USA Water Polo Announces 2019 National Award Winners

Brian Flacks has continued to set the bar when it comes to coaching water polo. For the past thirteen years, with ten of them at the helm of the Boys Varsity Team at Harvard-Westlake High School, Brian has led his teams to clinch five CIF Division I Championships. He is a five-time winner of the CIF Division I Coach of the Year, and he has brought his teams to the CIF Division I Finals five times in the last seven years. 

Additionally, Brian is the Club Director at Los Angeles Premier Water Polo Club and the head coach of the 18U boys team. He started the club in 2012, today it has nearly 150 members comprising of 12 teams ranging from 10U - 18U boys and girls. Brian's 18U boys Top 4 finishes at USA Water Polo Junior Olympics were all within a short span of six years with three of them being 2nd places finishes. Brian is also the head coach of the Olympic Club and has led the team to become back-to-back National League Regular Season and Postseason Championships and back-to-back Fisher Cub Champions. 

  

Lastly, Brian has been on staff as a USA National Team coach since 2012. Most recently, Brian served as the Head Coach for the Boys Youth National team and Head Coach for Team USA at the World University Games. In the Summer of 2019, at the World University Games in Naples, Italy, Brian led Team USA to a silver medal. Shortly after, Brian traveled to Trinidad & Tobago and won the gold medal with the Youth National Team at the 2019 UANA Youth Pan American Games

Notably, Brian has also coached current Team USA members Ben Hallock and Johnny Hooper. 

Sandy Nitta Distinguished Women's Coaching Award (Elite): Ethan Damato, SET Water Polo/ USA Girls Youth National Team

Ethan Damato began his water polo career at Laguna Beach High School, where he was a two time All CIF Player in 1999 & 2000. After graduating, Damato played two years at Cuesta College, where he was a two-time All-Conference player. Damato became the Head Coach of Laguna Beach High School boys & girls water polo teams in 2008. 

Since taking over the Breakers, Ethan has led them to six consecutive CIF Semi-Final appearances. He was first victorious in 2008 with the girls team winning the CIF Championships and again in 2010, 2011, & 2014 with the boys team. Most recently, Ethan and the Lady Breakers won the CIF Championships in a thrilling one goal win over Foothill on February 22, 2020. Under Damato's leadership, the Lady Breakers have 5 Division 1 titles. Damato was named the "CIF Coach of the Year" in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2020. He was honored to be named the "OC Register Coach of the Year" in 2009 & 2010.

Damato joined the Saddleback El Toro (SET) coaching staff in 2010. Currently, he is the head coach of the 16U & 18u girls and is also the clubs' Technical Director. He has led the 16u girls to four gold medals at Junior Olympics. Along with coaching at LBHS & SET, Ethan is the head coach for the USA Girl's youth team. He led them to a gold medal at the 2019 UANA Youth Pan American Championships.  
 

Ryan Duffy graduated in 2000 from Saint Francis High School and won 2 CCS championships ('98-'99) under Terry O'Donnell. He played club for the Stanford Water Polo Foundation and earned the opportunity to travel and play throughout Europe, and learn from many fantastic coaches. He moved to Bend, Oregon, in 2002, and in 2005-2006 he helped start water polo programs at three different high schools. 

Since 2006, Ryan has been the Head Coach at Mountain View High School with the goal of not only winning but to create a water polo culture and community.  Through immense adversity and despite years of losses, forfeited matches, and even making homemade cages, water polo began to flourish in Central Oregon and is now more popular than ever. In 2012 and 2017, Ryan led the Mountain View boys to an Oregon 5A State Championships 4th place finish. Duffy was victorious on three occasions, winning the Oregon 5A State Championship title in 2013, 2015, and 2016. He led the Mountain View girls to an Oregon 5A State Runner-up finish in 2015.  

In 2018, Duffy was hired as the Head Coach of the Bend Waves Water Polo Club. At the Bend Waves, he works with other great coaches to help continue the growth of the sport in Central Oregon. Ryan lives in Bend, OR with his wife Brandy and their three boys; Parker, 11, Merit, 7, and Harlan, 3.  When he is not on deck, they enjoy fishing, camping, swimming, and working on their little farm with their puppy.

