2013

2013 Awards

• 2013 Players to Watch 
• 2013 All-GHSWPA Division 1 Team 
• 2013 All-GHSWPA Division 2 Team 
• 2013 All-GHSWPA Girls Team 
• 2013 Co-ed State Champion: Blue Devils A
• 2013 Girls State Champion: Lakeside
• 2013 GHSWPA Player of the Year: Robbie Scott, Southern Crescent

• 2013 Division 1 GHSWPA Offensive Player of the Year: Philip Jenny, Collins Hill A
• 2013 Division 1 GHSWPA Defensive Player of the Year: Austin Palmer, Southern Crescent
• 2013 Division 1 GHSWPA Goalie of the Year: Alex Ullrich, Blue Devil A
• 2013 Division 1 GHSWPA Coach of the Year: Carlos Santini / Matt Roberts, Blue Devil

• 2013 Division 2 GHSWPA Offensive Player of the Year: William Sweitzer, Wildcats
• 2013 Division 2 GHSWPA Defensive Player of the Year: Blake Ryland, Blue Devil B
• 2013 Division 2 GHSWPA Goalie of the Year: Logan Roberts, Blue Devil B
• 2013 Division 2 GHSWPA Coach of the Year: Zach Schreer, Pope

• 2013 Girls GHSWPA Offensive Player of the Year: Becky Bass, Collins Hill
• 2013 Girls GHSWPA Defensive Player of the Year: Ciara Sadaka, APS Knights
• 2013 Girls GHSWPA Goalie of the Year: Arden Osborne, Collins Hill
• 2013 Girls GHSWPA Coach of the Year: Brian Collins, Collins Hill
• 2013 GHSWPA Referee of the Year: Neal Laxpati

2013 Standings – Division 1 (final)

Final Standing	Division Standing	Team	Division Record	GHSWPA Record
1	1	Blue Devil A	9 – 0 (1.000)	15 – 0
2	2	SPX A	8 – 1 (.888)	13 – 2
3	T3	Southern Crescent	6 – 2 – 1 (.722)	11 – 3 – 1
4	T3	Collins Hill A	6 – 2 – 1 (.722)	10 – 4 – 1
5	6	Spartans	4 – 5 (.444)	9 – 6
6	5	North Springs	5 – 4 (.555)	10 – 6
7	T7	War Eagles	2 – 7 (.222)	7 – 9
8	T8	Dalton	1 – 8 (.111)	5 – 12
10	T8	APS Knights A	1 – 8 (.111)	6 – 10
11	T7	Lakeside A	2 – 7 (.222)	6 – 9

2013 Standings – Division 2 (final)

Final Standing	Division Standing	Team	Division Record	GHSWPA Record
9	1	Blue Devil B	10 – 0 (1.000)	13 – 4
12	2	Pace	9 – 1 (.900)	11 – 7
13	3	Wildcats	8 – 2 (.800)	11 – 6
14	5	SPX B	5 – 4 – 1 (.550)	7 – 9 – 1
15	6	Wesleyan	5 – 5 (.500)	7 – 10
16	4	Collins Hill B	7 – 4 (.636)	8 – 9
17	7	Lakeside B	4 – 6 – 1 (.409)	6 – 9 – 1
18	8	Pope	4 – 6 (.400)	6 – 10
19	T10	Titans-Cambridge	1 – 9 (.100)	3 – 13
20	9	Dekalb / Lakeside C	3 – 8 (.273)	3 – 13
21	T10	APS Knights B	1 – 9 (.100)	1 – 13

2013 Standings – Girls (final)

Final Standing	Division Standing	Team	GHSWPA Record
1	T1	Lakeside	11 – 1 (.917)
2	T1	Collins Hill	10 – 2 (.833)
3	3	APS Knights	7 – 5 – 1 (.577)
4	4	Pope A	5 – 7 – 1 (.423)
5	T5	Dalton	1 – 11 (.083)
6	T5	Pope B	1 – 9 (.100)

2013 Results

• All game results

2013 News

10/23/13: Congratulations to Pace Academy student-athlete and 2013 APS Knights girls team member Ciara Sadaka for being named S&R Sport Athlete of the Month for October 2013!

