The Southern Water Polo team made program history by qualifying all four of its teams for next month’s 50th annual USA Water Polo National Junior Olympics in Irvine.
The South County-based club will send its 16U boys, 18U boys, 18U girls and 12U coed teams to compete in what is regarded as the top annual youth water polo tournament in the country.
It’s a noteworthy milestone in the development of the program, which was established in 2014.
“It’s the first time in club history that we’ve qualified all four teams,” club director Edgard Espinosa said. “It’s a measure of growth. All the work we’ve put in has paid off for all the kids, not just a few individuals.”
The program recorded a key milestone last year when its 18U team placed 13th in the Classic Division at the Junior Olympic tournament.
“It was the only time any South Bay club has competed or placed in that tournament,” noted Espinosa, a 1993 graduate of Hilltop High School and former coach at Eastlake and Mount Miguel high schools who has served as a USA Water Polo official for the last 12 years.
The program also made waves at last year’s California State Games by winning the gold medal in the 18U girls division while capturing silver medals in both the 16U and 18U boys divisions.
Competition in Irvine is slated July 20-23 for the 16U and 18U boys divisions and July 25-28 for the girls 18U and 12U coed teams.
Southern exposure
The Southern Water Polo Club program, which provides a platform for youths 6-18 years old to experience growth as athletes at the USA Water Polo level, draws local talent from Bonita Vista, Eastlake, Otay Ranch, Mater Dei Catholic, Castle Park, Montgomery, Hilltop and Chula Vista high schools.
Practice sites include the Las Palmas pool in National City and the Loma Verde and Parkway pools in Chula Vista.
Espinosa said former Bonita Vista and San Diego Shores club standout Beto Vasquez has been a key addition to the coaching staff as club co-director.
Game on
This year’s Pacific Southwest Zone qualifying tournament took place June 17-23 and featured top competition within the region.
Both the Southern WPC’s 16U boys and 18U boys teams were showcased in games at Southwestern College.
The 16U boys team, which Espinosa coaches, punched its ticket to his year’s Junior Olympics after defeating the Carlsbad C team, 10-6, last Friday at the SWC aquatics complex en route to a 4-2 showing in its six tournament games.
Wyatt Eckholt led the victors with four goals while Jacob Redden and Giovanni Scheitt both scored twice. Ezekiel Craig and Angel Guzman Cardenas both had one goal.
Southern also recorded wins against the North San Diego Stars B (7-4), Fallbrook (9-4) and Poway Valley (12-8) while playing to an 11-11 regulation tie against the Del Mar B team, which captured the ensuing shootout tiebreaker 4-2.
Craig and Scheitt scored shootout goals in the loss to Del Mar B.
Jake Rose, a 2019 Eastlake High School graduate, will help brace the Southern Water Polo Club’s 18U boys team’s entry into this summer’s USA Water Polo National Junior Olympics event. Photo by Phillip Brents
The Southern 18U boys team, which is coached by Amr Soli, recorded a key 13-11 win against Carlsbad on Saturday en route to a 3-2 finish in the tournament.
Sam Odenkirk and Anson Rasmusson led Southern in scoring with four goals apiece Diego Scheitt scored two goals while Jeremy Redden, Emilio Salgado and Jake Rose each scored one goal.
Other tournament wins came against Poway Valley and Pacific.
“It’s huge,” explained Soli, who has coached at Chula Vista High School since 2010 and previously ran the San Diego Suns club team. “Our program has started to attract talent, people from everywhere.”
The 18U boys team spotlights Eastlake’s Jeremy Redden, Rose, Diego Scheitt and Will Gammon. Other schools represented on the roster include Steele Canyon, Mission Bay, Santana, Valhalla and Grossmont College.
Scheitt is the veteran of the group, having competed at the Junior Olympic tournament four times previously with the San Diego Shores program.
“It’s probably the most fun tournament of the summer,” said Scheitt, an incoming senior. “It’s non-stop water polo for three or four days. You’re with all your good friends. It’s shows how you match up to other players and other teams.”
This will be Redden’s second trip to the Junior Olympics after previously competing for the Shores program and the first for Rose and Gammon.
“It feels really good,” Redden said. “I feel we have a good chance to do well.”
“I’m really hyped,” Rose said. “I want to see how our team can do with our new coaching staff. It’s all about working hard and having new experiences.”
“It’s very exciting,” said Gammon, an incoming senior. “Being the only player still active from the first club at Southern, it’s a big adventure for me and my coach.”
Rasmusson and Odenkirk, both former All-CIF honorees at Santana, also will be making return trips to this summer’s elite gathering.
Rasmusson, in fact, will be attending his fourth Junior Olympics event, including the past three years with the Shores program.
“It’s a lot of fun,” the 2018 Santana graduate said. “You see a lot of different teams from all over the country. If you want to place among the best teams, you have to bring your ‘A’ game.”
Odenkirk, who plans to attend Southern Utah University this fall for academics, will be making his third trip to the elite tournament, including the previous two with Shores.
“We went in at the highest level we could,” Odenkirk recalled. “We were playing the best teams in the country. One of them was the best team in the country and played them to a one-goal game. It felt good.”
Rasmusson, a driver, will be returning for his second season with Grossmont College this fall after collecting 76 points on 28 goals and 48 assists in 23 games last season as a freshman for the reigning Pacific Coast Athletic Conference champions.
