Irvine, CA - February 26 - USA Water Polo is excited to announce the 2025 Zone Award Winners. The winners, representing zones from all across the country, honor contributions in a variety of areas including coaching, officiating, volunteering, masters water polo, and more. The USA Water Polo National Award winners will come from this pool of zone award winners. Congratulations to all of our award winners!
Brenda Villa Award (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion - Individual)
| Zone |
Recipient |
| Central |
Josh Ford |
| Coastal |
Brandy Mosteller |
| Hawaii |
La'akea Gum |
| Midwest |
Brian Drumm |
| Mountain |
Nick Balasanyan |
| Northeast |
Adrian Cummins |
| Pacific NW |
Austin Sechrest |
| Pacific SW |
Jorge Perez |
| Pacific |
Victor Adler |
| Southeast |
Felipe Lerena |
| Southern Pacific |
Marc Hunt |
| Southwest |
Stephan Dean |
Brenda Villa Award - Club (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion - Team)
| Zone |
Recipient |
| Central |
N/A |
| Coastal |
Next Generation Aquatics |
| Hawaii |
808 WPC |
| Midwest |
Wolverine |
| Mountain |
Denver Squid |
| Northeast |
District Blossoms |
| Pacific NW |
Northwest Water Polo |
| Pacific SW |
Del Mar WPC |
| Pacific |
San Jose Express |
| Southeast |
Team Orlando WPC |
| Southern Pacific |
Hieland WPC |
| Southwest |
Kraken WPC |
Monte Nitzkowski Award (Elite Men's Coach)
| Zone |
Recipient |
| Central |
Dan Leyson |
| Coastal |
Adam Wright |
| Hawaii |
N/A |
| Midwest |
Ryan Pryor |
| Mountain |
N/A |
| Northeast |
Dustin Litvak |
| Pacific NW |
N/A |
| Pacific SW |
Scott McCollum |
| Pacific |
N/A |
| Southeast |
Michael Goldenberg |
| Southern Pacific |
Brett Ormbsy |
| Southwest |
Maxton Wade |
Sandy Nitta Award (Elite Women's Coach)
| Zone |
Recipient |
| Central |
Natalie Benson |
| Coastal |
Casey Moon |
| Hawaii |
Candice Vorbeck |
| Midwest |
Taylor McInerney |
| Mountain |
N/A |
| Northeast |
Kaysie Stuba |
| Pacific NW |
N/A |
| Pacific SW |
Sarah Lizotte |
| Pacific |
N/A |
| Southeast |
Stephanie Possell |
| Southern Pacific |
Andrew Rowe |
| Southwest |
Sabrina Carlile |
Bill Barnett Award (Scholastic Men's Coach)
| Zone |
Recipient |
| Central |
Rick Eoff |
| Coastal |
Tom Davis |
| Hawaii |
Hayden Comerford |
| Midwest |
Stefano Di Loreto |
| Mountain |
Ken Bixel |
| Northeast |
Damir Matanovic |
| Pacific NW |
Gary Muzzy |
| Pacific SW |
Tom Atwell |
| Pacific |
Seth Tasman |
| Southeast |
Dani Cercols |
| Southern Pacific |
Christian Macias |
| Southwest |
Anthony "Ty" Halford |
Doc Hunkler Award (Scholastic Women's Coach)
| Zone |
Recipient |
| Central |
Heather Moody |
| Coastal |
Jack Kocur |
| Hawaii |
Ken Smith |
| Midwest |
Robert Juhas |
| Mountain |
Kailin Isaacson |
| Northeast |
Dan Fleck |
| Pacific NW |
Hayes Vertulfo |
| Pacific SW |
Ian Davidson |
| Pacific |
Kathryn Tasman |
| Southeast |
Ryan Ackerson |
| Southern Pacific |
Christina O'Beck |
| Southwest |
Will Koelzer |
Ted Newland Award (Development Men's Coach)
| Zone |
Recipient |
| Central |
Jack Felsted |
| Coastal |
Trevor Campbell |
| Hawaii |
Luca Petko |
| Midwest |
Sigfredo Cruz |
| Mountain |
Chris Seipp |
| Northeast |
Ilija Duretic |
| Pacific NW |
David Carson |
| Pacific SW |
Chad Salley |
| Pacific |
Brodin Jasper |
| Southeast |
Jose Garcia Soto |
| Southern Pacific |
Gavin McKenzie |
| Southwest |
Molly Wilkinson |
