Laguna’s Dries, McConnell named to USA water polo squad
Former Laguna Beach High athletes Annika Dries and Nolan McConnell have been named to the USA Water Polo Women’s Senior National Team and USA Men’s Senior National Team rosters, respectively, for the upcoming FINA World Cup.
The women’s six-day tournament starts Tuesday and runs through Aug. 17 at Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.
The men’s tournament runs Aug. 19-24 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
The U.S. Women’s Team, coached by Adam Krikorian, will be out to defend its World Cup title which it won in 2010 in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was the first World Cup title for the USA Women since 1979.
Dries and fellow U.S. Olympians Kami Craig, Melissa Seidemann, Maggie Steffens and Courtney Mathewson won gold in 2010 at the last FINA World Cup and are part of 13-member U.S. roster for this year’s tournament. Kiley Neushul, also on this year’s roster, served as an alternate on the 2010 team.
The USA Women’s Team starts competition Tuesday against South Africa and also will take on Australia and Hungary in group play.
The USA Men’s Team opens tournament play Aug. 19 against South Africa and also will face Montenegro and Serbia in group play.
2014 USA Women’s FINA World Cup roster (hometown/School): Annika Dries (center, Laguna Beach/Stanford); Sami Hill (goalie, Santa Barbara/UCLA); Ashleigh Johnson (goalie, Miami, FL/Princeton); Kami Craig (center, Santa Barbara/USC); Melissa Seidemann (defender, Walnut Creek/Stanford); KK Clark (defender, Menlo Park/UCLA); Alys Williams (defender, Huntington Beach/UCLA); Maggie Steffens (attacker, Danville/Stanford); Kiley Neushul (attacker, Goleta/Stanford); Rachel Fattal (attacker, Seal Beach/UCLA); Jillian Kraus (attacker, Santa Ana/UCLA); Kaleigh Gilchrist (attacker, Newport Beach/USC); Courtney Mathewson (attacker, Anaheim Hills/UCLA). Head Coach: Adam Krikorian; Assistant Coaches: Dan Klatt, Chris Oeding; Team Manager: Jen Adams.
2014 USA Men’s FINA World Cup roster (hometown/school): Nolan McConnell (attacker, Laguna Beach/Long Beach St.); McQuin Baron (goalie, North Tustin/Mater Dei High); Merrill Moses (goalie, Palos Verdes/Pepperdine); Conner Cleary (defender, Goleta/Stanford); Alex Obert (center, Stockton/Pacific); Alex Bowen (attacker Santee/Stanford); Bret Bonanni (attacker, Huntington Beach/Stanford); Josh Samuels (attacker, Villa Park/UCLA); Michael Rosenthal (attacker, Miami, FL./USC); John Mann (center Newport Beach, /California); Luca Cupido (attacker Newport Beach/Newport Beach High); Jesse Smith (utility, (Coronado/Pepperdine); Ryder Roberts (attacker, Vista/UCLA); Head Coach: Dejan Udovicic; Assistant Coach: Jack Kocur; Team Manager: Rick McKee.
— From staff reports