7 locals qualify for national tryout

Newport Beach residents Bryce McLain, Clinton Jorth and Nathan

Castillo have qualified to be among 30 players who will vie for 15

spots on the national cadet boys water polo team.

Andy Hayes, Alex Popov, Zach Lucas and Dustin Hayes, who all live

in Newport Beach, have also qualified for a tryout to make the

national development boys water polo team.

McLain, Jorth and Castillo will compete to make the cadet team at

Pomona Pitzer College during the Memorial Day Weekend, final week of

May. Newport Harbor High Coach Jason Lynch is the head man for the

national cadet squad (born in 1989 or later).

The trio qualified for the final tryout by making the cut after

performing in competition at Newport Harbor two weeks ago. The final

team will travel to Serbia in August for training and competition in

international tournaments.

Hayes, Popov, Lucas and Hayes will compete in the national

development tryout in Annapolis, Md., which also takes place during

Memorial Day Weekend.

They were selected from a group of about 165 players born in 1991

or later. The Newport Beach quartet was originally picked from a

group of 15 that qualified in an Orange County tryout which included

40 young players.

The 15 went on to compete with and against 150 from around the

nation March 18-21 at Capistrano Valley and San Clemente high

schools. From that group of 165, 50 were selected to move on to

Annapolis.

The national development team is the first of four American water

polo teams for age groups.

Andy Hayes and Dustin Hayes are not related.