THANK YOU! USA WATER POLO SALUTES OUR PARTNERS TABLE OF CONTENTS About Usa Water Polo: . 4 Quick Facts Media Information: . 5 U.S. Men’s Water Polo Head Coach – Dejan Udovicic 9th year (Serbia) Social Media: . 6 Assistant Coach – Alex Rodriguez 5th year (Pepperdine) Assistant Coach – Gavin Arroyo (Long Beach State) Team Leader – Lori Verdegaal Men’s Outlook/Preview: . 7-8 Training Facility Torrance Aquatic Center Women’s Outlook/Preview: . 9-11 2320 Crenshaw Blvd, Torrance, CA 90501 Olympic Appearances – 22 2021 Schedules: . 12-13 Best Olympic Finish – Gold Medal (1904 St . Louis, Missouri) National Teams at a Glance: . 14-15 Best World Championship Finish – 4th Place (1986 Madrid, Spain, 1991 Perth, Australia, 2009 Rome, All Time Finishes: . 16-19 Italy) Current World Ranking – 9th (Since 2019) Men’s National Team Highest World Ranking – 2nd (2009) Roster Breakdown Men’s Coaching Staff: . 22-25 Goalkeeper – 3 Attacker – 12 Defender – 3 Men’s 2021 Roster: . 26-27 Center – 2 Utility – 2 Men’s Bios: . 28-55 U.S Women’s Water Polo Head Coach – Adam Krikorian 11th year (UCLA) Women’s National Team Assistant Coach – Chris Oeding 7th year (California) Dan Klatt (UC Irvine) Women’s Coaching Staff: . 58-59 Training Facility USA Water Polo National Training Center 11360 Valley Forge Avenue Women’s 2021 Roster: . 60-61 Los Alamitos, CA 90720 Women’s Bios: . 62-87 Olympic Appearances – 5 Best Olympic Finish –Gold Medal 2x (2012 London, Introduction to Water Polo . 88 England/2016 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) Best World Championship Finish – Gold Medal Understanding Water Polo . 89-90 (On six occasions most recently 2019 Gwangju, South Kore Glossary of Terms . 91-92 Current World Ranking – 1st (Since 2019) Highest World Ranking – 1st (Multiple occasions) Usa Water Polo Goals . 93 Roster Breakdown Goalkeeper 3 Attacker 9 Board Of Directors . 94 Defender 5 Center 1 Usa Water Polo Staff: . 95-96 Media guide credits This media guide was assembled and edited by Greg National Team Television Mescall Photos courtesy of Kelley L . Cox, Jonathan Moore, Spotter Chart: . 97-98 Allen Lorentzen, Jared Gray, Kel Casey, Richard Corman, Jonathan Moore, Cathryn Hayne, and Tom Kimmell . 3 ABOUT USA WATER POLO USA Water Polo, Inc. is a not-for- Masters Water Polo USAWP supports and profit corporation that serves as promotes competition and the national governing body for the events among its members domestically and international- sport of water polo in the United ly. 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 highlighted by the USA Water Polo Masters Mission Statement National Championships each June. Champions The Mission of USA Water Polo shall be to grow are crowned in 20+, 30+, 40+, 45+, 50+, the sport of water polo throughout the United 55+, 60+, 65+, and 70+ age categories for States and win medals in Olympic, World Cham- men. Women contest in the 20+, 30+, 40+, pionship, and Pan American Games. 50+, and 55+ age 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 www.usawaterpolo.org. USA Water Polo designed to provide a low cost, entry-level Splashball membership for water polo Splashball is designed to athletes and coaches all ages introduce the sport of water and skill levels. All US League polo to children 5-9 years old. athletes, coaches and referees will receive the The intent is to provide basic basic benefits provided to all USA Water Polo skills and understanding of the Members for the duration of the league. sport in a recreational format. Although water polo is known for its toughness This program is a flexible platform for water polo and endurance, Splashball harnesses all the fun, groups throughout the country to provide safe, dynamic aspects of the game in a safe, easy to insured, supervised water polo programming for learn aquatic experience that will motivate kids all ages and playing levels. to swim and stay fit. To find a Splashball program near you or to learn more visit www. Olympic Development Program splashballusa.org. The mission of USA Water Polo’s (USAWP) Olympic Development Program is to unify the American system of play and increase the number of athletes, coaches and referees in the system with an emphasis on long term improvement. The program serves as the entry into USAWP Olympic Development Pipeline and offers incentives for USAWP athletes, coaches and referees 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. 4 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] Nancy Atufunwa, Director of Marketing phone: 714-500-5445 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. 