Newport Water Polo Wins Senior Title

Newport Water Polo Foundation, behind a barrage of outside shooting and a stingy defense, defeated New York Athletic Club, 8-5, in the final of the U.S. Men’s Senior Water Polo Championships on Sunday at Corona del Mar High in Newport Beach.

Newport, which had relied on the play of two-meter man Ryan Bailey for much of the tournament, went to the outside shooting of Jeff Powers in the final. Powers, a national team member, scored five goals in the final, three of them from outside 15 feet.

Bailey, a 2000 Olympian and considered among the top two-meter men in the country, had two goals against New York, only one from the two-meter hole.

Powers and Bailey were selected co-most valuable players of the tournament.

“They started double- and triple-teaming [Bailey] so we went outside,” Powers said. “We were expecting something like that. The more experienced teams know who Ryan is.”

Newport goalie Gemai Kerr, a member of the national team, had 10 saves and the Newport defense had 10 steals.

New York, the defending champion and winner of three of the last five titles, converted only two of seven man-advantage opportunities.

“We have a real team out here,” Newport Coach Ted Newland said. “New York has players from all over the world but we’re all local guys from UC Irvine. That makes a big, big difference.”

Peter Yoon