10/22/13: Game scores from the 2013 GHSWPA State Championships have been posted. Final league standings as of season-end have also been posted. Congratulations to everyone on another successful season!

10/22/13: Thank you to all of the league and team volunteers out there! Coaches, parents, team reps, referees, photographers, Board members, table workers, concessions and hospitality workers, and equipment transporters… the 2013 season could not have happened without you! Thank you for your dedication to an awesome sport!

10/21/13: US Water Polo summarizes the 2013 GHSWPA championships.

10/17/13: Reminder: The 2013 post-season meeting will be held on Saturday morning, 10/19, at North Springs High School in Sandy Springs at 9:00am. All teams should make sure they are represented.

10/17/13: American Water Polo recaps the 2013 GHSWPA season results.

10/15/13: An excellent article from The Gwinnett Daily Post covering the Blue Devil water polo program and their 2013 championship.

10/15/13: All-Star Game schedule for tonight, 10/15, at GAC:

5:00p: Girls

6:00p: Division 2

7:00p: Division 1

10/13/13: Congratulations to those student-athletes named to the 2013 All-GHSWPA Teams! And to those players and coaches who earned 2013 individual awards!

10/13/13: Photos of selected action from the 2013 GHSWPA State Championships have been posted online via Scott Karlins and via Rick Ullrich:

10/13/13: Congratulations to Blue Devil A for winning the 2013 GHSWPA State Championship! Blue Devil A defeated SPX A in the co-ed championship final 7 – 5:

10/12/13: Congratulations to Lakeside for winning the 2013 GHSWPA State Championship! Lakeside defeated Collins Hill in the girls championship final 8 – 7:

10/11/13: Note: Refereeing Points of Emphasis  for the 2013 GHSWPA State Championships this weekend.

10/10/13: Blue Devil gets ready for States with a late night practice.

10/9/13: Game scores and updated league standings through October 9th have been posted. This concludes the 2013 GHSWPA regular season for all teams. Congratulations to the regular season 2013 Division Champions!

• Division 1: Blue Devil A
• Division 2: Blue Devil B
• Girls Division: Lakeside, Collins Hill

10/9/13: GHSWPA Action Photo of the Week:

10/8/13: The seedings, schedule and brackets have been posted for the 2013 GHSWPA State Championships. The tournament begins on Friday evening at the Cumming Aquatics Center.

Admission on Friday evening will be $2 for those four and over, and free for those three and under. On Saturday and Sunday, admission will be $5 for those four and over, and free for those three and under. The charge applies to those working the table as well.

10/8/13: Game scores and updated league standings through October 6th have been posted.

10/1/13: GHSWPA Action Photo of the Week:

9/30/13: Game scores and updated league standings through September 29th have been posted.

9/25/13: GHSWPA Action Photo of the Week:

9/24/13: Reminder: There is a $3 admissions fee for all spectators, including table workers, at the Mountain View venue.

9/24/13: Game scores and updated league standings through September 22nd have been posted.

9/23/13: Emory Women’s Water Polo is hosting a community clinic this Saturday, 9/28 from 9 – 11 AM. They are targeting middle school swimmers and others who don’t play water polo today, but are interested in learning the basic skills of the game. For pricing information and to register for the clinic, please refer to the Emory Women’s Water Polo website.

9/22/13: Blue Devil B continued their winning ways Saturday with a strong win in division against Pope, 15-3. Kyle Nunnelly lead all scorers with 4 goals. Grant Brinkman, Colton Kryski and Tommy Reifenberger each had 3 goals. Ricky Wilson and Harrison Murphy rounded out the scoring with 1 goal each.

The Blue Devils A team remained undefeated Saturday with a win over North Springs 13-2. Seniors Ian Bagent(5) and John David Strickland(4) lead all scorers with 9 goals between them. Also scoring were seniors Mark Gross(2) and Travis Bruce(1). Sophomore, Eric Strickland also scored a goal.

9/20/13: A few schedule changes for Saturday’s games at GAC due to a lighting issue at the GAC aquatic center. We appreciate everyone’s flexibility!

