CMAC ready for a big water polo summer

There will be plenty of aquatics action in Orange County this summer, especially with the USA Water Polo Junior Olympics returning beginning July 22.

The tournament is the largest age-group water polo tournament in the country, and many of the successful teams are from the Southern Pacific Zone that includes Orange County.

Junior Olympics qualifications for the younger age divisions were held last weekend. Many local teams did well, with Newport Beach Water Polo qualifying first from SoPac in the 10-and-under coed division and Laguna Beach qualifying first in the 12U girls’ division.

Vanguard, based in Huntington Beach, qualified first in both the 12U boys and 14U boys divisions.

In terms of the numbers, though, Costa Mesa Aquatics Club also is a program on the rise. CMAC had eight teams vying in the younger age divisions, and seven of them automatically qualified for JOs. This includes the 12U and 14U girls’ teams, which are a first for the program. CMAC director Jose De La Jara said those teams also have girls from Back Bay and International.

There are 11 total teams that Costa Mesa Aquatics Club has entered into the JOs qualifying. Last year there were just four, De La Jara said.

“This is the first year we’ve entered all-girls teams,” De La Jara said. “We put a lot of hard work and effort into building the girls’ program this year. By next year, we should have a full program with 10s, 12s and 14s, where we don’t have to combine with anybody.”

CMAC first made big news in the summer of 2013, when the boys’ 12-and-under team won the classic division at the Junior Olympics. But the program continues to grow. De La Jara said about 90% of the kids in it come from the Costa Mesa area.

“We’re really pushing a lot of our local kids to come out and play,” he said. “We’re fortunate to have Dustin and Cody Serrano, who are part of the Olympic Development Program. They’re bringing a really high level of coaching to all of our kids, so we’re getting all of the kids to learn water polo in a positive manner and in a fast way. But it’s taken a lot of work and effort to grow the kids to that level.”

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Five locals on youth national team

In other water polo news, rosters were announced recently for the 2017 U.S. Women’s National Team Youth, Cadet and Development teams.

The youth team includes five locals: Chloe Harbilas, Sophie Wallace and Layne Anzaldo of Corona del Mar High, goalie Thea Walsh of Laguna Beach High and Mater Dei High defender Brooke Banta, a Newport Beach resident. Laguna Beach coach Ethan Damato is the Youth National Team head coach, with Newport Harbor’s Ross Sinclair one of two assistants.

Local players on the Cadet team include CdM goalie Maya Avital, Huntington Beach goalie Elaina Davey, CdM’s Grace Myers and Nicole Struss of Laguna Beach.

The Development team includes Shanna Davidson and Lindsey Harris of Huntington Beach Water Polo, Emma Singer, Imani Clemons and Emma Lineback of Laguna Beach, as well as Kaitlyn Greenwald of CdM.

Goalie Laine Hourigan, a Newport Beach resident, is another local ‎on the Development national team. She plays club for SoCal and is attending Orange Lutheran next year.

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Cupido, Wolf, Lynde, McConnell on roster

Newport Harbor High graduate Luca Cupido, Huntington Beach High alum Alex Wolf and Laguna Beach products Duncan Lynde and Nolan McConnell will compete for the U.S. men’s national water polo team in a four-game series against Croatia that begins Friday.

The series kicks off Friday night at 6 at Riverside City College, then the teams play Sunday at 3:30 p.m. at Stanford, a game that will be Tony Azevedo’s retirement game. The teams return to Southern California next week, playing Tuesday at 7 at Oaks Christian School and Wednesday at 7 at Long Beach State.

The local players are part of a 22-player roster pool. The Team USA roster will change for each of the four matches and be determined prior to each match.

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Estancia hires Springer for girls’ tennis

Estancia athletic director Nate Goellrich announced that the Eagles have hired Kevin Springer to lead their girls’ tennis program.

Springer also is an assistant for the boys’ program. A private tennis instructor, he has worked at the Saltz Tennis Academy in the past. He currently works at the Taco Bell Headquarters, leading group fitness classes and one-on-one training.

“We are excited about this hire,as he is already familiar with our school and players being an assistant in the boys program,” Goellrich wrote in an email. “His great knowledge of tennis will help develop our girls level of play. We feel he can get our girls program back into one of the top ones in the Orange Coast League.”

Springer takes over for Jay Gardner.

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Local tennis players compete

Many youth tennis players competed in United States Tennis Assn. tournaments in the month of May. Local tennis parent Whit Kenerson put together an “honor roll” of players who won matches.

The Coastal cities have a lot of good tennis players, if this list is any indication. Congrats to all.

Match Point Tennis Academy Championship (Level 5): Lawee Sherif (Huntington Beach, boys’ 14s); Emin Torlic (Corona del Mar, boys’ 16s); Shaya Northrup (Newport Beach, girls’ 16s).

San Gabriel Valley Junior (Level 6): Mason Lebby (Laguna Beach, boys’ 16s); Audrey Long (Corona del Mar, girls’ 10s, finalist).

Moore Tennis Academy Junior Open (Level 5): Daniel Day (Laguna Beach, boys’ 16s).

Cerritos Springfest Junior Open (Level 5): Sienna Brooks (Newport Beach, girls’ 12s).

Santa Barbara City Junior Championships (Level 4): Jett Cole (Laguna Beach, boys’ 16s, finalist).

Northridge Spring Junior Open (Level 5): Sienna Brooks (Newport Beach, girls’ 12s).

Mission Viejo Spring Junior Satellite Tournament (Level 6): Trevor Dodge (Huntington Beach, boys’ 12s); Kristina Veskovic (Newport Beach, girls’ 16s).

West Coast Junior Open (Level 5): Reece Kenerson (Newport Beach, girls’ 14s).

Woody Hunt South Bay Junior Tournament (Level 2): Max McKennon (Newport Beach, boys’ 16s, finalist); Mika Ikemori (Huntington Beach, girls’ 12s singles and doubles).

City of Anaheim Junior Satellite Tournament (Level 6): Tristan Pham (Newport Beach, boys’ 10s).

matthew.szabo@latimes.com

Twitter: @mjszabo