Doc Hunkler Distinguished Women's Coaching Award ( Scholastic): Matthew Personius, Sonora Water Polo

Matthew Personius played water polo in high school (coached by his brothers) at Miraleste High School in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. He graduated in 1985 and earned All-American honors his senior year. He was named to the U.S. National Junior Team in 1985 under Coaches Richard Corso, Rick West, and Ricardo Azevedo, but did not travel with the team. Matthew played at U.C. Berkeley under Pete Cutino and Steve Heaston from 1985-1988. 

Matthew's coaching career began in Sonora, California, where he started an age group club in the early 2000s. Eventually, Matthew secured water polo as a sanctioned sport at Sonora High School, Sonora, CA, in the fall of 2006. He coached the boys varsity from 2006-2016 and has been coaching the girls varsity team from 2008-present. The girls program was Section runner-up in 2016 and has won Section championship 2017, 2018, and 2019. 

Matthew is a physician living in Sonora, CA, practicing geriatric medicine. He is married to JulieAnn Personius, and they have 7 children (6 polo players, 1 still in high school and 4 of whom played junior college, Division 1, or both!).

Ted Newland Distinguished Men's Coaching Award (Developmental): Brodin Jasper, CC United

Brodie Jasper has been coaching for CC United for the past eight years, leading the 14U program to three top ten USA Water Polo Junior Olympic finishes. He has also been the ODP Pacific Zone Cadet Coach for the past four years, placing 3rd place in the ODP Zone National Championships twice, receiving the Cadet Top Coach Award in 2018. He has been an integral part of the NCS Championship staff and is currently the Head Coach for Berkeley High School. Brodie lead the team to a WACC League Championship and an NCS Open Division appearance in 2019. 

He graduated from Campolindo High School in 1997 and played at UC Berkeley under coaches Steve Heaston, Pete Cutino, Peter Asch, and Doug Arth.

Brent Bohlender Distinguished Women's Coaching Award (Developmental): Maureen Davenport, Colorado Water Polo:

Maureen started playing water polo when she was seven years old in Mundelein, Illinois, and immediately fell in love with the sport. As an age-group athlete, Maureen started at goalie, and was MVP for two national champion club teams and was selected to the USA Water Polo Youth National Team. 

Since 2011, Maureen has coached for Colorado Water Polo Pirates with a focus on growing the developmental program. In 2013, her girls team took second place and received the Rock-tober PCA 12 & Under Classic Sportsmanship Award. In addition, Maureen coached the Pirates 12U team to three Mountain Zone Championships. Maureen is grateful for the opportunity to help young athletes learn to love water polo, and she thanks her coaches and teammates for their support and guidance.

Bret Bernard Distinguished Referee Award (Elite): Darren Spiritosanto, Central Zone
Nominated to the FINA list in 2018 Darren Spiritosanto continues to experience success both domestically and internationally. 2019 was a particularly good year for him as he whistled first-round games at both Men's and Women's NCAA Championships, as well as traveled to FINA Women's Junior World Championships in Funchal, Madeira where he whistled the Gold medal game. 

Closing out 2019, Darren was selected for the Men's Junior World Championships in Kuwait, where he also experienced a very successful tournament. Darren continues to chase his dream as being one of the best officials in the world and is grateful to USA Water Polo for allowing him to represent his country abroad.

Tom Hermstad Distinguished Referee Award (Scholastic):Stephanie Beauchemin Villalobos, Southeast Zone

When Stephanie Beauchein-Villalobos was introduced to water polo at the age of 15, she never looked back. She played throughout college and led her team, the University of Central Florida, to their first-ever appearance at the Collegiate Water Polo Club National Championship with the help of some great teammates. During college, she began her officiating career, and she hasn't put down her 'pink whistle' since that time.  Even while working full time, attending law school at night, and being pregnant, she still managed to practice her officiating skills. After suffering massive strokes, one of her first questions in recovery was when she could get back on the pool deck, and she did not take long.

Today, Stephanie is an attorney with a demanding career and schedule, but her career and family life have not impacted her love for water polo, as you will regularly see her officiating on the pool deck at universities, high schools, and international pools. Stephanie is the Head Referee in the Central Florida high school area and the Head Referee for USAWP Southeast Zone. Because of her dedication and commitment to the "whistle" and to the sport, Stephanie has been nominated by the USAWP Southeast Zone for the Tom Hermstad Distinguished Referee Award numerous times. Stephanie's love for water polo and for officiating the sport will continue to lead her to a successful future as a referee.

