Harvard Men's Water Polo Welcomes Six from the Class of 2014

A group of six talented freshmen will join the Harvard men’s water polo team for the 2010 season under first-year head coach Ted Minnis.

The Crimson welcomes two goalkeepers, a center, an attacker, a defender and a utility player to the team. All six newcomers hail from west of the Mississippi River with three players coming from California while the other three represent Hawaii, Missouri and Oregon.

Harvard graduated four players from last year’s squad that finished the season 7-16 overall and 3-3 in conference play.

Hank Clausner/San Diego, Calif./La Jolla Country Day/Center
Four-year starter for water polo team … Earned four letters in swimming and one as member of the lacrosse team … Captained water polo and swim teams as a junior and senior … Two-time All-Central League honoree … Named to the all-tournament team at the Tustin Tournament in 2008 … Named MVP as a senior … Earned All-Central League honors in the 100 breastroke as a junior … Two-time MVP for swim team … Placed 11th in San Diego County at the 2009 CIF in the 100 breast and holds the school record in the 200 medley relay … Member of the French Honor Society … Premio de Oro National Spanish Exam … Member of the San Diego Youth Symphony as a double bass player … Founder and editor of school newspaper The Toilet Paper … Brother, Ronald, attended California-Berkeley … Brother, Arik, swam at Dartmouth and graduated in 2009 … Mother, Anna, was a one-time Hessen, Germany champion backstroker … Father, Peter, was a medalist on a junior national championship crew in Poland.

Nathan Clement/Portland, Ore./Parkrose/Goalkeeper
Four-year letterwinner in swimming and water polo … Captained swim team for three years and water polo team as a senior … MVP and first-team Goalie for the Oregon 5A state championships and as a senior … Four-time Defensive Player of the Year … Earned first-team and second-team for Mt. Hood 6A conference as a junior and senior … Named first-team goalie for Oregon 5A Championships as a junior and second team as a sophomore … Regional all-star for Northwest Oregon 5A Conference … Team finished in the top five at state all four years of high school, including runner up as a junior and senior … Tallied 300 blocks and 60 steals as a senior …  A three-time second-team Northwest Oregon Conference in swimming … Received honorable mention Northwest Oregon Conference as a freshman in swimming … Received Spirit Award as a freshman on the swim team … Set the school record in the 200 yard medley and scored the most points on the team as a junior … National Merit Finalist … AP Scholar with Honors … Secretary for the National Honor Society … Mock Trial state qualifier as a freshman and senior … Won Outstanding Unit Award for We the People Constitution … Multnomah Athletic Club Scholar Athlete … Executive Women International second play Oregon EWISP winner .. Church volunteer

Jimmy Field/Honolulu, Hawaii/Punahou School/Goalkeeper
Four-year letterwinner in water polo … Also competed in varsity outrigger canoe paddling, golf and track and field … Earned All-Interscholastic League for Honolulu as a senior … Earned seventh-team All-America honors as a senior … Named All-ILH in outrigger canoe paddling … Won a combined five ILH titles in water polo, boy’s paddling, mixed paddling, track and field and golf … Won state title in mixed paddling  ...  Runner up in boy’s paddling as a senior … Earned senior scholar athlete award, Senior Plaque and Presidents Award at Punahou in 2009 … Received the Spanish and biology awards in 2006, chemistry award in 2007, AP physics award in 2008, AP statistics and AP calculus BC Award in 2009 … Sister, Sarah, a 2005 graduate of Stanford, rowed for the Cardinal.

Neal O’Hara/Newport Beach, Calif. /Mater Dei/Defender
Four-year letterman for Mater Dei … Earned honorable mention All-CIF as a senior … Took home first-team All-Trinity League as a senior after being named to the second team as a sophomore and junior .. Received the David L. Kelly team award as a senior … USA Water Polo National Junior Olympic participant from 2006-09 … High school won back-to-back CIF championships in 2008-09 … Three-time Trinity League Champions … 2009 Finus Cup/Bellarmine Tournament Champions and 2009 North/South Challenge finalist … In 2008, team was Coronado America’s Finest Tournament Champions, Menlo School Tournament Champions and silver medalist at Eger, Hungry International Youth Tournament … USA Water Polo Academic All-American Outstanding Achiever as a junior and senior  … Four-year recipient of Principals Honor Roll … AP Scholar … National Merit Commended … Member of the National Honor Society … Three-time Mater Dei Varsity Scholar-Athlete … California Scholarship Federation all four years … Coached Boy’s and Girl’s Club basketball … Uncle, Terrence, plated football at Santa Clara and graduated in 1985 … Aunt, Regan, played basketball at Loyola Marymount and graduated in 1988.

Mike Rizzo/St. Louis, Mo./St. Louis Country Day/Attacker
Four-year letterwinner in swimming and water polo … Captained swim team as a senior and water polo team as a junior and senior … Earned second-team all-conference honors as a senior … Awarded the Louis A. Cardosi award for the playter that best exemplifies the spirit, determination, and sportsmanship tradition at MICDS … Named Post-Dispatch Scholar-Athlete of the Year for MICDS as a senior …  In swimming, named rookie of the year as a freshman, Iron Man (as hardest worker as a sophomore and received the David M. Kerridge Award for swimmer who exemplifies the high degree of dedication, spirit and leadership tradition at MICDS ... Received the Spirit of Learner Award, which is the highest award given at Upper School, as a junior … As a sophomore, received the Glory of Missouri Award: Awarded for Truth … Given the Mathematics Award as a freshman and sophomore and Science Award as a sophomore and junior … Great grandfather, Barrett Taussing, graduated from Harvard in 1928.

William Roller/Redwood City, Calif./Bellermine College Prep/Utility
A two-year starter as a utility players for Bellermine … Also competed in the sprints on the swim team … Captained the swim and water polo teams as a senior … Named second-team West Catholic League and honorable mention All-Central Coast Section as a junior … Earned first-team West Catholic League and first-team All-Central Coast Section honors as a senior … Named to the first-team All-San Jose Mercury News Water Polo team … A ninth-team All-American as a senior … Also an All-American in swimming … Swim team won CCS Swimming Championship for the 25th and 26th year in a row, marking the longest consecutive swimming record in state history … Water polo team won CCS title in 2009 … A three-time USA Water Polo Academic All-American … A two-time BCP Certificate of General Excellence … BCP Presidential Ambassador from 2007-10 … Received the University of Pennsylvania Book Award .. California Golden Boys’ State Attendee … Class salutatorian … AP Scholar with Distinction … Uncle, Steve Roller, was a member of the U.S. Olympic team in 1984 as a javelin thrower.