Bonanni earns spot on Team USA for Rio Olympics

Bret Bonanni is headed to the Rio Olympics.

The 13 players who have been selected to the U.S. Olympic Men’s Water Polo Team were announced Friday during a press conference held on the flight deck of the USS Midway Museum in San Diego. Among the 13 named to the team was Bonanni of Huntington Beach.

Head Coach Dejan Udovicic revealed the 13 athletes that will compete for Team USA next month at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Team USA, drawn into Group B, will open the Games Aug. 6 against defending Olympic champion Croatia. Other Group B matchups for the U.S. include games against Spain, France, Montenegro and Hungary. The medal round is scheduled for Aug. 20.

Bonanni, 22, is one of nine newcomers to the U.S. Olympic Games roster. He prepped at Mater Dei (Class of 2012) and graduated from Stanford University (Class of 2016). During his senior season, he set the all-time scoring record at Stanford and in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.

Team USA is anchored by four returning Olympians: team captain and Rio de Janeiro native Tony Azevedo (2000, 2004, 2008, 2012), Jesse Smith (2004, 2008, 2012), Merrill Moses (2008, 2012) and John Mann (2012). Bonanni broke the Stanford career scoring record previously held by Azevedo.

Team USA currently is ranked sixth in the world. Last month, the team won the silver medal at the FINA World League Super Final in Huizhou, China. The medal was the team’s first in a major FINA competition since winning silver at the 2008 Olympic Games.

The USA men qualified for the 2016 Olympic Games by defeating Canada (9-8) in the semifinal round of the 2015 Pan American Games, and went on to win the tournament title.

The 2016 U.S. Olympic Men’s Water Polo Team (hometown/school):

• Merrill Moses (goalie, Palos Verdes/Pepperdine)

• Thomas Dunstan (attacker, New Canaan, CT./Mater Dei High)

• Ben Hallock (center, Studio City/Harvard-Westlake High)

• Alex Obert (defender, Loomis/University of Pacific)

• Alex Roelse (defender, Maarssen, Netherlands/UCLA)

• Luca Cupido (attacker, Newport Beach/California)

• Josh Samuels (attacker, Villa Park/UCLA)

• Tony Azevedo (attacker, Long Beach/Stanford)

• Alex Bowen (attacker, Santee/Stanford)

• Bret Bonanni (attacker, Huntington Beach/Stanford)

• Jesse Smith (defender, Coronado/Pepperdine)

• John Mann (center, Newport Beach/California)

• McQuin Baron (goalie, North Tustin/USC)

• Head coach: Dejan Udovicic

• Assistant coaches: Jack Kocur, Alex Rodriguez.

• Team manager: Rick McKee

• Sports medicine manager: Carling McMichael

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