From left to right are Chris Gaffney, Adam Fuller, Jake Erhardt, Spencer Wood, Miles Cole, Adam Gross, Taylor Gustason, Jack Phreaner, Jack Rottman, Evan Blix, Ben Cable, and Henry Hepp.
Santa Barbara Water Polo Club has two teams competing at this weekend’s Turbo Cup at the University of Michigan.
The Santa Barbara teams – U14 Girls and U14 Boys – qualified for the national tournament from the toughest region in the country.
At the 2012 regional tournament, SB?s U14 girls beat Rose Bowl, Foothill, and Commerce to qualify first in the Coastal Zone and earn the second seed at the Turbo Cup.
SB’s U14 boys qualified for the Turbo Cup after finishing third in the Coastal Zone regional tournament.
Coach Joe O?Brien?s 14U boys are the first boys team from SBWPC to qualify since 2006 when a standout team led by All-Americans Chase Racich, Kevin Cappon, and Brady Moore won the qualification tournament and placed fourth in the battle for the cup.
This year?s squad is coming off a strong spring and summer season where they took bronze in the prestigious San Diego Cup and placed sixth at the National Junior Olympic Tournament. Many of the boys started playing water polo together as 10U?s.
The SBWPC’s U14 Girls team includes three time Turbo Cup veterans, Paige Hauschild, Ryann Neushul, Brittany Prentice, Toni Shackelford, and Erin Mahan. They are joined by Petra Heubner-Schurch, Abbi Hill, Lola Macy, Kailie McGeoy, Thea Neushul, Georgia Ransone, Alex Szymczak, and Brittany Tisdale.
Games begin on Friday with the girls taking on Stanford and San Diego Shores on Day 1. ?The boys team will face Northwood and Northern California power La Morinda on Friday in Ann Arbor.
SBWPC?s Turbo Cup alumni are optimistic about the 2012 team.? Kodi Hill (UCLA) predicted the girls team ?will have the best finish in SBWPC history.? Sami Hill (UCLA), who spent 2012 training with Team USA, called Turbo Cup a ?great opportunity to travel as a team and play in different surroundings?I?ll never forget the experience.?? Kiley Neushul (Stanford) says ?this will be the year that SB drinks from the cup!?
Santa Barbara?s last Turbo Cup medal came a year ago when the girls won silver at the University of Indiana.? Other top finishes include silver in 2008 and bronze in 2009.? Girl?s Head Coach Cathy Neushul is leading her seventh straight team to the tournament and is reserved about their chances: ?Turbo Cup is early in the season for us and we will face strong teams from Commerce and Socal . . . this is a national championship tournament and we take it seriously.?