5 SOCIAL MEDIA MEN’S TEAM ATHLETE INSTAGRAM TWITTER Alex Bowen abrickbowen @Amazing_Brick Tyler Abramson tyler_abramson @abramson_tyler Luca Cupido lucacupido_ @lucacupido95 Hannes Daube hannesdaube @DaubeHannes Ben Hallock bennyhallock @ben_hallock Drew Holland droo_holland Johnny Hooper johnnyhooper @johnnyxhooper Max Irving maxbirving Alex Obert aobert18 @aobert18 Chancellor Ramirez chancellorramirez @chancellor04 Jesse Smith gosmithnow @gosmithnow Ben Stevenson benjameeen @benjameeen775 Jack Turner jack_turner14 Marko Vavic markovavic Alex Wolf wolfal_ Dylan Woodhead dwoodhead10 @dwoodhead10 Matt Farmer matt_farmerwp @matt_farmerwp Bennett Williams Kacper Langiewicz kacperlangiewicz @kacperml Jake Ehrhardt jxehrh Ash Molthen molthenash @MolthenAsh Thomas Gruwell tommygruwell @gruwie64 WOMEN’S TEAM ATHLETE INSTAGRAM TWITTER Rachel Fattal rachfattal Aria Fischer ariafischer @ariafishcer_ Makenzie Fischer makenziefishy @makenziefishy Kaliegh Gilchrist kaleighgilchrist @KGilchrist15 Stephania Haralabidis stefaniaharalabidis @SHaralabidis Paige Hauschild paigehauschild @paigehauschild Ashleigh Johnson ashleighjohnson @theAshJohnson Amanda Longan amanda_longan @LonganAmanda Maddie Mussleman maddiemusselman @maddiemusselman Jamie Neushul jamieneushul Jordan Raney jordan_Raney Melissa Seidemann mseidemann @melseidemann Maggie Steffens maggie.steffens @maggiesteffens Gabby Stone gstones Alys Williams alyswilliams @alyswilliams12 Ryann Neushul ryannneushul Brigitta Games brigittagames @BrigittaGames 6 MEN’S OUTLOOK & PREVIEW he year 2021 could be one of the biggest Many of the transfers were organized by USA Head ever for the USA Men’s National Team as Coach Dejan Udovicic, tapping into an extensive the players and coaches seek to better their network in the international club scene, allowing for finishes from Rio and London. The USA athletes to take part in high level competition when Men have had success at the Olympics in national team activity had slowed considerably. during Tthe past, winning six medals, which ties them for the the pandemic. 5th most of any country, with the last one coming at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. They earned the Silver Medal Among the highlights, four athletes (Ben Hallock, Alex in 1984, 1988, and 2008 and Bronze Medals in 1924, Obert, Max Irving and Hannes Daube) competed in the 1932, and 1972. The USA Men haven’t had much LEN Champions League Final 8. This competition is competition since the 2019 FINA World Championships considered the biggest event in the club world and was due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and now they’re back a sign of the important experience Team USA athletes training and competing full-time as they seek their first were earning. Hallock would go on to become the first medal in 13 years. U.S. Man to win a Champions League title, claiming top honors with Pro Recco. This team full of newcomers is led by four-time Olympian Jesse Smith—the only player remaining from the 2008 Coach Udovicic once again will be joined on staff Silver Medal team. Also playing key roles for this crew by Assistant Coach Alex Rodriguez, the longtime are longtime veterans Alex Bowen, Luca Cupido, and Alex Pomona-Pitzer head coach who was a key piece of the Obert, all of whom competed at the 2016 Olympics. All Rio staff. Two-time Olympian Gavin Arroyo has become three recently plied their trade in Europe where they had a permanent part of the senior team staff in recent successful seasons. Also returning from the 2016 team years with manager Lori Verdegaal and sports medicine is Stanford star Ben Hallock who just wrapped up his first manager Chris Bates rounding out key staff roles. professional season with Italian giants Pro Recco, which Original plans to shrink Olympic rosters from 13 to 11 won the LEN Champions League. have been changed. Now each team will have a roster The team’s main goal in 2019 was qualifying for the of 12 players plus one alternate with all 13 expected Tokyo Olympics and they punched their ticket by putting to play at some point during the Olympic tournament. in a great showing at the 2019 Pan American Games in Regardless of how it’s divided up, selecting only 13 Lima, Peru. After topping its group, Team USA breezed athletes is tough, and there are many options to choose past Peru and Argentina on the way to the final where it from as only five athletes from the 2016 team remain.