Briefly in Sports
USA Water Polo league concludes
The first year of the USA Water Polo National League comes to a close Saturday and Sunday with championship tournament play at Acalanes High in Lafayette, CA.
The championship tournament features the top six teams from regular season play: USA Red, USA White, USA Blue, Alumni Water Polo Club, The Olympic Club and New York Athletic Club. Nolan McConnell of Laguna Beach is on the USA White team.
USA White will face Olympic Club in an opening game at 2:20 p.m. Saturday.
Through the first two tournament weekends of the National League, USA White was in fourth place. The team standings heading into the championship tournament: 1. Olympic Club (8-1, 33 points); 2. USA Blue (6-3, 25 points); 3. New York Athletic Club (5-4, 24 points); 4. USA White (4-5, 22 points), 5. USA Red (4-5, 21 points); 6. Alumni (3-6, 18 points), 7. International (0-9, nine points).
Tournament match information can be found at https://www.usawaterpolo.org. All tournament matches will stream live via USA Water Polo TV at https://www.YouTube.com/USAWP.
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USA men’s team wins bronze medal
The USA Men’s Senior National Water Polo Team won the bronze medal at the FINA Men’s Intercontinental Tournament Saturday at Corona del Mar High, defeating China, 19-7, in its final game.
Team USA started the tournament March 31 with a 10-6 win over Japan, defeated Argentina 19-8 on April 1, and Kazakhstan, 17-11, on April 2, and lost, 17-16 to Australia in a semifinal shootout April 3.
Luca Cupido (Newport Beach) of Team USA was named tournament MVP. Bret Bonanni of Huntington Beach scored four goals to lead the USA offense in its 19-7 win last Saturday over China. Bonanni previously scored twice and had an assist against Japan, scored three goals against Argentina, had three more against Kazakhstan, and two goals iin the semifinal shootout loss to Australia.
Australia defeated Brazil Saturday, 9-6, to win the gold medal. Team USA, Australia, Brazil and China all have qualified to compete at the upcoming FINA World League Super Final in June in Italy.
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Laguna’s Lewis extends win streak
Michael Lewis of Laguna Beach continued his winning streak in the GTA class of the Pirelli World Challenge (PWC) 2015 season by winning the GTA division of the PWC Saturday at St. Petersburg, Fla.
Lewis won Saturday’s Race 1 (12th overall among 43 cars) and finished second in Sunday’s Race 2 (17th overall among 38 cars). The two podium finishes extended his championship points lead by 45 points.
Lewis and the No. 41 EFFORT Racing/Curb-Agajanian Porsche 911 GT3 R will enter the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach April 17-19. Round 5 of the Pirelli World Challenge is scheduled for April 19.
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— From Staff Reports