U.S. OLYMPIC MEN’S WATER POLO TEAM:

LOS ANGELES — Terry Schroeder, the first-year U.S. men’s water polo coach, stood at a podium at the Los Angeles Athletic Club Monday and talked about how the Americans went from being a long shot in February to medal contenders now heading into the Olympics.

Off to the side, four former UC Irvine standouts could relate to that rise. They’ve shown a similar ascension throughout their careers, which reached a high point of sorts Monday.

Ryan Bailey, Tim Hutten, Rick Merlo and Jeff Powers were hardly recruited coming out of high school, but they were taken in by UCI legendary coach Ted Newland, who developed the quartet into Olympic athletes. UCI head coach Marc Hunt has also contributed in the development.

Monday at the L.A. Athletic Club, the four former Anteaters were named to the U.S. Olympic men’s water polo 13-player team that will play in the Beijing Olympics, opening against China, Aug. 10.

Bailey, a four-time All-American at UCI, was selected to his third consecutive U.S. Olympic team. Powers, an All-American in 2000 and 2002 with the Anteaters, is headed to the Olympics for the second straight time.

Hutten and Merlo, both All-Americans, will be making their Olympic debuts.

Two other former UCI All-Americans, Genai Kerr and Dreason Barry, competed for the U.S. men’s senior national team earlier this year, but did not make the final team.

So just how does UCI does it?

If you ask Newland the answer is simple, yet still makes up the essence of an American dream

“I have a philosophy,” Newland said. “Bottom line, it comes down to two things: self-discipline and self-motivation. If you haven’t got those, you’ll never be good … Life is about those two things.”

In Hutten’s bio for the U.S. water polo media guide, he lists Newland’s philosophy as his words to live by.

Truth is, Hutten’s kept those words in mind ever since he came out of Los Alamitos High.

“[Newland] was the only coach to recruit me out of high school,” said Hutten, who recently won the Peter J. Cutino award, college water polo’s version of the Heisman. “Irvine was pretty much my only choice, but it worked out really well for me.”

Merlo’s only reason for going to UCI?

“Because my brother went there,” said Merlo, who was an All-American at UCI in 2003 and 2004. “He’s the reason I’m here.”

Merlo’s from Fresno, not exactly a breeding ground for water polo players. But like Hutten, he also listened to Newland’s words and concentrated on the two traits. Self-discipline. Self-motivation. It could also help after water polo, he thought.

It would also help him earn a spot on a U.S. Olympic team that’s in position to make history.

It’s been 20 years since Team USA has won a medal at the Olympics. But the Americans are believers that’s all about to change.

“I totally believe these guys can win a gold medal,” said Schroeder, who was on the U.S. men’s team that won silver in 1988. “I think this could be one of the best teams USA has ever put in the water.”

The UCI quartet figure to be key in that belief.

Bailey, 6-foot-6, 245 pounds, is the Americans’ top two-meter man, while Powers (6-7, 230) can also play at two meters and is blessed with an extremely fast shot.

“A little bit of a wild thing with that cannon arm,” Schroeder said with a smile, while talking about each player.

When he referred to Hutten, he said, “One of the up-and-coming stars for Team USA,” and to Merlo, “He has speed and a great shot. He’s one of our key leaders with our young players.”

They’ve been a big reason why Team USA has improved so much from getting “beat up” against Serbia-Montenegro in February.

The Americans scored an impressive win over Croatia, the top team in the world, and won silver at the FINA World Super League Final in June.

“I feel a lot better now after this last trip,” said Powers out of San Luis Obispo High. “Before I believed we could do it. I didn’t know if everyone else did. But this last trip everyone showed they really believed … We all know we can win a gold medal now.”

Developing their skill at UC Irvine has much to do with the quartet’s confidence. Newland, obviously, has played a big part in that.

“UCI builds players,” said Bailey, the 1998 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Player of the Year. “You don’t have to be the No. 1 guy in high school. You don’t have to be the all-star coming out. If you go [to UCI] and work hard, they’ll make you the player you want to be.

I’m out of Long Beach Millikan. We were perennial second place in our league, lost in the first round of CIF. Coach Newland is a total animal. I learned what it was like to work hard and be a player.”

And now he’s a three-time Olympian.