SAN DIEGO, Calif. – U.S. Olympic Men's Water Polo Team Head Coach Dejan Udovicic announced the 13 athletes that will compete for Team USA this August at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Udovicic made the announcement during a press conference held on the flight deck of the USS Midway Museum in San Diego earlier today.
Four returners are back from the 2012 Olympic Team to guide the squad, including captain and Rio native Tony Azevedo. A 2008 silver medalist, Azevedo is joined by fellow Olympic medalists Jesse Smith and Merrill Moses. Rounding out the returners is center John Mann, who was a first-time Olympian in 2012.
Nine newcomers fill out the rest of the Team USA roster, including two Bruins—2012 graduate Josh Samuels and rising junior Alex Roelse.
Three-time All-American Samuels ranks fourth on UCLA's all-time career goals list, netting 176 goals during his collegiate career. Samuels helped lead UCLA to three NCAA runner-up finishes (2009, 2011, 2012), earning a spot on the NCAA All-Tournament team each year. The former Bruin earned All-MPSF honors as a junior and senior. In international play, Samuels tallied 11 goals en route to Team USA's gold medal at the 2016 FINA Intercontinental Tournament. Last summer, Samuels recorded 12 goals in Team USA's gold-medal finish at the Pan American Games.
Current defender Roelse helped lead UCLA to back-to-back national championships as a freshman and sophomore. The All-American played in all 30 games in an undefeated season for the Bruins, tallying 25 goals, 26 assists, 26 steals, and 11 blocks. In international play, Roelse notched eight goals en route to Team USA's gold medal at the 2016 FINA Intercontinental Tournament. In 2015, the defender posted three goals in Team USA's gold-medal finish at the Pan American Games.
Team USA opens play in Rio on August 6 against defending Olympic champion, Croatia. From there they take on Spain, France, Montenegro, and Hungary. The medal round is scheduled for August 20.
Currently ranked sixth in the world, Team USA is coming off a silver medal performance at the FINA World League Super Final last month. The medal was their first in a major FINA competition since winning silver at the 2008 Olympic Games.
All nominations to the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team are subject to approval by the United States Olympic Committee.
2016 U.S. Olympic Men's Water Polo Team (Hometown/School/USAWP Club)
1. Merrill Moses - GK (Palos Verdes, CA/Pepperdine/NYAC)
2. Thomas Dunstan - A (New Canaan, CT/Mater Dei HS/Regency)
3. Ben Hallock - C (Studio City, CA/Harvard Westlake HS/LA Premier)
4. Alex Obert - D (Loomis, CA/Pacific/NYAC)
5. Alex Roelse - D (Maarssen, Netherlands/UCLA/Bruin)
6. Luca Cupido - A (Newport Beach, CA/California/Newport Beach WPC)
7. Josh Samuels - A (Villa Park, CA/UCLA/NYAC)
8. Tony Azevedo - A (Long Beach, CA/Stanford/NYAC)
9. Alex Bowen - A (Santee, CA/Stanford/NYAC)
10. Bret Bonanni - A (Huntington Beach, CA/Stanford/NYAC)
11. Jesse Smith - D (Coronado, CA/Pepperdine/NYAC)
12. John Mann - C (Newport Beach, CA/California/NYAC)
13. McQuin Baron - GK (North Tustin, CA/USC/Regency)
Head Coach: Dejan Udovicic
Assistant Coaches: Jack Kocur and Alex Rodriguez
Team Manager: Rick McKee
Sports Medicine Manager: Carling McMichael
About USA Water Polo
USA Water Polo, Inc. is the national governing body for water polo in America, overseeing our United States Olympic program as well as 20 different championship events annually, such as Junior Olympics and Masters National Championships. With more than 40,000 members, USAWP is also the sanctioning authority for more than 500 Member Clubs and more than 400 tournaments nationwide. USAWP is committed to the development of the sport throughout the US. It fosters grass-roots expansion of the sport, providing a national system of affiliated clubs, certified coaches and officials.
Four returners are back from the 2012 Olympic Team to guide the squad, including captain and Rio native Tony Azevedo. A 2008 silver medalist, Azevedo is joined by fellow Olympic medalists Jesse Smith and Merrill Moses. Rounding out the returners is center John Mann, who was a first-time Olympian in 2012.
Nine newcomers fill out the rest of the Team USA roster, including two Bruins—2012 graduate Josh Samuels and rising junior Alex Roelse.
Three-time All-American Samuels ranks fourth on UCLA's all-time career goals list, netting 176 goals during his collegiate career. Samuels helped lead UCLA to three NCAA runner-up finishes (2009, 2011, 2012), earning a spot on the NCAA All-Tournament team each year. The former Bruin earned All-MPSF honors as a junior and senior. In international play, Samuels tallied 11 goals en route to Team USA's gold medal at the 2016 FINA Intercontinental Tournament. Last summer, Samuels recorded 12 goals in Team USA's gold-medal finish at the Pan American Games.
Current defender Roelse helped lead UCLA to back-to-back national championships as a freshman and sophomore. The All-American played in all 30 games in an undefeated season for the Bruins, tallying 25 goals, 26 assists, 26 steals, and 11 blocks. In international play, Roelse notched eight goals en route to Team USA's gold medal at the 2016 FINA Intercontinental Tournament. In 2015, the defender posted three goals in Team USA's gold-medal finish at the Pan American Games.
Team USA opens play in Rio on August 6 against defending Olympic champion, Croatia. From there they take on Spain, France, Montenegro, and Hungary. The medal round is scheduled for August 20.
Currently ranked sixth in the world, Team USA is coming off a silver medal performance at the FINA World League Super Final last month. The medal was their first in a major FINA competition since winning silver at the 2008 Olympic Games.
All nominations to the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team are subject to approval by the United States Olympic Committee.
2016 U.S. Olympic Men's Water Polo Team (Hometown/School/USAWP Club)
1. Merrill Moses - GK (Palos Verdes, CA/Pepperdine/NYAC)
2. Thomas Dunstan - A (New Canaan, CT/Mater Dei HS/Regency)
3. Ben Hallock - C (Studio City, CA/Harvard Westlake HS/LA Premier)
4. Alex Obert - D (Loomis, CA/Pacific/NYAC)
5. Alex Roelse - D (Maarssen, Netherlands/UCLA/Bruin)
6. Luca Cupido - A (Newport Beach, CA/California/Newport Beach WPC)
7. Josh Samuels - A (Villa Park, CA/UCLA/NYAC)
8. Tony Azevedo - A (Long Beach, CA/Stanford/NYAC)
9. Alex Bowen - A (Santee, CA/Stanford/NYAC)
10. Bret Bonanni - A (Huntington Beach, CA/Stanford/NYAC)
11. Jesse Smith - D (Coronado, CA/Pepperdine/NYAC)
12. John Mann - C (Newport Beach, CA/California/NYAC)
13. McQuin Baron - GK (North Tustin, CA/USC/Regency)
Head Coach: Dejan Udovicic
Assistant Coaches: Jack Kocur and Alex Rodriguez
Team Manager: Rick McKee
Sports Medicine Manager: Carling McMichael
About USA Water Polo
USA Water Polo, Inc. is the national governing body for water polo in America, overseeing our United States Olympic program as well as 20 different championship events annually, such as Junior Olympics and Masters National Championships. With more than 40,000 members, USAWP is also the sanctioning authority for more than 500 Member Clubs and more than 400 tournaments nationwide. USAWP is committed to the development of the sport throughout the US. It fosters grass-roots expansion of the sport, providing a national system of affiliated clubs, certified coaches and officials.