TABLE OF CONTENTS About USA Water Polo: . 4 Quick Facts Media Information: . 5 U.S. Men’s Water Polo Head Coach – Dejan Udovicic 5th year (Serbia) Social Media: . 6 Assistant Coach – Alex Rodriguez 3rd year (Pepperdine) Team Leader – Lori Verdegaal Men’s Outlook/Preview: . 7-8 Training Facility Ken Lindgren Aquatics Center/Long Beach State 1250 Bellflower Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90840 Women’s Outlook/Preview: . 9-11 Olympic Appearances – 22 2017 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 All-Time Finishes: . 16-19 Current World Ranking - 10th (Since 2016) Highest World Ranking – 2nd (2009) Men’s National Team Roster Breakdown Goalkeeper - 4 Men’s Coaching Staff: . 22-23 Attacker - 7 Defender - 4 Center – 2 Men’s 2017 Roster: . 24-25 U.S Women’s Water Polo Men’s Bios: . 26-50 Head Coach – Adam Krikorian 9th year (UCLA) Assistant Coach – Chris Oeding 5th year (California) Ethan Damato 1st year (Cuesta) Women’s National Team Team Leader – Liz Grimes (Long Beach State) Women’s Coaching Staff: . 54-55 Training Facility USA Water Polo National Training Center 11360 Valley Forge Avenue Women’s 2017 Roster: . 56-57 Los Alamitos, CA 90720 Olympic Appearances – 5 Women’s Bios: . 58-81 Best Olympic Finish –Gold Medal 2x (2012 London, England/2016 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) Introduction to Water Polo: . 82 Best World Championship Finish – Gold Medal (On four occasions most recently 2015 Kazan, Russia Understanding Water Polo: . 83-84 Current World Ranking – 1st (Since 2014) Glossary of Terms: . 85-86 Highest World Ranking – 1st (Multiple occasions) Roster Breakdown Goalkeeper 3 USA Water Polo Goals: . 87 Attacker 9 Defender 4 Board of Directors: . 88 Center 2 Media guide credits USA Water Polo Staff: . 89-90 This media guide was assembled and edited by Greg Mescall . National Team Television Photos courtesy of Kelley L . Cox, Jonathan Moore, Allen Lorentzen, Jared Gray, Kel Casey, Richard Corman, Spotter Chart: . 91-92 Cathryn Hayne, Tom Kimmell, UCLA Athletic Department, USC Athletic Department, Stanford Athletic Department, UC Irvine Athletic Department, Arizona State Athletic Department, Long Beach State Athletic Department, Jeff Cable, Gertjan Kooji and Riverside & Beyond . 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] Katherine Schmidt, 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. 5 SOCIAL MEDIA MEN’S TEAM ATHLETE TWITTER INSTAGRAM Drew Holland droo_holland McQuin Baron @mcquinbaron mcquinbaron Ben Hallock @ben_hallock bennyhallock Alex Obert @aobert18 aobert18 Alex Roelse @alexroelse aroelse Chancellor Ramirez @chancellor04 chancellorramirez Blake Parrish snowblake Luca Cupido @lucacupido95 l_cupido Max Irving mbx490 Johnny Hooper johnnyhoooper Josh Samuels @jsamuels7 joshua_samuels Alex Bowen @amazing_brick abrickbowen Thomas Dunstan tsdunstan Nic Carniglia @nic_carniglia niccarniglia Matt DeTrane @mattdetrane md_train Nolan McConnell @nmcconnell22 nomcconnell Hannes Daube hannesdaube Marko Vavic markovavic WOMEN’S TEAM ATHLETE TWITTER INSTAGRAM Mia Rycraw @savagelifemia savagelifemia Amanda Longan @LonganAmanda amanda_longan Carlee Kapana @carlee_kap_ucla carlee_kap Aria Fischer @ariafischer_ ariafischer Brigitta Games @BrigittaGames BrigittaGames Melissa Seidemann @melseidemann mseidemann Makenzie Fischer @makenziefishy makenziefishy Alys Williams @alyswilliams12 alyswilliams Jordan Raney Jordan_Raney Maggie Steffens @maggiesteffens maggie.steffens Kiley Neushul kileyneushul Rachel Fattal rachfattal Maddie Musselman @maddiemusselman maddiemusselman Jamie Neushul @Jneushul8 jamieneushul Paige Hauschild paigehauschild Mary Brooks Maryalicebrooks 6 MEN’S OUTLOOK & PREVIEW or the second-straight Olympic Games, the USA Men finished far off the podium. In 2012 a veteran group tried to recapture their 2008 magic and fell short. In 2016, the first major step in a major program Foverhaul failed to advance out of group play. A squad featuring nine first-time Olympians battled with the likes of Croatia and Montenegro and notched a win over Italy, but it wasn’t enough to move on. Now in 2017, a team that had dropped its average age by almost decade will be even younger. Head Coach Dejan Udovicic returns to lead a team that for the first time in roughly two decades will be without Tony Azevedo. The five-time Olympian retired with a send-off at Stanford University in June. Fellow Udovicic once again will be joined on staff by athletes with multiple Olympic Games experience— Assistant Coach Alex Rodriguez. The longtime including Merrill Moses, Jesse Smith and John Pomona-Pitzer head coach was a key piece of the Mann—also have stepped away this year. Add to staff in Rio. Two-time Olympian Gavin Arroyo will pilot that Rio Olympians Josh Samuels (injury) and Bret the Junior National Team in 2017 and occasionally Bonanni not competing in 2017, and the team returns assist on the senior side with new team manager Lori only seven Olympians from 2016 with the majority of Verdegaal handling major logistics for the team. the squad still competing on college rosters. The early part of any quadrennial is often a fine time With a young foundation earning valuable experience for roster experimentation and Team USA may be in 2016, Udovicic will look to continue to build a no different. A Super Final roster was selected for group that will be ready to qualify for and compete in competition in June but may look different from who the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Mainstays from caps up in Budapest this Summer. These are the Udovicic’s first year at the helm in 2013 are on board, options for Team USA. including Alex Bowen and Alex Obert, two leaders on the squad. High-scoring Luca Cupido and 2017 GOALKEEPERS: Cutino Award-winning goalkeeper McQuin Baron will be pillars of any success this team has in 2017. The long arms of McQuin Baron (North Tustin, CA/ USC/Regency) enter 2017 as the likely starter. After The USA Men have never medaled at a World Cham- serving as apprentice to Merrill Moses leading up pionship but will look to change that this year. A host to Rio, Baron has cemented himself as Team USA’s of athletes on the squad experienced a Silver medal top netminder. A standout in the college game, performance at the 2016 FINA World League Super Baron was honored as the best college player in the Final and a Silver at the 2017 FINA Intercontinental country in 2017, winning the Peter J. Cutino Award Tournament. for his efforts in the 2016 season. Stanford star Drew Holland (Orinda, CA/Stanford/Lamorinda) was one of the final cuts for the 2016 Olympic roster and was an integral part of the training group leading up to the Olympic Games.