Aaron Chaney Distinguished Referee Award (Developmental): Easton Honaker, Southwest Zone

Easton Honaker started his career in reffing his first year in college as a way to give back to the Texas water polo community after playing for six years. Officiating became a passion for him and since then he has tried to officiate any available opportunity. Easton is an active feature in the Austin and Dallas areas with USA Water Polo leagues as well as a staple during the high school season. On the national scene, Easton has officiated two USA Water Polo Junior Olympic tournaments, two ODP National Championships, and one ODP East Regional. Easton was the youngest referee to officiate the Texas state championship tournament.

Barbara Kalbus Distinguished Volunteer Award: Robin Baia, SOCAL Water Polo Foundation

Robin Baia has been one of the most selfless volunteers for one of the best and largest clubs in the nation. Robin's role at SOCAL began as a Mom designing and procuring Junior Olympic t-shirts in 2010. Because of her attention to detail and tenacity, a year later, she became the Club Administrator. Over time, Robin worked to centralize SOCAL's operations and to create substantial efficiencies thus allowing Coaches to focus on coaching. She moved all of SOCAL's registration and calendar activities to a single on-line platform, redesigned its website, and has handled the onboarding of hundreds of new families and Coach employees from Splashball to collegiate athletes. 

Robin also took on the responsibility of arranging and budgeting travel trips that sometimes involved more than 200 players and their families. Then she began the job of training others to help her. With all these Club matters organized, Robin moved on to building stronger relationships with USA Water Polo, the School District facility managers, and many tournament organizers. Most recently, she can be seen at USA Water Polo events volunteering to help put on world-class competitions. Robin is married to David and they reside in Orange, California with their two daughters. Both daughters -- Sophia and Bella -- attend UCLA where Bella plays water polo.

Burke/ Ratkovic Zone Chair of the Year: Dan Way, Pacific Southwest Zone

Dan Way has been continuously involved in water polo for almost 30 years. He spent 20 years at San Diego Shores and took his first PSW Zone role in 2005. As a zone chair, Dan has always sought to create fair, fun events, and he is most proud of the considerable growth San Diego has seen in his tenure. As a coach, Dan has had countless successes but values his positive role in the community and the fantastic relationships he has built over the last three decades. Above all, he loves his role as husband and father.

Female Master of the Year Award: Kandace Waldthaler, Davis Water Polo Club

Kandace graduated from Indiana University in 2005 where she was a student-athlete on the Women's Water Polo team and ACWPC All-American. She has been involved with Masters water polo since 2003 when she participated in her first USA Water Polo Masters Nationals. Kandace has coached at  UC Davis for the past ten years as well as coaching age group and masters athletes with the Davis Water Polo Club. Kandace is also the ODP head coach for the Central CA zone for youth and cadet girls and current assistant coach for the girls cadet national team. Kandace currently plays for the Los Altos Peacocks masters water polo team.

Bryan Weaver Male Master of the Year Award: Richard Freyre, Darkside

Richard Freyre was born and raised in Southern California. While living in Cerritos during his elementary school days, he swam for teams like the Downey Dolphins and the Westminster Sea Lions. As a freshman, he started playing water polo at Fullerton Union High School then ultimately went on to play at UC Santa Barbara. In 2011, Rick started a masters club in San Diego, California, named Darkside. When Rick isn't training for his own competitions, you can find him in the water, developing our next generation of players for his sons 10U team for the San Diego Shores.

Master's Club of the Year: Darkside, Pacific Southwest Zone

Under Rick Freyre's leadership, the Darkside mens teams compete all around the globe, including a variety of USAWP Masters Events and numerous FINA World Masters Championship appearances. The Darkside Men have won seven gold medals and six silver medals at USA Water Polo Masters National Championships. Recently starting a womens team, the Darkside women have also brought home four bronze medals at Masters Nationals. While competing on the international scene, Darkside has brought home five bronze medals throughout the years at FINA World Masters Championship events around the world. 

USA Water Polo Men's Chairman's Cup: Newport Beach Water Polo, Inc.- Newport Beach Water Polo, Inc. (founded in 2011) continues to be one of the top teams in boys' water polo nationwide and 2019 was no different. At the 2019 Junior Olympics, it was Newport Beach who claimed the 14U Platinum Division. The 18u and 1u boys also had strong top-ten finishes in the Platinum Division. At Champions Cup, Newport Beach finished its 2019 year strong with a second-place finish.

