do not play. I've tried it and I feel like I've been able to succeed. I feel like there are Black athletes out there way more athletic than I am who could dominate this sport. I think you just have to try it. Don't be afraid to be the only one."
 
Wilson is not alone. His teammates and coaching staff fully support him.
 
"I'm really proud of how he has handled himself," head coach Daniel Leyson said. "I definitely think he is a role model for young African American water polo players to look at and to see how far he has progressed."
 
Wilson, now shining in the spotlight here at UC Davis, took an interesting path to get to where he is now.
 
Growing up in Pasadena, California, Wilson began playing water polo at the age of nine.
 
It wasn't Wilson's idea to jump into the sport at a young age. Rather, his older brother, Noah, took up water polo, but it wasn't by choice.
 
"My brother had bronchitis and the doctor said it would be good for him to play an aquatic sport," Wilson said. "When I saw him play that, I said to myself 'I could do it, too.'"
 
Noah played water polo matches every weekend and Aaron, who was too young to be left at home, joined his family in watching his brother compete at the pool.
 
"This is awesome," Wilson thought.
 
Soon after, Wilson got his feet wet and started competing for the Rose Bowl Water Polo Club where Leyson oversaw the program then.
 
Wilson had to jump a hurdle first, his swimming speed. However, he was able to find a solution that would change the course of his water polo career.
 
"I was the slowest swimmer on my first team, so they made me a goalie," Wilson said. "I ended up doing pretty good at it, so I stuck with it the whole year and kept at it."
 
Sure enough, Wilson was making big saves left and right with quick reflexes that garnered attention from many, including some of his current Aggie teammates.


 
"We were in the age division of 12-under," redshirt junior central defender Aaron Voggenthaler said. "That's when we first started playing against him. I remembered Wilson because he was demolishing our shots. He was putting his team on his back with his ability to block the ball so well."
 
Wilson lost connection with Leyson after his club and high school experience at Damien High School where he helped lead the Spartans to 22 wins and an unbeaten conference record as a senior, earning a berth into the second round of the CIF Division II playoffs.
 
However, when it came to college recruitment, Leyson, who was now the head coach at UC Davis, rekindled the sparks with Wilson and saw the 6-foot-3 goalkeeper as a hidden gem.
 
"Aaron was a very exciting prospect," Leyson said. "He was a little bit under the radar as a recruit. He wasn't thought of as one of those blue-chip pieces. He was good, but I really felt like this guy has potential. We try to find recruits like that here at UC Davis whose best years are ahead of them. I felt excited about the possibilities with him because he had a lot of foundational aspects that high-level goalkeepers have."
 
Wilson had to go through the process of redshirting his first year, which allowed him to embrace the college lifestyle on campus and train with the team. While redshirting, Wilson experienced some personal growth as he was able to be an understudy to goalkeeper Jonah Addington, who won league MVP during Wilson's first year.
 
"Immediately, I said I need to be this," Wilson thought. "I want to be goalie and win MVP someday. I just studied him and his passing closely. He gave me a lot of tips and tricks I know now."
 
Wilson was ready to make some waves the following season. However, the COVID-19 pandemic shifted his plans as UC Davis opted out of competition in 2020. Wilson still worked out and trained with his teammates, but in an unusual fashion.
 
"It was a real struggle when every single day was training in a lane by yourself and not feeling as much of a team sport, but just having your buddies there to support you, it helped a lot," Wilson said. "It was like having cabin fever. We wanted to play really bad."
 
In his first full campaign last year, Wilson started 23 of the Aggies' 28 games, posting 203 saves and 45 steals in over 700 minutes of play.
 
After overcoming an injury last summer, Wilson's 2022 season has gotten off to a strong start, tallying 134 saves and 15 steals in over 400 minutes in the net.
 
Wilson has been the backbone of his team. His teammates see the work ethic and dedication Wilson puts in every day in practices and games.
 
"He's one of our vocal leaders," redshirt junior Max Stryker said of Wilson. "His instincts also are out of this world. When you put those two together, he's one of the best goalies in the nation no doubt."
 
"He takes it very seriously," redshirt junior attacker Logan Anderson added. "Having his effort here of just getting better each day is incredibly helpful for the team. He puts in the work and grinds like no one else here."
 
Leyson has noticed the evolution in Wilson's goaltending abilities from when he first arrived. He's ahead of how most goalkeepers turn out, according to his head coach.
 
"He's dedicated himself to learning the finer points of the game," Leyson said. "He relied on a lot of instincts and natural abilities for a long time, which is great because he has a lot of those, but a lot of times, that's where the story ends for those athletes since they're not willing to delve into the deeper aspects of the game and embrace the work with the game. Aaron has not done that and has progressed. He's learned more about structure and system and positional aspects of goalkeeping. He's been terrific for us."
 
Wilson's hyper-competitiveness, as described by Leyson, and relentless fight puts UC Davis in a prime position this season as the team currently sits at No. 7 in the NCAA rankings with a 9-5 overall record.
 
Not only that, but Wilson's timely saves present momentum-shifting swings that change the course of matches at times.
 
"It's one thing that he does better than any goalkeeper in the country in making big saves that shift momentum in our favor positively, especially those five-meter blocks," Stryker said. "He just has a knack for knowing where people are going to go. That instinct has helped our team a lot this year. It just fires me and the rest of the boys up because you can see the effort he's putting in for each block."
After graduating from UC Davis, Wilson hopes to remain involved with the sport.
 
"I want to prove myself overseas if I can," Wilson said when asked about future plans. "Then, I want to come back, and I really want to coach, especially Black kids to grow the sport."
 
Wilson's journey to now has been one of perseverance and competitive spirit. His nature to never give up lives at the pinnacle of his story. That attitude pushes Wilson to become stronger every day along his path to success.
 
"I've reached this point through personal pride. I just know when I'm in the water, I'm not going to allow myself to make the same mistakes over and over again. It's very important to me to be a competitor and have a positive impact on my team. I'm never going to lie down or go down easy."