United States of America won the recent women’s U20 world championship in Brazil and for many years the women’s dominance, in particular, of world water polo, was because of a single tournament that draws thousands of athletes annually.
When it comes to numbers, USA’s Junior Olympics have some eye-boggling statistics that would be hard to replicate anywhere else in the world.
Just imagine staging a tournament that has 1086 teams and more than 14,000 athletes!
Throw in 53 venues across two States with a registered 295 volunteers and you have an event that becomes greater than the Olympics and football World Cup combined.
Some incredible players have emerged from these tournaments including the likes of triple Olympic champion Maggie Steffens, Ashleigh Johnson, Tony Azevedo, Ben Hallock, etc.
“Just about every big time athlete for USA Water Polo in the last 20 years has played at a Junior Olympics,” according to USA Water Polo chief executive officer Jamie Davis.
"The history between the Junior Olympics and representing Team USA is a long and storied one. From the Olympic Games to World Championships, so many of our best and brightest got their start at the Junior Olympics.
“We were thrilled to see a host of 'JO' alums compete in Singapore earlier this year and know the world's largest water polo tournament will continue to be the pathway for the next generation of talented water polo players for years to come."
Staged in California and Texas, the event is held over three sessions with the first hosting 504 teams, the second 438 and the third 144.
The 2025 Junior Olympics has wrapped up with champions crowned in multiple age groups and divisions across the three sessions.
Woollett Aquatics Center in Orange County, California played host to the highest-level medal matches in the first two sessions while Garland ISD Natatorium in Dallas, Texas hosted the highest-level medal matches in session three.
Scoring Goals interviewed these athletes who have gone through the Junior Olympics and competed in the recently ended World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.
"My experience playing in Junior Olympics helped prepare me for world championships this summer because in both tournaments you face a different opponent each game. “Junior Olympics taught me the skills needed to quickly regroup and prepare for the next opponent rather than fixating on mistakes made in the previous game," says Emma Lineback who made her senior World Championship debut.
"Winning Junior Olympics was the ultimate goal growing up in water polo. The tournament drove me to get better every day in order to give my team its best shot at winning gold.
“That experience ultimately helped prepare me later in my career to compete with Team USA in the World Championships this summer," says Jack Larsen, another first timer at the elite level.
It is highly likely a future USA Olympian played in the Junior Olympics in 2025.
For the record, the top finishers in each division are listed below and perhaps some of the MVPs will be names we will be interviewing as their careers burgeon.
Session I
18U Boys
1. North Irvine Beast Boys - MVP - Gavin Conant
2. Newport Beach
3. Del Mar
16U Boys
1. Del Mar - MVP - Aden Shin
2. San Diego Shores
3. CC United
14U Boys
1. Channel Islands - MVP - Channing Wigo & Ren Fujikake
2. Greenwich Aquatics
3. Patriot Aquatics
12U Boys
1. Del Mar - MVP - Braxton Harp
2. Newport Beach
3. Vanguard Aquatics
10U Boys
1. Del Mar
2. Patriot Aquatics
3. Newport Beach
Session II
18U Girls
1. SET Water Polo - MVP - Christina Flynn
2. Regency
3. SOCAL
16U Girls
1. Newport Beach - MVP - Gabriella Alexson
2. Santa Barbara 805
3. San Diego Shores
14U Girls
1. Newport Beach - MVP - Cece Mesenbrink
2. Patriot Aquatics
3. South Coast Aquatics
12U Mixed
1. Thunder Water Polo - MVP - Travis Ronayne
2. Titans Water Polo
3. Sharks Water Polo
12U Girls
1. San Clemente - MVP - Ky-an Wilkinson
2. Diablo Alliance
3. Santa Barbara 805
10U Mixed
1. San Diego Shores
2. Elite Water Polo
3. La Jolla United
10U Girls
1. Newport Beach
2. San Clemente Red
3. Lamorinda Water Polo
Session III
18U Boys
1. St. Louis Area Polo Blue - MVP - Nick Zimmerman
2. Pittsburgh Water Polo
3. Puerto Rico Water Polo
18U Girls
1. North Idaho - MVP - Alena Gonzalez
2. Orlando United Black
3. Viper Pigeons Pink
16U Boys
1. Gladiators Water Polo - MVP - Francisco Vazquez
2. East County Aquatics A
3. Viper Pigeons Green
16U Girls
1. Peak Polo - MVP - Ivey Tirman
2. Team Orlando
3. Hydralamo Black
14U Boys
1. Puerto Rico Water Polo - MVP - Luis Felipe De Zengotita
2. Next Level Black
3. Hieland Water Polo
14U Girls
1. Viper Pigeons - MVP - Brooklyn Cejka
2. Peak Polo
3. West Suburban Water Polo
12U Mixed
1. Puerto Rico Water Polo - MVP - Kala Rust Besosa
2. Peak Polo White
3. CAPC
10U Mixed
1. Hydralamo Black
2. CAPC
3. Pegasus Aquatics