John Vargas

Richard Dunn CORONA DEL MAR - In his final moments at home before leaving for Sydney, Australia to coach the United States men's water polo team in the Summer Olympic Games, John Vargas has been so busy, there hasn't been time yet to reflect and feel the goose bumps. "There's so much stuff going on right now, it's hard to be nervous," Vargas said of his summer leading up to his first Olympic assignment at the helm of Team USA. Vargas has been occupied with roster cuts, financial issues and team preparations, along with a bustling playing schedule this summer and a new wife to attend to. But Vargas has Sept.

Corona del Mar High senior Reid Chase, the 2012 Newport-Mesa Player of the Year in boys' water polo, said Thursday he has committed to play at Stanford University. Chase went on his official visit to Palo Alto in late January, and said he made his final decision soon after that. Chase, who has a 4.3 grade-point average at CdM, was accepted at Stanford last fall. "I really liked the guys who were on the trip with me, and the campus is amazing," Chase said. "It's just the best mix between academics and water polo I could get. You can't really turn down Stanford.

Name: Christina Hewko Born: April 25, 1985 Hometown: Corona del Mar Height: 5-foot-10 Weight: 140 Sport: Girls water polo Position: Utility Coach: John Vargas Favorite food: Pizza Favorite movie: "Braveheart" Best athletic moment: "Last year, when I stole the ball against Rosary and helped set up the game-winning goal in CIF quarterfinals." Athlete of the Week: Hewko had three goals, three assists and three steals in a 13-2 CIF Southern Section Division IV quarterfinals' win over Brea Olinda on Feb. 20 and added a goal in CdM's 7-6 semifinals' loss against Laguna Beach on Friday.

STANFORD - John Vargas, who served as head coach of the United States Men's National Team (1997-2000), will be the new head coach for the Stanford men's water polo program, effective New Year's Day. "We are very excited about the Stanford Water Polo program," said Stanford Athletic Director Dr. Ted Leland. "We have a very talented team this season and the NCAA Championship will take place at Stanford. With the hiring of John Vargas to replace Dante Dettamanti at the end of this season, the future of Stanford water polo is in excellent hands.

Richard Dunn CORONA DEL MAR - John Vargas, U.S. Olympic men's water polo coach at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, reportedly has decided not to seek a second nomination to serve as U.S. national team coach and will be replaced by former Yugoslavian coach Ratko Rudic. Vargas, the longtime Corona del Mar High boys and girls coach, withdrew his name from consideration to coach the U.S. national squad for the next four years. That coach is virtually a lock to coach the U.S. Olympic team at the 2004 Athens Games.

Steve Virgen It's payback time for Chris Oeding and he doesn't mind. No, not at all. This form of payback is actually quite rewarding for Oeding, the two-time Olympic water polo star who was a standout at Corona del Mar High. He's giving back to the sport that gave so much to him. Oeding is the chief of aquatics, a coach of four water sports, at Long Beach City College and he's thriving in the challenge of renewing what was once a winning water polo program.

BERKELEY -- The No. 2-ranked UC Irvine men's water polo team sustained a pair of losses Sunday to finish fourth in the NorCal Tournament at Spieker Aquatics Complex. After falling to No. 7-ranked UCLA, 7-5, in one semifinal, the Anteaters were bested, 9-6, by Stanford, coached by former Corona del Mar High head man and former UCI standout John Vargas, in the third-place final. Stanford's Tony Azevedo scored four goals against UCI, which pulled within 7-6 on Charlie Fisher's extra-man goal with 3:17 left.

Corona del Mar High senior Reid Chase, the 2012 Newport-Mesa Player of the Year in boys' water polo, said Thursday he has committed to play at Stanford University. Chase went on his official visit to Palo Alto in late January, and said he made his final decision soon after that. Chase, who has a 4.3 grade-point average at CdM, was accepted at Stanford last fall. "I really liked the guys who were on the trip with me, and the campus is amazing," Chase said. "It's just the best mix between academics and water polo I could get. You can't really turn down Stanford.

