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History of Santa Barbara Aquatics
Club
Above Picture 2009 SBAC
SBAC formerly known as Santa Barbara Water Polo has a long
tradition of excellence and significant contributions to
development of water polo across the country. The present
SBWPC Board is committed to furthering opportunities for all
children in our community to enjoy the sport of water
polo. Wolf Wigo is SBWPC’s executive director. Wolf
is a Stanford University NCAA Div. I champion, All-American, and
three-time Olympian. Wolf is also Head Coach of Men’s
and Women’s Water Polo at U.C. Santa Barbara.
The
Santa Barbara Water Polo Club was formed in 1975 by Dante
Dettamanti who coached at UCSB from 1974-76 before leaving for
Stanford University. Pete Snyder took over in
1977. In 1979, Snyder led the Gauchos to the first
Division I NCAA title in school history and was among the most
successful coaches ever at UCSB. UCSB soccer won the
school’s second title 27 years later. In 15 years at
Santa Barbara, Snyder coached 31 All-Americans.
Jim Ranta of Dos Pueblos High School, the “Godfather”
of water polo in Santa Barbara County, joined Snyder in building
SBWPF. Ranta graduated from UCSB in 1969 where he swam
and played water polo for Coach Rick Rowland. Over the next 33
years, Ranta coached generations of players at Dos Pueblos High
School, Santa Barbara High School, and with the SBWPC. Jim
Ranta took his first break from coaching in 2002 after his son Jeff
graduated from DP. Ranta continues to serve as a Board member
of the Foundation and is an active U.S. Water Polo
referee. Ranta coached numerous high school
All-Americans. In 2004, Chris Segesman became the first DP
water polo Olympian.
Don Randall of Santa Barbara High School, a 1974 graduate of UCSB
and former Gaucho, worked along side Ranta in coaching the
community’s 16 and under players. The Santa Barbara
Water Polo Club’s goal was to provide the opportunity for a
beginning player to progress to the caliber of an international
participant. Almost immediately, SBWP sent teams to Senior,
Junior, and High School tournaments.
In 1980, five years after formation of SBWPC, the 18-and-under boys
team, led by Pete Snyder and Allen Lorentzen, won a gold medal at
the Junior Olympic National Championships. Santa Barbara
eliminated a strong Newport Harbor team and went on to win the
title game in Milwaukee, WI. This team was composed of
standout athletes from Dos Pueblos, San Marcos, Santa Barbara, and
Cabrillo High Schools. Today SBWPC’s boys and girls
teams continue to draw upon players from high schools throughout
the Central Coast.
SBWPC accomplished its goal of producing international caliber
players during the early 1980s when Gauchos Craig Wilson and Greg
Boyer represented the United States in the Olympic Games. Both
were members of UCSB’s 1979 NCAA Championship
team. Wilson went on to rank among the finest goalies in water
polo history helping the USA win three Olympic medals. Over
the next twenty years, several more SBWPC players joined the Senior
Men’s National Team.
Guy Baker, current head coach of the Women’s U.S. National
Team, also played on UCSB’s ’79 national championship
team. Baker previously was head coach at UCLA and of the
U.S. Men’s National Team. Aaron Chaney, another
’79 team member, was the top U.S. water polo referee at the
2004 Athens games and will retain his position in Beijing. In
2006, the 1979 team celebrated their 27th anniversary by
winning the 45 plus U.S. Masters National Championship in San
Diego, CA and the 45 plus World Championship at the XI FINA World
Masters Championships in Palo Alto, CA.
During the 1980s and early 1990s, SBWPC teams continued to mature,
placing in the coveted top four at Men’s Senior Nationals on
four occasions. The club’s highest finish was second
place in 1986. SBWPC produced numerous senior All Americans
establishing the club as a perennial power in U.S. Water
Polo. SBWPC became a foundation (501c3) in 1989.
In 1992, Scott Brennand, a graduate of San Marcos High School and
SBWPC player, led Santa Barbara to the Foundation’s first 15
and under Junior Olympic Championship. In 1996,
Brennand’s 17 and under Boy’s garnered Santa
Barbara’s third Junior Olympic
Championship.
At the 2006 National Championship tournament, Paul Rave and Wolf
Wigo led SBWPC’s 18 and under Boy’s to the club’s
first national championship in a decade. SBWPC’s team,
composed entirely of local players, defeated traditional powerhouse
clubs including teams from Socal and San Diego stacked with Junior
National Team members.
Girls water polo did not exist at area high schools during the
1970s and 80s (see photo above). Under Coach Don Randall,
Santa Barbara High’s Vaune Kadlubek played for the
boy’s varsity team during the mid-1970s and later starred at
2 meters for the U.S. Women’s National Team. Kadlubek
medaled in the FINA Cup and World Championships and was one of the
top 2-meter players ever. She later coached the U.S. National
team. More importantly, Kadlubek played a pivotal role in
establishing Women’s Water Polo as an official NCAA sport.
