Westside Water Polo Makes Splash at JOs

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

Eight was enough for the Westside Aquatics 16U boys water polo team this week at the USA National Junior Olympics in Orange County.

That is the number of Palisades High players on the roster, and all of them contributed throughout the squad’s run to the bronze title in the Classic Division, capped by Tuesday afternoon’s 6-3 triumph over SoCal Gold B in the final at Ocean View High.   

Coached by Bart Gawboy and Marc Vonderweidt (a former captain and three-time NCAA champion at USC), the local club team won six of its eight tournament games, led by Pali High senior goalie Michail Melnik, juniors Samuel Navarro, Ezequiel Ramirez, Theo Trask, Luis Urias Ramirez and Zach Wunder and sophomores Stuart Brian (the other goalie) and Max Speiser.

Rounding out the squad were Timothy Eagle-Serrano, Quinlan Plukas, Sebastian Zapatero-Zubiaurre  and Alexander Wang from Santa Monica, Daniel Escajeda of Venice and Zachary Hausner, who lives in the Palisades but goes to Brentwood School.   

Westside’s program has grown more and more competitive since it merged with the Santa Monica Water Polo Club a few years ago. The 16Us finished undefeated in the six-week summer league at Malibu High, beating host Malibu (twice), Rio Mesa, Royal, Newbury Park and Agoura.

“Pumpkin Orange” was the color of the day, and the team’s home caps, courtesy of money raised by program director and 14U coach Matt Flanders and Ben Trask in honor of his wife (and Theo’s mother) Doris, who died on New Year’s Day. The team did her proud, winning five in a row after a 1-2 start.

Theo Trask will anchor the defense while Zeke Ramirez will anchor the offense when Pali High goes for its sixth straight City Section title in the falll.

“This is a much higher level than we’re used to at Pali, which is great because we’re surrounded by good teams, just not in City,” said Trask, who has played with Ramirez since Westside started. “We did not even make JOs last year, so this team has bonded in a short time. As for Pali, we’re only going to have two seniors so things will be a little different.”

Speiser, Wunder and Hausner each scored in Westside’s opening  loss to  Tustin Irvine Patriot A.     

“I’ve known Theo for seven years,” said Ramirez, who netted five goals in the team’s 14-5 pool play victory over Bakersfield. “He joined the Westside program right when it started and I joined a month later. These teams are a lot more physical. We’re going to be really strong.”

Palisades lost six of seven starters to graduation, but Speiser looks forward to one more go around with older brother Sammy.

“It’s really cool how he started on varsity the first year and I did that last year,” Max said. “We’re both drivers and we have similar styles.”

After a loss Saturday evening to Shore Aquatics Red from Long Beach dropped the Westside 16Us to the bronze bracket, they never lost again, beating CA Republic 13-3, Maverick 11-3, South Valley 11-7, Santa Cruz Waxem 11-3 and SoCal Gold 6-3 on their way to the title.

Westside’s 14U team, coached by Flanders, played in the Invitational Division and was led by Pali High incoming freshman Earl Brien (Stuart’s brother) and Palisadians Avery and Owen Grant.

The team finished 5-3, falling to CHAWP, Elite 6 and Rose Bowl Black B and beating Bruin, SoCal White, Lamorinda White C, Stanford C and Poway Valley.

The 12Us, coached by Spencer Stavos, reeled off four straight wins against Carlsbad, CHAWP, Commerce and SC Tritons, before dropping its last three games to One Way WPC, Bruin and again to One Way WPC.        

Westside’s 10U mixed, 14U girls and 18U girls squads will be compete in Session 2, today through Sunday at various sites throughout Orange County.   

Palisadian Oliver Grant  played for one of the top teams in   the nation, LA Premier, in the 16U  Championship Division at the Junior Olympics, the biggest water polo tournament in the world with thousands of players from across the country competing.