| California Canoe Club Wins U.S. Kayak Polo Title |
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| Sunday, September 16, 2007 |
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Bill Schoolcraft photo
Kayak polo athletes battle for position on the Charlotte, N.C. "pitch" at the 2007 U.S. Kayak Polo Nationals.
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The California Canoe Club Polo squad scored three unanswered goals to defeat the Austin (Texas) Aquabats 3-2 to win their second consecutive Club A national title at the 2007 U.S. Kayak Polo Nationals, Sept. 16 in Charlotte, N.C.
The California club was one of four clubs to win national titles at the annual U.S. kayak polo competition. |
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| In the Club A final match, Austin, which was the only team to hold California to a draw in preliminary round-robin play, took an early 2 – 0 lead in the first half with goals by Mark Poindexter and Adrian Nye. California’s Jordan Mayer then scored late in the half to bring his club within striking distance of the Aquabats. |
| In the second half, California’s Sasha Izmailov scored to tie the match, while Robert Logan netted a follow-up goal to put California ahead for the win and their second consecutive Club A national title. On the way to the finals, California finished 5 – 0 – 1 in preliminary round-robin play to advance to the semifinal round. In the semifinals, California defeated UCLA 3 -2 to advance to the final match. The bronze medal match was won by Boston 1. They shut-out UCLA 4 – 0 to earn a spot on the podium.
In other Kayak Polo Nationals competition, the Club B national title was awarded to USW WD40, the U.S. women’s team, which defeated Mid-Atlantic Bees 6 – 0 in the final. In women’s competition, Austin Powers beat NY Women 8 – 1 to win the gold medal. In open competition, California Grizzlies defeated Little Joe’s Pizza 4 – 3 for the national title.
Twenty-four kayak polo teams from eight U.S. states, the District of Columbia and Canada participated in the annual event hosted by Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation and the Carolina Kayak Polo Club.
About Canoe/Kayak Polo
Combining elements of water polo, basketball and kayaking, Canoe/Kayak Polo is played with a water polo ball and two teams of five, paddling short and maneuverable kayaks. Through two ten-minutes halves, teams attempt to score into a net suspended above each end of a "playing pitch", which is often a swimming pool. The game produces fast, robust action, where a wide range of skills, including the Eskimo roll, are displayed by players. |
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About USA Canoe/Kayak
USA Canoe/Kayak is a non-profit membership organization promoting canoe and kayak racing in the United States. A member of the United States Olympic Committee, Charlotte, N.C. based USACK is the national governing body for the Olympic sports of Flatwater Sprint and Whitewater Slalom and official U.S. federation of the International Canoe Federation. Other paddling sports sanctioned by USACK include Marathon, Rodeo, Wildwater, Kayak Polo, Outrigger, and Dragon Boat. USA Canoe/Kayak’s National Team Sponsor is Bank of America and its National Team Apparel Sponsor is NIKE. To learn more about USACK and its other sponsors and suppliers, visit www.USACK.org. |
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2007 U.S. Kayak Polo Nationals
National Champions
Club A
California Canoe Club Polo (California): Alex Blum, Sergey Finkelstein (manager), Alexander Izmailov, Sasha Izmailov, Robert Logan, Jordan Mayer, Paul Rempel, Albert Wang.
Club B
USW WD40 (U.S. women’s team): Rachel Lamb, Cheryl Crawford, Molly Cummings, Stephanie Schnorr, Eva Lau (manager), Monica Palmer.
Women
Austin Powers (Texas): Rachel Lamb, Carolyn Peterson, Molly Cummings, Marie Holl, Tam Thompson (manager), Stephanie Schnorr, Monica Palmer.
Open
California Grizzlies (California): Nicolas Baldoni, Bryant Burkhardt, Sergey Finkelstein (manager), Alexander Izmailov, Sasha Izmailov, Robert Logan, Paul Macey, Patrick Miller, Darren Scheild, Albert Wang.
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