USA Water Polo Women's & Overall Chairman's Cup: SOCAL Water Polo - It was another banner year for the SOCAL Water Polo Foundation (founded in 1987) as they were in contention for titles at all the major events in 2019 and piled up their share of medals. The 14u girls had a forceful year and finished on top of the podium with a first-place win in the Platinum Division. The 18u girls finished second in their division with the 16u and 14u girls finishing in the top 10 of their respective divisions. The girls finished the year with a first-place win at Champions Cup. The SOCAL boys had a strong appearance at Jos with a first-place finish for the 16u division. The 12u boys claimed third place in the Rhythm Division at the Rock-tober PCA 12 & Under Classic.

Background on Award Namesakes:

Monte Nitzkowski is synonymous with men's water polo in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s serving as head coach of Men's Olympic Team in 1972, 1980, and 1984, leading Team USA to a bronze medal in 1972 and a silver medal in 1984. Nitzkowski also served as an assistant coach with the 1968 and 2000 Men's Olympic Team. Sandy Nitta is a pioneer for women's water polo. An Olympic swimmer as a teenager, Nitta segued to water polo and held the post as head coach of the Women's National Team during large parts of the 80s and 90s---leading Team USA to bronze medals at the 1986 and 1991 World Championships. She was also instrumental in the creation of Commerce Aquatics, a groundbreaking program.

Bill Barnett, an outstanding high school coach at Newport Harbor High School, with 10 CIF boys championships and five girls championships, initiated and coached the first USA Men's Junior National Team, then picked up where Nitzkowski left off in the 1980s, guiding the men's program to a silver medal at the 1988 Olympic Games and a gold medal at the 1991 World Cup. Meanwhile "Doc" Hunkler, three-times named National Collegiate Coach of the Year, was a visionary for women's water polo who fought to have a true national women's collegiate championship and helped guide the programs at Slippery Rock University to unprecedented heights spanning three decades, including ten top-three finishes and a national women's collegiate championship in 1995. Hunkler also holds the distinction as the only coach to win both a men's and women's Olympic Festival Gold Medal.

Few have groomed more men for Olympic competition than Ted Newland. Entering the coaching scene in the late 1960s Newland turned the University of California-Irvine into a tenacious competitor, earning three NCAA titles as he coached well into the new millennium. Called by some the "godfather" of high school water polo in Northern California, Brent Bohlender's Women's Junior National Teams captured two bronze medals from 1984 to 1999; Bohlender amassed over 1,000 career victories on the scholastic circuit in his time at Johansen High School. Lastly, on the club circuit, Bohlender's Modesto-Stanislaus club won 18 National Championships over 34 years.

Bret Bernard, Tom Hermstad, and Aaron Chaney took US officiating to unparalleled heights during their time in the whites. As a past president of USA Water Polo, Bernard also whistled the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games and was the preeminent collegiate official for many years. Hermstad was a fixture at several Olympic Games whistling the 1972, 1976, 1984, and 1988 Olympic Games in addition to four World Championships and has worked tirelessly on behalf of water polo officials, helping to form the USA Water Polo National Referee Committee. Last but not least, Chaney capped an outstanding officiating career serving as the United States referee at the most recent Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008 as well as 2004 in Athens.

Long-time manager of the Men's National Team and holder of various offices since the incorporation of USA Water Polo, Barbara Kalbus gave back to the sport for decades, providing critical history for the USA Water Polo program and overseeing the official scoring table at various competitions in addition to numerous other roles.
Bryan Weaver founded Masters Water Polo for USA Water Polo in 1987, is an active player, and the current Masters Committee Chair. He has been a high school water polo coach for over 35 years.

Andy Burke and George Ratkovic fittingly serve as the namesake for the Zone Service Award; few have represented regional water polo with more dedication and compassion. Ratkovic, stalwart of Southern California and longtime Southern Pacific Zone chair oversaw unprecedented growth in his zone. Burke, a beacon of Northern California's famed Olympic Club, has remained active in USA Water Polo Premier League and the National Tryout Series; he also served as the team manager at the 1964 Olympic Games.

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 championship events annually, such as Junior Olympics and Masters National Championships. With more than 50,000 members, USAWP also is 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 U.S. It fosters grass-roots expansion of the sport, providing a national system of affiliated clubs, certified coaches, and officials.