Players gain experience at Junior Olympics
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Rick McKee had hoped that the experience of playing at the National
Junior Olympics would paid dividends for members of the Laguna Beach
High boys and girls water polo programs, and the Breakers’ head coach
had his expectations met.
“I was thrilled with how well our kids performed,” McKee said of
the tournament, which was held at various pool sites in Ft.
Lauderdale, Fla. “The kids really played well and my intention with
this tournament was to expose them to a different level of water
polo, and they really responded well.”
The National Junior Olympics water polo tournaments attracted
teams from around the nation.
Laguna’s boys’ 18-and-under team placed 34th in its division.
Laguna dropped its first two matches, falling to Los Angeles Water
Polo Club, 3-0, and 10-6 to South Florida “A.”
Laguna followed those setbacks with two consecutive wins as it
defeated Lamorinda A, 6-5, and edged Northern Illinois, 8-7.
That two-game ride was ended by Elite, which handed Laguna a 5-0
setback to claim 33rd place.
Laguna’s 16-and-under team won its first two matches as it
defeated Mid Valley, 5-3, and Stanford B, 10-9.
The squad lost to Northern Illinois, 7-6.
Several members of Laguna Beach High’s girls water polo team
played for the club team TRAP at the Junior Nationals.
Senior Kat Gordon played for the TRAP 18-and-under team, Breanna
Duplisea, Jessica McKee and Erin Reid played for the TRAP A
16-and-under team and Celia Huling and Brittnay Forrest played for
TRAP B 16-and-under.
The TRAP A team claimed third-place and earned the bronze medal in
its division.
The third-place game between TRAP A and San Diego Shores A was not
played due to severe weather conditions.
TRAP A defeated Golden Bear A (10-6), Pacific (9-0), Chino Hills
(10-4) and Riverside (13-2). The team lost to Shores A (10-9) and to
Commerce (9-8), the latter in the semifinal round.
TRAP B won one match as it outlasted Oakland, 10-9.
McKee also said he was proud of the performance of Addison Doud,
another Laguna athlete who played on the Huntington Beach-based
Golden West Water Polo Club 20-and-under team that won a silver medal
and its 18-and-under team that won a gold medal at the Junior
Olympics.
“I’m thrilled with all the results,” McKee said. “The kids really
had a tremendous summer, overall.”
Laguna Beach High water polo Hell Week begins on Aug. 23 with
“two-a-day” practices for the first two weeks, McKee said.
The boys begin play on Sept. 7 with scrimmages against Foothill
and Riverside Poly at Riverside Poly, and the season officially gets
underway for the varsity on Sept. 14 with a nonleague game at La
Habra.
Laguna’s frosh/soph team will compete at the Irvine Tournament
Sept. 9 to 11.
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