9/18/13: GHSWPA Action Photo of the Week:

9/17/13: Game scores and updated league standings through September 15th have been posted.

9/16/13: Reminders for team reps: Rosters were due today to Julie Ferris. If you have an A and a B team, the rosters are locked and there are no more floaters for the balance of the season.

State tournament t-shirt orders are due to Jenny Weaver by this Friday, 9/20. See below for ordering details.

We are starting to put together the state championship program. Please remember to get a team picture and send that in as quickly as possible. In addition, we’d like to put together a list of schools where our GHSWPA alumni are continuing their water polo careers. The team picture and alumni information should be emailed to Julie Ferris.

9/16/13: Additional schedule changes have been made to games this week and beyond. Please check the posted schedule for the latest information.

9/12/13: The Gwinnett Daily Post has published a nice feature on Wesleyan’s Swimming and Diving, and Water Polo Coach, Kevin Kadzis. Coach Kadzis covered his involvement with water polo during his interview:

“Unlike a lot of other schools, a lot of our [water polo] roster is actually not swimmers. A lot of our swimmers right now are running cross country. Which I think is great. We do have some swimmers on the team, but a lot of our roster is lacrosse players and soccer players. I think it translates well because we can run some similar plays, especially lacrosse.”

“Water polo is a great game. I enjoyed learning about it from a coaching perspective for the past couple years and it’s really starting to take off.”

Check out the full article on the Gwinnett Daily Post website.

9/12/13: The league will be ordering state tournament t-shirts, sweatshirts and programs ahead of time again this year. Last year, we sold out of everything! If your parents and players are interested, please encourage them to purchase ahead of time. Also, please remember that prices will increase if purchased at state.

9/11/13: GHSWPA Action Photo of the Week:

9/9/13: Game scores and updated league standings through September 8th have been posted.

9/4/13: GHSWPA Action Photo of the Week:

9/3/13: Reminder: Several schedule changes have been made over the last two weeks for the 2013 season. Make sure to refer to the schedule and results page for the latest information.

9/2/13: Game scores and updated league standings through September 1st have been posted.

8/28/13: GHSWPA Action Photo of the Week:

8/26/13: Game scores and updated league standings through August 25th have been posted.

8/26/13: Attention photographers! The GaPolo.com website is once again be posting a “GHSWPA Action Photo of the Week” each week during the 2013 season. If you take an action photo during the 2013 season that you would like considered, please submit that photo to the GaPolo.com website. Then, watch our homepage and Facebook feed for which photo is chosen each week!

8/25/13: This year, twelve teams from Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee competed in the high school portion of Atlanta Dynamo Water Polo’s PowerBar Cup, and it was the most competitive tournament Dynamo has ever hosted in the history of high school involvement in PowerBar. The weekend was filled with competitive and exciting water polo, and Dynamo commends each and every team for a job well done. Dynamo also congratulates Orlando United for their hard fought victory for first place in the tournament!

Final standings for the 2013 PowerBar Cup:

1. Orlando United
2. Blue Devil A
3. St. Pius Golden Lions
4. Collins Hill Eagles
5. Southern Crescent
6. GAC Spartans
7. Blue Devil B
8. APS Knights
9. North Springs
10. Cleveland, TN
11. Dalton
12. Wildcats

8/21/13: GHSWPA Action Photo of the Week:

8/21/13: The Collins Hill Eagles held their first alumni games on August 4th, celebrating 5 years of water polo. Over 20 players returned for the games and cookout afterward. Players of the Games were announced: Phong Nguyen, Will Callandar, and Jesse Frazier

8/20/13: Game scores and updated league standings through August 18th have been posted.

8/20/13: Blue Devil A continued their strong start to the season on Saturday morning, defeating the Spartans 10-3. Senior, Sam Medinger, and sophomore, Eric Strickland, lead the Blue Devil offense with 2 goals each. Other goals by Chandler Schaefer, John David Strickland, Ian Bagent, Mark Gross, Travis Bruce, and Patrick Gaddis contributed to the win. Strong defense held the Spartans to 3 goals, all scored by Reynolds. Blue Devil A also saw interdivision action on Sunday evening defeating Pace. The team’s record is currently at 3-0 overall and 2-0 in divisional play.