IRVINE - They were given pink crowns as they entered Woollett Aquatics Center on Saturday night. They waved white and purple and pink pompoms, the team colors of the Corona del Mar High girls' water polo team. For the Sea Kings and their fans, this was a victory that was seven years in the making. That crown? It finally fits just right. Senior Ally McCormick scored four goals and CdM held on to defeat rival Newport Harbor, 6-5, to capture its first CIF Southern Section Division 1 title.

Robert Lynn went by two titles when he was introduced Sunday at Newport Harbor High. The announcer, Matt McLaren, referred to Lynn as U.S. men's water polo assistant coach and mastermind of the three-day pre-Olympic water polo showcase that ends Monday. The Americans' 12-9 win over Hungary featured just about everything Lynn had envisioned. The pool deck was rocking with chants of U-S-A, fans waved white towels for Team USA and the place sold out. An estimated 1,700 fans watched the game at Newport Harbor.

The Orange Coast College women's volleyball team, the defending state champion, is the No. 7 seed in the Southern California Regional playoffs and will play host to Golden West in a first-round match tonight at 7. Coach Chuck Cutenese's Pirates (15-5), who won their last five regular-season matches to finish third in the Orange Empire Conference with a 10-4 record, have beaten the Rustlers (9-12), who finished sixth in the OEC, twice this season. OCC swept Golden West, 25-23, 25-8, 25-10, in a Nov. 5 road match.

The UC Irvine men’s water polo team has been picked to finish eighth in the nine-team Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, according to a coaches’ poll announced recently. Coach Marc Hunt’s Anteaters said goodbye to first-team All-Americans Tim Hutten and Colin Mello, as well as Cole Bitter, who earned honorable mention in All-American voting, after finishing 14-11, 4-4 for fifth place in the MPSF, last season. The aforementioned trio combined to score 153 goals, including 75 by Hutten, who earned MPSF and national player of the year honors.

Four honorees will be inducted into the UC Irvine Athletic Hall of Fame Feb. 3 at the Hilton in Irvine. The inductees are Ed Ahlmeyer, who competed in men's cross country and track and field, Scott Carnahan (men's tennis), Cheri Graham (women's basketball), and Donnie Rafter (men's volleyball). They will be inducted during the homecoming alumni brunch, scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. The foursome will be introduced at the Anteaters' men's basketball game against Cal State Northridge Feb. 3 at the Bren Events Center.

MEN'S WATER POLO UC Irvine 9, Stanford 8 STANFORD ? Colin Mello's four goals led the No. 11 Anteaters to the upset win over the No. 4 Cardinal in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation game Saturday. The game was tied eight times before Mello scored the gamewinner with 1:57 left. Kyle Baxter added three goals and Curt Melo scored two for UCI (10-16, 2-4 in conference), which got 13 saves from Matt Garcia. Stanford, coached by UCI alum John Vargas, a former Corona del Mar High Coach, dropped to 14-7, 4-3. Mountain Pacific Sports Federation UC Irvine 9, Stanford 8 Score by Quarters UC Irvine 2 3 2 2 ?

UC Irvine Hall of Fame inductee's career as player, coach shaped by mentor Ted Newland.Competitive drive propels John Vargas out of bed each day, toward the next season, the next practice or game, the next recruit. So focused is he on the challenges that lay ahead, the Stanford men's water polo coach has little time and even less interest in retrospection. There are near-daily occurrences, however, when the seeds of more than three decades of distinction as a player and a coach seep unconsciously into his own words.

After viewing film of last year's team, knowing he will have several returners from a CIF Southern Section Division I semifinalist, first-year Corona del Mar High boys water polo coach Barry O'Dea doesn't believe much will change in the pool once the games begin next month. But what many of his players must deal with is the adjustment once again of a coaching change. O'Dea, 32, hired to replace 2004 Division I Coach of the Year Sam Bailey this summer, will be the program's fourth leader in as many years this fall.

Sam Bailey, who was named CIF Southern Section Division I Coach of the Year after leading the Corona del Mar High boys water polo team to the CIF Division I semifinals, has left the school to become an assistant men's coach at Stanford. Bailey, 27, said he thoroughly enjoyed his season with the Sea Kings, during which they went 20-9. But he looks forward to the opportunity to work with the Cardinal, and head man John Vargas. Vargas coached the CdM boys program for 19 seasons before taking the Stanford job prior to the 2002 season.