Brent Bohlender Award (Development Women's Coach)
| Zone |
Recipient |
| Central |
Erik Baymiller |
| Coastal |
Jason Rosenthal |
| Hawaii |
Kelsey O'Brien-Robinson |
| Midwest |
Laszlo Hruza |
| Mountain |
Randy Hyre |
| Northeast |
Gabe Maldonado |
| Pacific NW |
Josh Newman |
| Pacific SW |
Jenna Williamson |
| Pacific |
Cathy Cantoni |
| Southeast |
Stephanie Possell |
| Southern Pacific |
Steven Magdaleno |
| Southwest |
Erik Kroh |
Bret Bernard Award (Elite Referee)
| Zone |
Recipient |
| Central |
Ross Spiritosanto |
| Coastal |
Gary O'Brien |
| Hawaii |
N/A |
| Midwest |
Jonathan Kieffer Smith |
| Mountain |
Connor Roberson |
| Northeast |
Irakli Sanadze |
| Pacific NW |
Dannette Schreib |
| Pacific SW |
Gary Hull |
| Pacific |
N/A |
| Southeast |
Mark Veszi |
| Southern Pacific |
Peter Sophabmixay |
| Southwest |
John Rightmyer |
Tom Hermstad Award (Scholastic Referee)
| Zone |
Recipient |
| Central |
Dominic Guerra |
| Coastal |
Mike McMahon |
| Hawaii |
Jake Steiner |
| Midwest |
Eric Fischer |
| Mountain |
Matt Langford |
| Northeast |
N/A |
| Pacific NW |
Courtney Bird |
| Pacific SW |
Connor Levoff |
| Pacific |
N/A |
| Southeast |
Mosaab Omar |
| Southern Pacific |
David Brown |
| Southwest |
Dustin Devaney |
Aaron Chaney Award (Development Referee)
| Zone |
Recipient |
| Central |
Michael Salvador |
| Coastal |
Eugene Sedov |
| Hawaii |
Emma Kaahaaina |
| Midwest |
Catherine Wallace |
| Mountain |
Audrey Hall |
| Northeast |
Dawson Clark |
| Pacific NW |
Samuel Abbott |
| Pacific SW |
Cole Duffett |
| Pacific |
Nicholas Bea |
| Southeast |
Keith Jordan-Wilkinson |
| Southern Pacific |
Mario Ruiz |
| Southwest |
Jeff Kacerek |
Club Sportsmanship Award
| Zone |
Recipient |
| Central |
Praetorian |
| Coastal |
Channel Islands United |
| Hawaii |
Lokahi |
| Midwest |
Evanston Water Polo (Wildkit Water Polo) |
| Mountain |
Sierra Nevada WPC |
| Northeast |
WCAC United |
| Pacific NW |
Narrows |
| Pacific SW |
Chula Vista Premier |
| Pacific |
TPCM SHARKS |
| Southeast |
Team Orlando WPC |
| Southern Pacific |
Riptide |
| Southwest |
Longhorn Aquatics |
Barbara Kalbus Award (Volunteer of the Year)
| Zone |
Recipient |
| Central |
N/A |
| Coastal |
Peggy McClintick |
| Hawaii |
Chris Lee |
| Midwest |
Patrick Storey |
| Mountain |
Carla Gamet |
| Northeast |
Andy Lewandowski |
| Pacific NW |
Corrin Beaumont |
| Pacific SW |
Sean Green |
| Pacific |
Amanda Boyd |
| Southeast |
Jarod Stentiford |
| Southern Pacific |
Randy Galza |
| Southwest |
Staci Brode |
Bryan Weaver Award (Male Masters Athlete of the Year)
| Zone |
Recipient |
| Central |
Derek Scott |
| Coastal |
Kelly Stater |
| Hawaii |
Zain Vally-Mahomed |
| Midwest |
Austin Travers |
| Mountain |
David Pietsch |
| Northeast |
Val Horvath |
| Pacific NW |
Brandon Loveless |
| Pacific SW |
Dan Diemer |
| Pacific |
N/A |
| Southeast |
Sergey Bushuev |
| Southern Pacific |
Christian Macias |
| Southwest |
Carl Matthews |
Dion Gray Award (Female Masters Athlete of the Year)
| Zone |
Recipient |
| Central |
N/A |
| Coastal |
N/A |
| Hawaii |
Kelcie O'Brien-Robinson |
| Midwest |
Tammy Stelnicki |
| Mountain |
Valerie Johnson |
| Northeast |
Lauren Picard |
| Pacific NW |
N/A |
| Pacific SW |
Carla Gilmore |
| Pacific |
Jennie White |
| Southeast |
Paloma Szivos |
| Southern Pacific |
Jackie Frank |
| Southwest |
Molly Wilkinson |
