YMCA’s Greenwich Aquatics Dominates at USA Water Polo National Team Selection Camp
Greenwich, CT (PRWEB) May 02, 2014 -- An unprecedented seventeen members of the YMCA’s Greenwich Aquatic Water Polo Team were recently selected to participate on the USA National Water Polo Selection Training Teams. The National Training Teams are a highly competitive pipeline that is part of the national Olympic Water Polo Team selection process.
Greenwich Aquatics had more athletes named to these National Training squads than any other club outside California. The Greenwich Aquatics athletes honored were:
Lizzy Bradley 8th Grade Girls Team
Will Collier 9th/10th Grade Boys Team
Nick Daetwiler 8th Grade Boys Team
Simon Derby 8th Grade Boys Team
Ally Furano 9th/10th Grade Girls Team
Paige Furano 8th Grade Girls Team
Larissa Hodzic 8th Grade Girls Team
Lily Holl 8th Grade Girls Team
Clyde Huibrigetse 9th/10th Grade Boys Team
Jack Kerwin 11th/12th Grade Boys Team
Julia Merrill 8th Grade Girls Team
Charlie Owens 11th/12th Grade Boys Team
Charlie Pang 9th/10th Grade Boys Team
Anne Robinson 8th Grade Girls Team
Thacher Scannell 8th Grade Boys Team
Rachel Sodokoff 9th/10th Grade Girls Team
Borden Wahl 8th Grade Girls Team
Thirty-eight (38) athletes from the YMCA’s Greenwich Aquatics Water Polo Team traveled to Texas (boys) and Utah (girls) at the end of March to compete for several Northeast Zone Teams at the USA Water Polo National Team Selection Camp.
This Championship included the top 600+ players from every state across the country outside of California. All athletes were vying for spots on USA Water Polo National Teams. Only about 10% of the athletes from around the country were selected for the National Training Camps.
“We were hopeful of a good result since our club is the #1 ranked club in the Northeast Zone, but to have seventeen (17) of our athletes be further selected for National Team Training is unbelievable,” said Ulmis Iordache, who is the Greenwich Aquatics Head Coach for the YMCA. “These players have worked very hard and they all have very bright futures in water polo,” he added.
Out of the seventeen players selected, seven (7) athletes, Bradley, Daetwiler, Derby, P Furano, Hodzic, Holl & Sodokoff, made All-Tournament Teams (top seven players) for their age groups. Moreover, Daetwiller & Hodzic was selected as their age-group MVP and Bradley as the Goalie MVP.
The Greenwich Aquatics squad consisted of over 50% of players selected in the entire Northeast.
“This result says a lot about the quality of our program and the resurgence of Eastern water polo on the national scene. We are proud of all of our athletes and dedicated coaching staff,” said Bill Smith, President of Greenwich Aquatics and Secretary of USA Water Polo.
The athletes will be heading to Southern California May 23-25 to make it one step closer to the official Youth, Cadet and Developmental USA National Teams.
Star athlete Ally Furano, who made the Developmental (8th grade and under) USA National Team last year, remarked, “Even though I am only in 9th grade, my hope is to make the USA Cadet National Team and represent our country at the Cadet World Championships.”
The YMCA of Greenwich was founded more than 98 years ago in 1916. Today, it is the largest community-based organization in Greenwich with more than 5,400 members dedicated to healthy living, youth development and social responsibility through athletics and life- long learning programs in order to nurture the potential of all in our community. To learn more about the YMCA of Greenwich, membership and its numerous wellness programs, visit: http://www.greenwichymca.org.
Peter Barhydt, Aberdeen Associates, Inc., http://www.AberdeenAssociates.com, +1 (203) 618-1709, [email protected]
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