Blue Devil B defeated SPX B 11-2 on Saturday. Leading all scorers was Blue Devil, Ricky Wilson, with 3 goals. Following closely with 2 goals were Tommy Reifenberger, Patrick Baughman, and Harrison Murphy. Also scoring for the Blue Devils were Grant Brinkman and Jamison Gaddis. Blue Devil B exited the weekend leading their division with a 3-0 record and an overall record of 3-1.

8/17/13: Check out some photos of the APS Knights in action this past Saturday, courtesy of Grady High School’s newspaper, The Southerner Online.

8/17/13: The Daily Citizen published a very nice post-game write-up per the two games Dalton hosted on Saturday, August 17th at the Dalton outdoor venue.

8/14/13: GHSWPA Action Photo of the Week:

8/13/13: All game results from the week of August 5th have been posted. League Standings will be updated for the first time this season after this week’s games through the 18th have been completed, and all related scores have been reported.

8/9/13: Meeting minutes from the 2013 preseason meeting  have been compiled and posted.

8/5/13: In preparation for the 2013 season, the Georgia High School Water Polo Association (GHSWPA) is excited to release its 2013 Players to Watch. The enclosed student-athletes have been compiled using a wide range of justifications, including those who are athletically talented in the sport of water polo, those who are considered to be the 2013 leaders of their respective teams, and those who show their coaches and teammates the passion and desire necessary to succeed in the GHSWPA and beyond. Please join us in recognizing these worthwhile student-athletes. [complete press release] 

7/31/13: The 2013 season for the Georgia High School Water Polo Association (GHSWPA) is right around the corner, and the competition schedule has been released. The league has added several new teams to its membership, and will feature three new teams in its rapidly growing Girls Division. [complete press release] 

7/31/13: The 2013 pre-season meeting will be held on Thursday evening, 8/8 at North Springs High School in Sandy Springs at 6:30pm. The meeting will be in the media center. When you enter the front doors, the media center is about 100 yards down on your left. All teams should make sure they are represented.

7/29/13: Get some help with your water polo game via our links to online instructional aids. Whether you are an aspiring player, a coach looking for some new ideas, or a parent who would like to understand the game better, additional training can always help.

7/27/13: AWP is requiring background checks on all coaches and assistant coaches for the 2013 season. AWP has stated that they will reimburse for one head coach. However, any assistant coach background checks will not be reimbursed, and that cost will be the responsibility of either the individual coach or their respective team. Keep in mind that the background check process takes 10 days to complete, and with the league’s first 2013 games scheduled for on August 11th, time is very tight. The cost is $26.25. [submit a background check to AWP]

7/23/13: Looking for information about the upcoming water polo clinic, hosted by Atlanta Dynamo Water Polo? Refer to the Atlanta Dynamo Water Polo website for the latest information.

7/18/13: Kraken Water Polo (known in the GHSWPA as Wildcat) is hosting a Water Polo Skills competition on Sunday, July 28th at 8:00p . The event is open to all interested participants.

Players will compete in 5 Challenges, and points will be awarded based on placement in each challenge. Players will be broken up into 3 divisions based on age. All age group divisions will compete together but will be scored separately. Individual challenge winners, as well as overall top 3 will be awarded prizes at the end of the competition. A good, fun opportunity for players to showcase their talent and maybe even win some prizes!

7/3/13 (updated): Even more summer club water polo! Take part in Atlanta Dynamo Water Polo’s 3rd annual summer house league this July, which will culminate in the Georgia Games Championship. Games will be played at Dynamo Swim Center in Chamblee, GA. Entry is $20 per player, and this covers pool rental fees, T-shirt, and entry into the GA Games, a state wide competition similar to the Olympics.

Due to pool space restrictions, participation is limited to the first 75 to enroll and fill out the questionnaire after paying via the paypal link on the ADWP website (checks are also accepted). It is also required that all participants are members of USA Water Polo. A US League within USAWP has been established so that membership costs are reduced for non-USAWP members. Joining a US League is free for Silver and Gold level USAWP members.