Pete Snyder coached the first women’s club at UCSB in
1978. The program matured under Scott Porter during the early
1980s when he took Santa Barbara’s first teams to the
Women’s Senior Nationals. Porter led the team to a
national collegiate championship in 1985. Rob Locke took over
the UCSB club program during the late 1980s and led the Gauchos to
collegiate championships in 1987 and 1989. Santa Barbara teams
placed in the top four at the Women’s Senior Nationals led by
Cathy Neushul in 1992, Brian Roth in 2000, and Mark Walsh in
2005. SBWPC produced a number of key National Team Members
including Shari Baird, Margot Miranda, and Jocelyn
Wilkie.
In 2000, Heather Moody, a former SBWPC player, represented the
U.S.A. Women’s Water Polo in Australia--the Olympic
inauguration—and won a silver medal. Moody also
captained the 2004 U.S.A Women’s team that won a bronze medal
at the Athens Olympics. Thalia Munro, a standout at Santa
Barbara High and All-American at UCLA joined her on the bronze
medal team.
After the introduction of Women’s Water Polo as an NCAA sport
in 1996, girl’s high school and club water polo exploded
throughout California. Mark Walsh, head coach at Santa Barbara
High, was among the first to harness the potential of girls water
polo in the Southland. Walsh built a nationally recognized
program at SBHS and led SBWPC teams to top ten finishes at the
J.O.’s. In 2002, Walsh led the Santa Barbara Paradise to
an 18 and under girl’s title. In 2005 Walsh led
SBWPC’s women’s team to a second place finish in the 20
and under Women’s National Championship. Walsh garnered
SBWPC’s first Senior National medal in 2008 beating Stanford
for the bronze.
Youth water polo (12 and under) had a brief start during the early
1970s when Rick Rowland and Phil Bowen taught fundamental water
polo skills to novice swimmers. During the late 1990s, Brian
Roth and Joe O’Brien introduced a year-round youth
program. In 2000, SBWPF supported a second youth program
founded by Angie Seto, Kristen Slater, Beth Tompkins, and Cathy
Schrier, former members of the UCSB Women’s Water Polo
team.
SBWPC 12 and under teams have since placed in the top ten at
consecutive Junior Olympics. In 2005, the SBWPC girls coached
by Lance Schroeder and Cathy Neushul won the 12 and under
championship at the San Diego County Cup. This same team went
on to win the club’s first 12 girls National Championship at
the 2005 Junior Olympics. In 2006, the 12 and under girls
team coached by Allen Lorentzen and Peter Neushul successfully
defended SBWPC’s National Championship. SBWPC is the
first club to win consecutive titles in 12 and under girl’s
water polo. The team took silver in 2007 in a shootout with
Commerce. Al Lorentzen’s team is highly ranked in 2008
winning a gold at the San Diego County Cup.
In 2005, the SBWPC’s 14 and under girl’s qualified for
the Speedo Cup and won a bronze medal in St. Louis
Missouri. In 2006, SBWPC’s girls led by Cathy Neushul
and Lance Schroeder won the club’s first 14 and under
National Championship by beating Diablo of Northern
California. The team won gold again in 2007 with a number of
decisive wins, including a 7-1 defeat of Laguna Beach in the
championship
game.
The Water Polo Junior Olympics are an annual competition that
determines the nation’s best team in the 12, 14, 16, and 18
year old age groups for both boys and girls. Teams travel from
as far away as Seattle, New York, Florida, and Hawaii to
attend. In 2006 100 clubs entered over 300 different
teams.
In 2006, SBWPC won three out of eight possible titles in boys and
girls water polo to conclude the most successful year in club
history. In 2007, SBWPC won two of eight with one
silver. Based on this depth and on results, it is clear the
SBWPC is reaching elite status in national water polo. We look
forward to improving on this record at the upcoming 2008 Junior
Olympics and at the Men’s and Women’s senior
nationals.
Peter
Neushul
pneushul@cox.net
P.S. I
welcome corrections/additions
Presidents of SBWPF
Dante
Dettamanti (founder)
Pete
Snyder
Allen
Lorentzen
Chris
Kittredge
Larry
Harter
Barry
Snyder
Peter
Neushul
Neil
Myers
2009
Board Members
Betty Flavell
Wolf Wigo
Shaun Cleary
Jim
Ranta
Don Grady
Bill
Loomis
Berkley
Johnson
Ginger
Matthews
Gregg
Wilson
Dawn
Schroeder
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