The 18U girls team finished 3-2 in the qualifying tournament with wins over Ohana, Pacific B and NSD Stars and losses to Seaside and Shores B.
The team will return to defend its State Games championship July 12-14.
Globe-trotters
Southern will depart for Barcelona for its annual international trip to compete in the Barcelona International Water Polo Academy (BIWPA) for eight days.
The team arrives back on July 4 to compete in the Coronado summer tournament July 5-7.
This is the third year the club has scheduled an international trip after traveling to Guadalajara, Yucutan and now Barcelona, with plans to travel to Egypt, Croatia and Brazil in the future.
BIWPA is an international water polo academy based in Barcelona, Spain, that combines high performance water polo and academic studies for athletes from different parts of the world.
Southern Water Polo Club
12U Coed Roster
Lawson Soukup
Amanda Berry
Ian Cortes
Alessandra Cortes
Larissa Mendiburo
Esteban Mendiburo
Manuel Ojeda
Grecia Ramirez
Bella Pimentel
Madelyn Pimentel
Jazon Nunez
Avaa Garber
Sarah Loya
Nicholas Romero
Marcelo Balvaneda
16U Boys Roster
Omar Mendiburo
David Cano
Ezekiel Craig
Matthew Alano
Wyatt Eckholt
Angel Guzman Cardenas
Ryland Humphrey
Michael McDonnell
Nathan Nakadate
Jacob Redden
Christopher Romero
Giovanni Scheitt
Richard Wurts
18U Girls Roster
Nayelli Rodriguez
Summer Camporesi
Haili Fallabaum
Sydney Parry
Brenna Pangelinan
Haley Rodriguez
Kaia Jennings
Natalia Rosales
Karyed Espinosa
Melinda Espinosa
Megan Slovatizki
Tabitha Buder
Ariela Stone
Alicia Thompson
18U Boys Roster
Whitney Snead
Vernon Fraire
Will Gammon
Adam Monroe
Sam Odenkirk
Anson Rasmusson
Jeremy Redden
Emilio Salgado
Jonathan Nunez
Jake Rose
Diego Scheitt
Sean Watson
Craig Boyle
Alejandro Carrillo
Veteran Santana water polo coach Rod Bowen still chalking up milestones
For The East County Californian
Rod Bowen is entering his 28th year coaching water polo at Santana High School. Prior to that he coached six years at Monte Vista High School.
Bowen received recognition for his lengthy dedication to coaching by receiving an all-star service award from the High School Sports Association of San Diego last year.
He’s not finished by any means.
“I love the sport,” Bowen said during a break while coaching the San Diego Shores 16U A boys team during last weekend’s USA Water Polo National Junior Olympic qualifying tournament. “It keeps me young. I want to do something fun.”
In Bowen’s case, it’s been a family affair.
His sons Eric and Alex went through the Santana program. Eric Bowen attended Princeton University while Alex Bowen attended Stanford University.
Alex Bowen competed in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games for the United States and remains a member of the U.S. men’s national team.
“It’s a lot of accolades to win but he earned it,” the elder Bowen said in regard to his son Alex, a 2011 Santana graduate. “I’m real proud of him.”
Rod Bowen remains proud of his current group of water polo players and what they have accomplished.
Bowen serves as head coach of the Shores’ 16U A team that is regarded among the best in San Diego County. The team has captured the bronze medal at the last two National Junior Olympics, which is considered the top tournament annually for youth water polo in this country.
“Hopefully we can improve on that this year,” he said.
The Shores 16U A team finished 6-0 in the field of 19 teams in last week’s Pacific Southwest Zone qualifying tournament.
Shores racked up a pair of imposing wins on the first day of competition by defeating Poway Valley, 23-2, and Sons of Odin, 22-6, on June 17.
Shores topped La Jolla, 11-6, in a game last Friday and remained undefeated with a pair of wins on Saturday: 11-6 over Del Mar A and 22-6 over the North San Diego Stars.
Shores wrapped up his perfect showing in the tournament by defeating Carlsbad A, 11-6, in Sunday’s final game.
Bowen’s squad, which features players from eight high schools, will compete in the 50th annual USA Water Polo National Junior Olympics July 20-23 in Irvine.
It’s a big deal for all concerned.
“The kids get to play against the best water polo players in the country in the Junior Olympics and USA club championships,” Bowen explained. “It’s good for these players, as they get to see teams from other parts of the country they normally wouldn’t during the tournament season.”
Bowen’s Santana teams regularly play among the toughest schedules in the San Diego Section. The Sultans have made several trips to the division semifinals during Bowen’s long coaching career but are still looking for that first CIF championship.
But it hasn’t been for a lack of effort.
Santana advanced as far as the Division II semifinals in 2016, losing 8-6 to eventual CIF champion Valley Center. The Sultans ended their season in the Division II semifinals in 2017 following a 10-9 loss to top-seeded Clairemont, which went on to claim the CIF title.
Santana finished 22-6 in 2013.
Bowen remains encouraged by the growth of the sport within the section.
“There are more high schools now and more kids playing, it’s been great for the growth of the sport,” he said. “There are a lot more opportunities. The kids who are playing in the Division III final are just as excited as the kids playing in the Division I final.”
Photo Gallery by Phillip Brents
Boys 18U:
Boys 16U:
