USAWP Media Guide 2015:Layout 1.Qxd
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TABLE OF CONTENTS About USA Water Polo: . 2 Quick Facts U.S. MEN’S WATER POLO Media Information: . 3 Head Coach – Dejan Udovicic 3rd year (Serbia) Assistant Coach – Jack Kocur 3rd year (Pepperdine) Social Media:. .4 Alex Rodriguez 1st year (Pepperdine) Men’s Outlook/Preview: . 5-6 Team Leader – Rick McKee (Anderson) Training Facility Segerstrom High School/Santa Ana YMCA Women’s Outlook/Preview: . 7-9 2301 W. MacArthur Blvd, Santa Ana, CA 92704 2015 Schedules: . 10-11 Olympic Appearances – 21 Best Olympic Finish – Gold Medal National Teams at a Glance: . 12-13 (1904 St. Louis, Missouri) Best World Championship Finish – 4th Place All-Time Finishes: . .14-17 (1986 Madrid, Spain, 1991 Perth, Australia) Current World Ranking – 6th (Since 2014) Men’s National Team Highest World Ranking – 2nd (2009) Roster Breakdown Men’s Coaching Staff: . 20-21 Goalkeeper – 3 Attacker – 7 Defender – 4 Men’s 2015 Roster: . 22-23 Center – 3 Men’s Bios: . 24-43 U.S WOMEN’S WATER POLO Head Coach – Adam Krikorian 7th year (UCLA) Women’s National Team Assistant Coach – Dan Klatt 7th year (UC-Irvine) Chris Oeding 3rd year (California) Team Leader – Jen Adams (UC-Irvine) Women’s Coaching Staff: . .46-47 Training Facility USA Water Polo National Training Center Women’s 2015 Roster: . .48-49 11360 Valley Forge Avenue Los Alamitos, CA 90720 Women’s Bios: . 50-69 Olympic Appearances – 4 Best Olympic Finish – Gold Medal (2012 London, England) Introduction to Water Polo: . .71 Best World Championship Finish – Gold Medal Understanding Water Polo: . .72-73 (On three occasions most recently 2009 Rome, Italy) Current World Ranking – 1st (Since 2014) Glossary of Terms: . .74-75 Highest World Ranking – 1st (Multiple occasions) Roster Breakdown USA Water Polo Goals: . 76 Goalkeeper – 2 Attacker – 8 Defender – 3 Board of Directors: . 77 Center – 3 MEDIA GUIDE CREDITS USA Water Polo Staff: . .77 This media guide was assembled and edited by Greg Mescall with assistance from Jennifer Ross and National Team Television Eric Velazquez. Spotter Chart: . 78-81 Photos courtesy of Larsen & Talbert, Kirby Lee, US Presswire, Kelley L. Cox, Jonathan Moore, Allen Lorentzen, Jared Gray, Kel Casey, Richard Corman, and Tom Kimmell. 1 ABOUT USA WATER POLO USA Water Polo, Inc. is a not-for- Masters Water Polo USAWP supports and pro- profit corporation that serves as the motes competition and national governing body for the events among its members domestically and internation- sport of water polo in the United ally. Membership in Masters States under authority of the United Water Polo is available to States Olympic Committee. anyone age 20 and older. Each year dozens of tournaments are held throughout the US high- lighted by the USA Water Polo Masters National Mission Statement Championships each June. Champions are The Mission of USA Water Polo shall be to grow crowned in 20+, 30+, 40+, 45+, 50+, 55+, the sport of water polo throughout the United and 60+ age categories for men. Women con- States and win medals in Olympic, World Cham- test in the 20+, 30+, 40+, 50+, and 55+ age pionship, and Pan American Games. groups. Check out some great programs USA Water Polo US Leagues is operating in communities all over the country. US Leagues is a program of For more information visit USA Water Polo designed to www.usawaterpolo.org. provide a low cost, entry-level membership for water polo Splashball athletes and coaches all ages Splashball is designed to in- and skill levels. All US League troduce the sport of water athletes, coaches and referees will receive the polo to children 5-9 years old. basic benefits provided to all USA Water Polo The intent is to provide basic Members for the duration of the league. skills and understanding of the sport in a recreational format. This program is a flexible platform for water polo Although water polo is known for its toughness groups throughout the country to provide safe, in- and endurance, Splashball harnesses all the fun, sured, supervised water polo programming for all dynamic aspects of the game in a safe, easy to ages and playing levels. learn aquatic experience that will motivate kids to swim and stay fit. To find a Splashball program Olympic Development Program near you or to learn more visit www.splashbal- The mission of USA Water lusa.org. Polo’s (USAWP) Olympic De- velopment Program is to unify the American system of play and increase the number of ath- letes, coaches and referees in the system with an emphasis on long term im- provement. The program serves as the entry into USAWP Olympic Development Pipeline and offers incentives for USAWP athletes, coaches and ref- erees to compete for inclusion and advancement. Once accepted into the Olympic Development Program, athletes, coaches and referees will be taught the American System of Water Polo. 2 MEDIA INFORMATION USA Water Polo athletes and coaches are available to media following approval of the USA Water Polo Communications office. To request availability please contact: Greg Mescall, Director of Communications phone: 714-500-5455 email: [email protected] secondary email: [email protected] Jeff Dyrek, Director of Marketing phone: 714-500-5438 email: [email protected] USA Water Polo is active on a variety of social media. Be sure to find us on the following: Facebook – www.facebook.com/usawp Twitter – www.twitter.com/usawp Youtube – www.youtube.com/usawp Instagram - www.instagram.com/usawp Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/usawp SnapChat - Search "USAWP" www.usawaterpolo.org is the official website of USA Water Polo. Find game recaps, roster information and more at www.usawaterpolo.org. Watch “The #CounterAttack with Greg Mescall” every Wednesday. Your weekly source for water polo news in America. Available at YouTube.com/USAWP. 3 SOCIAL MEDIA MEN’S TEAM ATHLETE TWITTER INSTAGRAM Alex Bowen @amazing_brick @abrickbowen Jesse Smith @gosmithnow @gosmithnow Bret Bonanni @bretbonanni @bretbonanni Alex Obert @aobert18 @aobert18 Joshua Samuels @Jsamuels7 @jslamuels Tony Azevedo @waterpolotony @tonyazevedo8 Mcquin Baron @mcquinbaron @mcquinbaron Alex Roelse @alexroelse @aroelse Luca Cupido n/a @l_cupido Nick Bisconti n/a @nickbisco Jackson Kimbell @jacksonkimbell @jackson_kimbell Janson Wigo @jansonwigo @Jwigo7 Thomas Dunstan n/a @Tsdunstan John Mann @Bearmann4 @Instaamann Nic Carniglia n/a @ niccarniglia Ben Hallock @ben_hallock @bennyhallock WOMEN’S TEAM ATHLETE TWITTER INSTAGRAM Alys Williams @alyswilliams12 @alyswilliams Maggie Steffens @maggiesteffens @mags_steff Melissa Seidemann @melseidemann @mseidemann KK Clark @kkclarkster @kk_clark_ Ashley Grossman n/a @ashleysgross Sami Hill n/a @sami_i_amm Maddie Musselman @maddiemusselman @maddiemussleman Makenzie Fischer @makenziefishy @makenziefishy Courtney Mathewson @clkmathewson @clkmorinello Rachel Fattal n/a @rachfattal Kaleigh Gilchrist @KGilchrist15 @KaleighGilchrist Kiley Neushul n/a @Kileyneushul Kami Craig @KamiCraigUSA @KamiCraigUSA Ashleigh Johnson n/a @bume96 Aria Fischer n/a @aria.fischer 4 MEN’S OUTLOOK & PREVIEW ince the 2012 Olympic Games much has changed for the USA Water Polo Men’s Senior National Team. A brand-new Scoaching staff was installed in 2013 and heading into the summer of 2015, only four athletes remain from the team that took home a disappointing eighth-place finish in London. Dejan Udovicic took over as head coach of Team USA in May 2013; since then the results have been promising. The red, white, and blue have been in the top-five in three major FINA competitions, taking fourth place at the 2014 FINA World Cup, fifth place at the 2014 World League Super Final and fourth place at the 2013 FINA World League Super Final. Add to that a Gold medal at the 2014 FINA Men’s In- tercontinental Tournament and a Bronze at the 2015 edition, and Team USA appears poised for a leap back into the elite rankings of international water polo. The main focus of 2015 is qualifying for the 2016 Olympic Games, and opportunities are numerous. The first chance comes at the FINA World League GOALKEEPERS Super Final where the winner earns an Olympic berth. Next comes Team USA’s best opportunity, the The cage is in good hands for Team USA with vet- Pan American Games, where the Gold medalist eran Merrill Moses (Palos Verdes, CA/Pepper- punches a ticket to Rio. Team USA has used this dine/NYAC) guarding the net. The 2008 Olympic method of qualification for the last four Olympic silver medalist has been a mainstay in net for the Games. Last but not least comes the FINA World U.S. since 2006 and looks to be steady presence Championship where the top-three finishers will behind a defense with mixed levels of experience. head to Brazil. Now an assistant coach with Pepperdine, Moses helped Team USA to a fourth-place finish at the FINA Udovicic, the longtime head coach of the Serbian World Cup a summer ago. Men’s National Team, has two Olympic bronze medals and a FINA World Championship under his McQuin Baron (North Tustin, CA/USC/Regency) belt from his time with the eastern European power. represents the future in the cage for Team USA. Now he’s looking to build similar success with Team Boasting a 6’ 9” frame, the goalkeeper for the USC USA. He's joined by Assistant Coaches Jack Kocur Trojans has started for the United States in various and Alex Rodriguez plus longtime Team Manager tournaments over the last 18 months. More than a Rick McKee. capable back up, he’ll look to build his resume of ex- perience in the run up to Rio. Team USA will bring a blend of veteran leadership with experience in multiple Olympic Games along DEFENDERS with rising talent from the collegiate ranks that have A versatile group of defenders is anchored by three- solidified their spots on the National Team in the last time Olympian Jesse Smith (Coronado, CA/Pepper- two years. dine/NYAC). Smith is a utility for Team USA, Four-time Olympian Tony Azevedo joins three-time blending the ability to do it all from guarding the op- Olympian Jesse Smith, two-time Olympian Merrill position’s best player to boasting a powerful outside Moses, and 2012 Olympian John Mann as the lead- shot.