Sea Kings, Sailors to test waters

Bryce Alderton

Newport Harbor High and Corona del Mar girls water polo programs will

be represented for the third annual Speedo Top 40 Festival Friday

through Sunday at the USA Water Polo National Aquatic Center in Los

Alamitos.

One former and one current player from both Newport and CdM made

the roster of one of the four teams competing in the event, which

brings together dozens of elite female players.

Former CdM star and Stanford sophomore Christina Hewko, who earned

CIF Southern Section Division II Player of the Year honors for

helping the Sea Kings win their first CIF title in the division as a

senior in 2003, joins the 15-player United States junior national

team (Team Aster). That team will be guided by Guy Baker, who led the

U.S. women’s Olympic team to a bronze medal in the Athens Games.

Former Sailor Jenna Murphy, a sophomore at UCLA, and Brittany

Fullen, the reigning CIF Division II Player of the Year who will be a

CdM senior goalkeeper this winter, will join Olympic bronze medalists

Kelly Rulon and Jackie Frank on Team Graffiti.

Newport senior Anne Belden, who earned first-team All-CIF Division

I honors last season, made Team Zap, which includes another Olympic

bronze medalist, Thalia Munro.

Murphy scored 13 goals last season for UCLA, which also features

former CdM standout Brittney Bowlus, who tallied 24 goals in her

inaugural collegiate campaign.

Hewko scored 15 goals as Stanford reached the NCAA semifinals

before losing to Loyola Marymount, 5-4, in upset fashion.

The tournament will give Baker and his staff a chance to evaluate

players for potential spots on the U.S. team for the 2005 World

championships in Canada.

The weekend festivities also include a 12-team, 24-game open

tournament that will run in conjunction with the Top 40 games. The

teams were accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis and can carry

up to 15 athletes.

The goal is to give more athletes exposure to the national team

environment.

Fans will also get the opportunity to dunk Baker and other Olympic

coaches and players into a tank.

A radar-gun station, a weight-room circuit and children’s

activities round out the various amenities fans can explore.

General admission tickets will be available only at the door. A

one-day pass for adults will cost $10 while individual student

tickets cost $7. Adult ($25) and student ($15) three-day passes are

also available.

A three-day festival package costs $30 for adults and $20 for

students.

Call (562) 799-8506 or visit www.usawaterpolo.org for information.