Del Mar Water Polo Club now holds nine national championship titles across age divisions

The 2025 USA Water Polo National Junior Olympics has come to a close, and the Del Mar Water Polo Club (DMWPC) has achieved historic victories across multiple age divisions. Three teams brought home gold medals in the Platinum Division this year alone, making them the national champions. The 10U (10-&-under) Boys Blue, 12U Boys Blue, and 16U Boys Blue teams earned this highly acclaimed title, with the 18U Boys placing third in the nation with a young and mostly returning team.

Hundreds of water polo teams from across the country battled for the championship in their specific age groups, filling pools and bleachers throughout Orange County, Calf. These teams earned the right to compete through exhaustive regional qualifying tournaments. The USA Water Polo’s Junior Olympics tournament is held every year in July and marks the culmination of a year’s hard work for competitive teams in the youth water polo community. For many athletes and teams, this includes year-round training nearly every day of the week and additional countless hours spent on mental and physical preparation outside of the pool.

The Del Mar Water Polo Club now holds nine Platinum Division National Championship titles, the first of which was achieved during the 2021 Junior Olympics by the 12U Boys A team. Most of the athletes rostered on this 2021 championship team are still training and playing with the Del Mar Water Polo Club on the 16U and 18U teams and are now considering their college, professional, and national team options as they navigate the recruiting process. Led by Club Director Tommy Corcoran, an accomplished athlete and head coach of the DMWPC 18U and Cathedral Catholic High School varsity teams, DMWPC has grown significantly, and includes coaches that have competed at the highest level themselves.

Competing in the youngest age bracket, Del Mar’s 10U Boys Blue team made it through the grueling gauntlet of the Junior Olympics unscathed, winning all seven of their tournament-style games and defeating a highly-talented Patriot Aquatics team in the championship match.

Led by Head Coach Brendan Patterson, the team was undefeated for the 24/25 season, which began in August 2024 and came to a glorious close during the 2025 Junior Olympics. This is Patterson’s second consecutive undefeated season and national title with the Del Mar Water Polo Club.

“They were utterly dominant when playing 10U,” says Patterson. “No opponent finished within four goals of them all year. Great group of kids that handled themselves like champions in and out of the pool every game. We are excited about next year’s group.” Patterson added, “Many of whom were on the Del Mar White team that finished ninth in the nation.”

It is highly unusual for one water polo club to have two teams in the same age division that place in the top 10 in the National Junior Olympics.

The 12U Boys Blue team and Head Coach Kahangi also won all seven of their games, with two games ending with a tie score in regulation time. This resulted in penalty shootouts, during which five field players took shots at the goal defended by the opposing team’s goalkeeper. With nerves high and everything on the line, Del Mar goalie Braxton Harp (MVP) gave the shooters the momentum they needed-and they returned the favor.

It is widely recognized among athletes that it is very difficult to defeat a strong team three times. This was the challenge facing the Del Mar boys going into the championship game against Newport Beach Water Polo Club. With Del Mar down to just five players due to repeated ejections, one more and they would have had to play a man down, the pressure mounted as the Del Mar boys stepped up with absolute focus and determination. They delivered, defeating Newport 10.4 to 10.1 in a shootout.

Following a period of reflection, team parent Thalia Ormsby described what she saw as contributing to this enormous accomplishment: “What made this group special was their bond– in and out of the water. They genuinely loved each other, and the chemistry extended to the families as well. The parents modeled the right values, reinforcing that it is not about individual recognition but about supporting the team. As a parent, watching the moment unfold made all the driving, sacrifice, and long weekends more than worth it. It was unforgettable.”

The Del Mar 16U Boys Blue team, led by Head Coach Kaden Likins, played nine games in total during the National Junior Olympics, spread across four days. After Del Mar lost by one to CC United Water Polo Club in early group play, the team took the long way around and faced three grueling games on the third day of the competition in order to play back into the top four. The team again battled the CC United Water Polo Club in the semi-final match, finding victory and the back of the net with a three-point lead.

