Mann to return to CdM with Team USA tonight

The USA men’s senior national water polo team cut its roster from 24 to 18 Wednesday, and John Mann is still on the team. But surviving the cut is not what it’s all about for the former Corona del Mar High star.

“It feels good,” Mann, a two-meter player, said of remaining on the team. “But that’s not my goal. It’s my goal to go to the Olympics and medal. I’m shooting to make this team. I’m not looking at it as, ‘Hey, I made it past this cut.’ It’s a rough process and to see some of my teammates taken off the team is tough, but for me it’s one step closer.”

Mann’s family and friends will get to see him take that extra step tonight when Team USA faces Croatia at Corona del Mar High. The game starts at 7 p.m. Mann will be at his former school at 5 p.m. to do a meet and greet.

“It’s going to be awesome to come back home,” said Mann, who last year earned the Peter J. Cutino award, given to the top layer in college, after leading Cal to the national title. “I’ve been placing calls to my friends to get them there. It’s going to be great.”

Mann knows his mother, Dianna, and father, John, will be at Corona del Mar to cheer for him and it excites him. He said he’s also thrilled to be playing in the pool where he practiced daily as a high school player.

Returning to CdM reminded him of the last time he was at the pool, which was in 2006 when he practiced there before leading the Bears to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championship at UC Irvine.

Now he’s backing up Ryan Bailey, the former UCI standout, on the men’s national team. The training has been intense, working out at Oaks Christian High in Westlake Village. That’s where Team USA will play against Croatia, the top team in the world, again on Saturday.

Mann expects the games against Croatia to be very physical and highly competitive, the perfect preparation for the Americans. It should give Mann and his teammates an idea of what they can do in Beijing. But Mann already believes they will be fine.

“I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t think we were capable of medaling,” he said. “Being at the level we are playing at, we are totally capable.”

Mann is also expecting to remain with the team after the formal announcement of the U.S. Olympic squad is made in June.

In addition to Mann making it past the cut, former UC Irvine players Tim Hutten, Rick Merlo, Jeff Powers and Genai Kerr also remain on Team USA.

Dreason Barry, a former UCI player, was one of the players cut Wednesday.

Tickets for tonight’s game cost $10 for adults and $7 for students at the door, and the doors are expected to open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets may also be purchased through www.usawaterpolo.com.

— Steve Virgen