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Youth Water Polo: Poway Valley sending two teams to Junior Olympics

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It has been at least five years since Poway Valley Water Polo has sent a team to the USA Water Polo Junior Olympics. This year it will send two of its youngest.

The 10-and-under coed team and the 14U boys team will both compete in the prestigious event in Orange County, where the top water polo squads from around the nation will gather from July 25 through Aug. 2.

The 10U team, which was formed for the first time this year at Poway Valley Water Polo Club, will play against the best the nation has to offer in the second session at the Junior Olympics. That session begins July 29 and runs through Aug. 2.

The 14U team will play in the Classic Division, which is one step below the toughest division, in session one. That session runs from July 25 through July 28.

“We qualified a U18 team last year to the tournament, but we didn’t have enough kids that could make it so we didn’t go,” said Chris Hart, president of the Poway Valley Water Polo Club. “In the past five years we have not sent anybody. So, this is a great achievement for us to have two teams at a younger age group.”

The 10U team had no trouble qualifying for the Junior Olympics, as it crushed the competition en route to the San Diego Regional championship. The team is led by Poway High boys water polo coach John Giulianotti and assisted by Dave Calder, who also assists the 14U team.

“All these kids on the 10U team just started last fall,” Calder said. “We have all the components you need to have to be a competitive team. When we qualified from the San Diego Regional nobody challenged us. We won all those games by at least 10 goals. So, we are looking forward to competing against better teams.”

There will be 36 teams in the 10U bracket. Poway Valley is the No. 1 seed from the Pacific Southwest Zone. There are 11 zones in the United States.

Julia Bonaguidi, 10, is the team leader of the 10U squad. The 5-foot-6 Poway resident can play anywhere in the pool. She is so talented that she practices with the 14U team.

“She might be the best 10U player in the county,” Calder said.

Drivers Max Fino and Drake Bonaguidi are both great shooters and two of the top scorers on the team. Lefty Everett Dunaway can also find the back of the net with ease.

“Everett is a big kid and he can definitely shoot the ball hard,” Calder said.

Tyler Heald plays goalkeeper.

“He has come along really quickly at the position,” Calder said. “He has a great attitude and he works really hard.”

There will be 108 teams competing in three brackets in the 14U division. Poway Valley is in the Classic Division, which is made up of 48 teams. Poway Valley finished in seventh place in the San Diego Regional to qualify for the Junior Olympics.

The head coach of the team is Brandon Rath, who is currently the junior varsity coach at Poway High. Some of the impact players for the 14U team are Zachary Rath, Benjamin Konecny, Trevor Calder and Kameron Stout.

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