Team Usa

ROME — UC Irvine alumni Ryan Bailey, Tim Hutten and Jeff Powers each scored a goal as the United States men’s senior national team defeated Germany, 8-5, Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the FINA World Championships in Rome. With the win, the USA advances to the medal round, facing Spain in a semifinal game Thursday. Croatia meets Serbia in the other semifinal. Bailey gave the Americans the lead for good as he recorded a steal at the 6:52 mark of the third quarter and scored 20 seconds later to put the U.S. up 4-3. Powers extended the lead to 5-3 on a goal with 4:13 remaining in the third period.

  Sunday, April 20th - Novice bowlers from the Newport Harbor Lawn Bowling Club teamed up with Veteran bowlers from Newport and other clubs in the area to form 14 teams of triples. Since the popularity of lawn bowls in Newport has soared in the past few years, Newport needed to enlist the help of non-Newport members to help match the number of interested Newport Novices. While 14 Novices played, another 3 Novices were waiting in the wings as alternates should the opportunity to play come their way. The pool of Veteran players was equally impressive, as many have been on or continues to be a part of Team USA. The tournament setup was such that the first two positions (Skip and Vice)

Three players from Velocity, a roller hockey team featuring 12-year-olds from Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, have been selected to the United States' squad that will compete in the World Cup Inline Hockey 12-and-under championships July 6-11 in London, Ontario, Canada. Officials from USA Rollersports, the national governing body, selected Brett Olinger, Darren Nowick and Taylor Aronson from Velocity to the 14-member team, chosen from a pool of 40 of the nation's best players.

Rick Devereux David Wilson wrote, "Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education," on his calendar. While the Mark Twain character more commonly known as "Pudd'nhead" used this and other sayings to keep himself motivated as a northern lawyer in a southern town, it could easily apply to Dan Klatt. Klatt is one of five former UC Irvine water polo players on the United States men's Olympic water polo team, which begins competition in Athens, Greece, Sunday against Spain.

Jimmy Pelzel, a UC Irvine senior, slammed eight kills for the U.S. men's volleyball team in its five-game victory over Canada Friday in its second match of the World University Games in Daegu, South Korea. Team USA had to rally from a 2-1 deficit in games to win, 25-27, 25-22, 21-25, 25-28, 15-13, its second straight victory to begin play in Group B, one of the even's four brackets. Pelzel, a first-team All-American for the Anteaters last season, added one block and had two service aces.

COSTA MESA - The Costa Mesa boys under-13 APP team from AYSO Region 120 placed second at the fifth annual Brian McMillan Invitation Soccer Tournament held over Labor Day Weekend. Facing two older U14 APP teams, Costa Mesa managed to tie Tustin, 4-4, and 1-1 against Costa Mesa 14. In the final day of competition, Costa Mesa pulled out a 5-0 win with goals scored by Hayden Hiatt, Danny Alderete and Luis Cozza. Strong all-around play was turned in by Rigo Miranda, Benny Edles, Alberto Nava, Starnes Arnold and Caleb Burgess controlled the midfield, while Kenneth Zich, Adam Seagondollar, Marco Soto, Matt Grella, William Briseno and Ben Abbott controlled the defense.

Evan Brock, who was 6-4 with a 3.14 earned-run average as a freshman pitcher at UC Irvine in 2010, has been named an alternate on the collegiate national team trials roster. Trials are scheduled Tuesday through July 11 at the USA Baseball Training Complex in Cary, N.C. Players will compete for 22 roster spots. Brock earned all-regional honors after striking out nine in 8 1/3 innings, spanning two appearnaces, at the Los Angeles Regional at UCLA. He earned the win in a 4-3 triumph over LSU that eliminated the then-defending NCAA champions.

LOS ALAMITOS - Goalie Tumua Anae, a former Corona del Mar High standout, recorded six saves to help the U.S. women's water polo team defeat Canada, 11-7, in the Americans' first match since winning gold at the 2012 Olympics, during the first day of the FINA World League Prelims. Melissa Seidemann scored three goals to lead a balanced offensive attack, while Anae went the distance in net. Team USA is back in action Saturday against Brazil at 3 p.m. in a match that will be webcast live.

The NCAA men’s basketball national championship Monday night may signify the end of the college basketball season, but that doesn’t mean the best young hoop stars are slowing down. This Saturday in Portland, Ore., 20 of the world’s best high school players will meet in the 13th annual Nike Hoop Summit. The game, tipping off at 7 p.m. at the Rose Garden, will match 10 19-and-under American all-stars against 10 of the best the rest of the world has to offer. I will have the honor of broadcasting the event on Fox Sports Network with former college and NBA coach P.J. Carlesimo and reporter Rebecca Haarlow.

Patrick Laverty Clay and Clinton Jorth state their goals in plain and simple terms. "One of my goals is to play water polo in the Olympics," Clay said. Just a few minutes earlier, and across town from his older brother, Clinton said, "I want to play in the Olympics. That's my ultimate goal." They are aspiring to be among the best and in their age bracket, they already are. Though the Jorth brothers are years away from any possible Olympic medal, they are already experiencing what it is like to wear the red, white and blue of Team USA. Clay, 15, is a member of the 2003 U.S. water polo men's national cadet team, a 16-and-under club comprised of 21 players from around the country.