Games will be round-robin style, with 7 minute quarters running time and 2 time-outs. The teams with the best records at the end of the house league will play for gold, silver, and bronze during the GA Games final.

Men and women may both attend, and age of entry is rising 9th grade to masters. Teams will be mixed with all ages and co-ed to create the best, well-rounded teams to have a fun and competitive tournament!

League Schedule:

6/4/13: More summer club water polo! In an effort to get some more practce experience for teams and players in the I-75 corridor, we will be hosting practice time at Cobb Central during June and July. Here are the details:

5/21/13: Turbo, Kap7 & Dynamo WPC bring an all-star clinic crew to Atlanta on August 9th – 10th expressly for the GHSWPA. Join current USA Water Polo Mens National Team goalie (and Olympic silver medalist) Merrill Moses and his staff, selected from the best water polo players and coaches in the country: Olympians, University & USAWP Club coaches.

This is a “Total Team” clinic. Clinicians run six different stations, each focused on a different aspect of the game. As many as three coaches and 17 players from your team move through our stations as a unit. We’ll assign individual players and coaches to a unit. Clinicians observe GHSWPA games at Cumming on Sunday, August 11th and debrief with teams and coaches afterwards.

Register up until May 31st; 140 athletes max overall

5/8/13: Summer club water polo! Blue Devil Water Polo would like to invite any high-school aged athletes to play water polo at the West Gwinnett Aquatic Center this summer! Here are the details:

5/6/13: Pictures, courtesy of Rick Ullrich, of the three GHSWPA teams from 2013 USWP Southeast Zone Junior Olympic Qualifying Tournament at The St. Andrews School in Boca Raton, FL:

5/5/13: U-18 Boys Recap, from the 2013 USWP Southeast Zone Junior Olympic Qualifying Tournament:

The GHSWPA U-18 Boys team played Gulliver in the first game. The teams played a very tight 1st half with Gulliver leading 4-3 at the half. In the third quarter, Gulliver scored a couple of quick goals to increase their lead. GHSWPA closed the gap bul ultimately lost 9-5.

In the second game, the U-18 boys played South Florida, comprised mostly of players from the Florida HS State Championship team. It was a very physical game. The boys competed hard until the end, but lost 14-2.

On Sunday, GHSWPA U-18 played Raider and jumped out to an early lead. The team used its speed to gain an advantage and won 9-4.

The U-18 team had a one game break and then played the Scots U-16 team in an exhibition match. The team struggled early and fell behind 3-0. The team closed the gap and brought it to 5-4. The Scots team took advantage of some opportunities at the beginning of the 4th period and won 10-6.

“I was very proud of the effort that the kids showed throughout the weekend. I would like to thank the parents for allowing their boys to participate, Mike Scott for taking the lead on the travel arrangements, Donni Sadaka and Debra Cohen for the t-shirts and the boys for making my job easy.”

“Overall, the U-18 Boys Team earned respect for our play and how we carried ourselves. I think the boys learned what they need to work on to improve as individuals. The team had a very positive experience and I hope they will want to return next year.” – Coach Tim

3/21/13: Want to take a look back at 2012 or another past season? Check out the archives.

3/16/13: The 2013 GHSWPA Spring Meeting was held with a full agenda of items covered. In case you weren’t able to make it, or if you are curious as to what was covered and decided, please review the meeting minutes. 

3/11/13: Email Lisa Bruce, Blue Devil Water Polo Team Manager, if your team would like to play games at West Gwinnett on Saturday, March 30th from 7:45a-11:45a.

