Standouts catch on

Former Back Bay rivals and future UCLA women’s water polo teammates,

Jenna Murphy and Brittney Bowlus have been named to the U.S. youth

national team.

Murphy, a Newport Harbor High senior, made the team for the second

straight year after tryouts conducted in Boca Rotan, Fla. during the

Memorial Day weekend. Bowlus, who as a senior guided Corona del Mar

to its second straight CIF division title this past season, was also

selected at the tryout that included roughly 150 girls.

The UCLA duo, along with 25 other athletes, will compete in

various tournaments throughout the summer. The youth team is the

third team fielded by USA Water Polo, behind the senior national team

and the junior national team.

John Mann, a CdM senior bound for UC Berkeley, is on the men’s

junior national team, for which Newport Harbor boys coach Jason Lynch

is an assistant coach. Clinton Jorth and Nathan Castillo of the

Newport Water Polo Foundation are members of the national development

squad for players under age 13.