Players gain experience at Junior Olympics

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.