3/7/13: The Atlanta (Dynamo) Water Polo Club is very excited to announce a “Boys Only” clinic, to compliment the great weekend Emory has planned for the Girls. See the clinic flyer  for more information. Highlights:

3/1/13: Emory Women’s Water Polo is excited to release the official payment and registration link for the 2013 Emory Women’s Water Polo Clinic. Please refer to the payment and registration link for this year’s clinic below, and to the clinic flyer below:

2/26/13: For the first time ever, athletes from Georgia have been selected to the Southeastern Zone Team of USA Water Polo’s (USAWP) Olympic Development Program. The purpose of the Olympic Development Program is to serve as the feeder system for USAWP National Teams. Pictured (L-R) Emily Olive, Senior Lakeside High School, Ciara Sadaka, Freshman Pace Academy, and Erin Cunefare, Junior Lakeside High School, have been training with the Southeastern Zone team in Florida and will play in the Regional Championships in Geneva, Ohio March 15 – 17. The girls are coached by former National Team member and USC standout Erika Figge and ODP National Technical Director and former National Junior Team member Kim Everist.



Robbie Scott, a junior representing Southern Crescent Aquatic Team in Peachtree City will play on the Southeastern Zone Team in the boys Regional Championships in Las Vegas March 22-24.

2/26/13: If your team is practicing this spring, and is interested in playing in some scrimmages, or you are an individual athlete and want to scrimmage this spring with others, please contact JR at GACS to register and for additional details.

1/26/13: It’s that time of year again. Coach Matt Zachan of Dynamo Swimming, and Coach Mike Peters of SPX Water Polo, will be hosting spring water polo club practices at Dynamo starting February 5th from 8-9:30p. Last years’ practices seemed to be a success, though most of our participants were from St. Pius. We want to emphasize that all are welcome no matter the skill level. It is our hope that we can improve the quality of Georgia water polo by combining drills, scrimmages, and the ever popular conditioning work.

Coach Matt Zachan is from the San Francisco area. He played water polo in both high school and college. During his senior year at Cal State Chico, Matt played and also coached his Wildcats to the best record in a decade. Matt currently is the lead coach of Senior 3, AG2, and Gold with the Dynamo Swim Club.

Coach Mike Peters played water polo for 16 years in the Chicago area. He played water polo at the University of Iowa and continues to play with the Dynamo Water Polo Club. He is currently on his second year of coaching SPX Water Polo.

Practices will be from 8-9:30p Tuesdays and Thursdays, and scrimmages on Sundays from 10a-12n. The practices will start February 5th and run to the middle of May. The cost is $80 per month per athlete. The practice on February 5th is free for all to experience. If you have any questions, feel free to email me. See you all on Tuesday, February 5th! – Mike Peters, SPX Water Polo

1/18/13: The GHSWPA plans on forming an 18&Under Boys team, a 16&Under boys team and a girls team to compete at the 2013 USWP, Southeastern Zone, Junior Olympic qualifying tournament to be held in south Florida over the weekend of May 4th/5th. The exact location of the tournament has yet to be determined, but it will most likely take place within the West Palm Beach area.

The league will therefore be holding try-outs for these teams on Sunday, February 10th at 6:30pm at Collins Hill. In addition, the league will prepare a budget to be sent out to league representatives so that everyone can have a better idea of the related participation costs.

Once the teams are formed, we plan on holding weekly practices, probably on Sunday mornings, prior to the tournament in May, but we are still working out those details. We will distribute more information prior to the try-outs. If you have any questions in the meantime, please let me know. – Tim Watson, GHSWPA President

12/31/12: Over the Christmas break, approximately 20 GHSWPA athletes from around Atlanta participated in the Orlando Holiday Camp held at Lake Highland Prep. Players from the Eagles, Spartans, Lakeside, PACE, Southern Crescent, SPX, and Wildcat clubs took part in the camp, joining athletes from Florida, the east coast and midwest.

The camp was a very intense week of instruction by some of the top college coaches in the country. Players endured the challenges of cold weather and long, hard workouts to develop their skills. Goalies had the chance to work with Betsy Armstrong, the goalie for the gold-medal-winning US women’s team from the 2012 London Olympics.

Players showed tremendous improvement during the week, and particularly enjoyed scrimmaging as a GHSWPA team against athletes from other regions. The Atlanta-area players more than held their own against some high-level competition. The camp will be held the same dates next year December 27-31, 2013. Many GHSWPA participants from this year’s camp are already planning to go back next year. Search Orlando Holiday Water Polo Camp for more information.