Junior Olympics have area flavor

The Falcons 14U team is coached by former CV player Heather McLaughlin and features Grab, Grace Alegro, Sabrina Pierce, Savannah Pierce, Maya Alvarez, Shannon Hovanesian, Elissa Arnold, Eliza Shirvanian, Ashley Taylor, Lynley Fernandez, Mackenzie Duke, Molly Bertram, Lisa Echeverria, Katie Lang, and Kay Kingsbury.

Whereas Falcon is a fairly new club on the scene, ORWP qualified its 16U and 14U boys' teams for the fifth straight year and also qualified its 12U boys' team and 10U co-ed squad at various locales around the Foothill area June 19-21.

"The kids are excited they are going to participate in National Junior Olympics," said ORWP Coach Vahik Arakelyan, who heads the 16U team. "We're one of the favorite teams trying to keep up all the way to the medal rounds and we're trying to keep up in the top-four in the nation. Right now we're working hard to get there."

The 16U squad, which finished third in the Coastal Zone, includes All-Area Boys' Water Polo Player of the Year Hakop Kaplanyan, fellow Hoover varsity players David Pogosian and Vahe Avalyan and Glendale High varsity players David Grigorian, Vahagn Gharagyozyan and Shant Tokatyan, as well as Raffi Emirzian, Kevin Parsamyan, Samuel Akopian, Morris Sarafian, Alexander Bodyagin, Ivan Suchkov, Alexander Khamoev, Nikita Kaminin, Victor Kopilevich and Karen Gevorgyan.

The 14U team, which finished fifth, is comprised of David Tiraturyan, Hayk Krmoyan, Edo Galfayan, Tomas Bazikian, Gago Asatryan, Hakop Baghumyan, Asatur Galfayan, German Panaioti, Arman Momjian, Manuk Piloyan, Alex Kharkov, Robert Mheryan, Danny Sarkissyan, Harut Bandikyan, Hakop Antonyan and Edgar Karapetyan.

Of all the ORWP clubs, the 12U fared the best, finishing runner-up in the qualifiers. The team is made up of Hrach Hamzoyan, Artak Arzumanyan, Harout Keurjikian, Artur Mheryan, Aram Nordanyan, David Arakelyan, David, Levon Gevorkyan, Gevorg Grigoryan, Shant Kurjikyan, Manuk Piloyan, Alen Tadevosyan, Aren Sukiasyan, Kevin Tumanyan, Alex Hayrapetyan and Hayk Minasyan.

The 10U team, which finished third, consists of Anthony Gevorkian, Evan Havunjian, Harout Keurjikian, Aren Sukiasyan, Aram Nordanyan, David Arakelyan, Robert Akopyan, Artashes Yerkaryan, David Ashkaryan, Harut Ashkaryan, David Gasparyan, Hakop Artsvelyan, Anna Arzumanyan, Helen Minasyan and Sona Ohanyan.

"It's in our area, so we don't have to travel anywhere, it's not going to be too costly," Arakelyan said. "It's really gonna be fun."