Del Mar then faced off against hometown rivals San Diego Shores to earn the title. The thrilling final match saw both teams in the lead at different times, with Del Mar taking and holding the lead in the second half, winning by one point to secure their victory and the 2-3 foot tall trophy. Coach Likins describes his thoughts and the journey that brought the team to the championship, stating, “I am beyond proud of this group. From the beginning, the group was challenged to set out to not prove anything to anybody but ourselves. We dealt with internal challenges and external doubts, and in the end, stayed true to our goal of playing the best team water polo anybody would see in the 16u division.”

MVP Sungwon Aden Shin described his team’s grit and determination in a post-game interview: “It was a roller coaster of a year. Throughout, we had big wins, tough losses, and people missing due to trips and injuries-one of our best players got injured recently. But to end the year on a high note like this is truly amazing.”

This highly skilled and well-coached 16U team made waves in the water polo landscape, securing the first national championship for their club in an older age bracket.

DMWPC 18U boys team won six out of seven matches, with their only loss occurring in the semi-final match against the North Irvine Beast Boys. The team that went on to win the championship. The Del Mar upperclassmen represented the club and the San Diego area well, with dominant performances against many of the top water polo clubs in the nation.

Similar to their younger counterparts, two of the Del Mar 18U games ended in a tie during regulation, which led to a penalty shootout. Del Mar goalie Oren Penning and five of the team’s elite shooters secured the wins with unparalleled skill. After the game, Penning described an overarching theme: “I’ve been playing for almost 10 years, and I remember seeing the 18-year-olds play. They were so big and so good. I can’t believe that was us this year and my final Junior Olympics. I’m really glad we ended up earning a medal, but more importantly I really enjoyed sharing every minute of the weekend, having dinner and hanging out with my friends.”

Many athletes have found that the pressure of a high-stakes game can help to sharpen focus, and the Del Mar boys irrefutably finished the tournament with strength, resolve, and perhaps more importantly, joy. This is the first podium finish for DMWPC in the 18U division.

The Del Mar Water Polo Club sees enormous potential in their athletes because all of the teams that qualified for the USA Water Polo Junior Olympics competed with excellent results. Coach Jacob Pril, head of the girls’ water polo program at DMWPC, recognizes the tremendous growth and potential of his athletes, stating, “I’m incredibly proud of the way our girls competed this year. Three years ago, we had fewer than 10 total girls participating, and now we are in a program with six teams entered into the Junior Olympics, and the only club in San Diego to have three girls’ teams place among the top 12 in the country. And the best part is we are just getting started!”

The DMWPC 12U Girls team achieved a stunning eighth-place finish. Entering the highly competitive platinum championship division as the 19th seed, the young team defiedexpectations with a series of dramatic upset victories against some of the nation’s top-rankedprograms.

The team’s incredible run was marked by resilience, skill, and composure under pressure. Their path to the top 10 included a thrilling last-second victory over #6 seed Back Bay, secured with a buzzer-beater goal. The girls continued their campaign with a hard-fought shoot-out win against #11 seed San Diego Shores, with the Del Mar goalie Abigail Lickel making two phenomenal blocks to clinch the victory. 12U Head Coach Sarah Lizotte describes the top 10 finish as a reflection of the team’s hard work: “With so much on the line and emotions running high, these games created powerful coachable moments that will stick with this group and myself for a long time. It’s been a privilege to watch them rise to the occasion with grit and heart.”

The club will begin training for the 2026 USA Water Polo Junior Olympics in August 2025.

The Del Mar Water Polo Club’s mission is to help water polo players throughout San Diego County acquire the necessary skills to be successful throughout their water polo careers and beyond. The club strives to provide the athletes with a quality water polo experience in a positive and competitive environment. More information can be found at www.delmarwaterpoloclub.com

–Report submitted by Katherine Anderson