Vanguard has big weekend

It was a stellar weekend for Vanguard Aquatics competing in the Kap7 International Water Polo Tournament played at several locations in south Orange County.

The 10U coed Silver team earned the third-place finish in the 10U Division. The team is composed of mostly female players, one of the few teams at the 10U level that has such a program. Ellen Hayami, former standout player at Huntington Beach High and Golden West College, coaches the team.

The 10U Blue team captured third place in the 12U Gold Division. The team is coached by Djoko Radunovic and Kaleigh Esson.

The 12U Silver team took 10th, overall, in the 12U Platinum Division and is coached by Ryan Camps.

The 12U Blue team finished fourth in the 14U Gold Division, finishing higher than many competitive 14U local teams. The team is coached by Sasa Branisavljevic.

The 14U Silver team played well in the 14U Platinum Division and scored some big wins, but didn’t place due to the tournament set up and bracket play. In their last game of the day, they defeated northern California power Lamorinda Water Polo, 6-3. The 14U Silver team is coached by Nemanja Jakonovic.

The 14U Blue team was the lone 14U team to play in the 16U Platinum division. They had victories over Carlsbad, CC United, and CHAWP. The team is coached by Uros Dzelebdzic.

The 16U Silver team, coached by Mike Dillard, finished 12th, overall, in the 16U Gold Division.

The 16U Blue team also played also in the 16U Platinum Division and earned third place. The squad scored victories over Socal B, Foothill and Newport but lost a heartbreaker to San Diego Shores, 5-4, in the semifinals. In the third-place game, Vanguard beat Stars & Stripes Bruin, 14-7.

The 16U Blue, which placed the highest of any team in the Sopac Zone, and is made up of several players from Huntington Beach High and is co-coached by Djoko Radunovic and Sasa Branisavljevic.

— Reader submission