El Rodeo Student Wins Top Award at National Water Polo Event

Beverly Hills eight grader Sam Krutonog was chosen by USA Water Polo’s national team scouts as “Best 8th Grade & Under Goalkeeper,” at their 2014 Olympic Development Program’s Pacific Coast Championships, March 8-9 in Orange County. The award chose Krutonog for USA Water Polo’s All Championship Team. Krutonog will continue on to the National Team Selection Camp in May. “Winning this award was a major goal of mine. I am so honored and happy,” notes Krutonog, 13. “I attended the selection camp last year but I didn’t have the Championship Team award. My goal this year is to get on the Development National Team.”

USA Water Polo’s Olympic Development program is built from the nation’s 11 zones using the nation’s top coaches. This weekend’s Pacific Coast ODP Championships pitted six zones against each other: Coastal, Southern Pacific, Pacific Southwest, Pacific, Central, and Hawaii. Each zone team is made up of the 42 best water polo athletes from their area’s local clubs, divided in to three teams from each zone: Red, White and Blue. Red is the top-rated team. The teams are formed through a grueling series of eliminations at six-hour practices. Krutonog was part of the 8th grade and under Red team from the Coastal Division. At the end of the Pacific Coast ODP Championships, USA Water Polo announced the final 48 athletes who will move on to the National Team Selection Camp. Making it to the National Team Selection Camp is the last step before making the Development National Team. Older age brackets can make it on to the Cadet, Junior and Senior teams. Krutonog was the only goalie in his age bracket to be awarded the Goalkeeper award and took his team to win the Bronze medal.

Krutonog is also the winner of USA Water Polo’s 2013 Tyr Champions Sportsmanship Award and is a 2012 Junior Olympic All-American. He is the 14U Starting Goalie and Team Captain for LA Premier Water Polo and an Ironman Water Polo athlete. In 2013 Krutonog and his Premier team won: Gold medals at Ironman Super Finals, San Diego Cup XX, and Turbo/Kap7; Silver at California Coastal Zone Championships; and Bronze at Kap7 International, and Junior Olympics.

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