Three Olympic Medalists Heads USA Water Polo Hall of Fame 2023 Class

Olympic champions Nicolle Payne, Coralie Simmons and also Peter Varellas heading the five-member Course of 2023 to the U.S.A. Water Polo Hall of Fame, introduced on Thursday.

Joining them are trainer and umpire Aaron Chaney as well as long-time trainer Ron Richison. The course of 2023 will be inducted at the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame luncheon at the Doubletree by Hilton Resort Pleasanton in California on June 9 at 11 a.m. Ticket info is offered right here.

Aaron Chaney won an NCAA title as a gamer with UC Santa Barbara in 1979 prior to investing four decades as an instructor and also referee. He led Iolani College in Hawaii for two decades, where he won 3 kids champions and established a women program. He won 10 consecutive league titles at Corona del Mar High in California as well as five straight CIF titles. He likewise refereed at the 2004 and also 2008 Olympics, consisting of a males's semifinal in Athens. He has actually gotten on deck for 4 FINA World Championships, including a guys's gold-medal match and also a females's bronze-medal suit.

The 2004 USAWP Referee of the Year, he has officiated 20 NCAA event men's matches, 10 NCAA competition females's matches and also 15 championship games. He likewise had the whistle for 2 FINA Cups and also two World League Super Final championship. The USA Water Polo Developmental Umpire Honor is called for Chaney, a member of the UC Santa Barbara as well as Hawaii Swimming halls of popularity. He continues to be an assistant instructor at the club program at the Punahou College.

Nicolle Payne is among the leading goalies in USA water polo background. She started using kids groups, prior to women' water polo increased, and was a three-time All-American at Gahr High in Cerritos, Calif. She made her worldwide launching in 1992 at the Junior Globe Championships and won three nationwide titles as a founding member of UCLA's ladies's group, where she still holds the single-season saves record (225 ).

Payne led the U.S. to silver at the very first ladies's water polo Olympic event, in 2000 in Sydney. She also helped the united state win the very first FINA World Championships title in 2003 and also added a bronze medal at the 2004 Games to top her job. A participant of the New York Athletic Club and also UCLA halls of popularity, she was a Pac-12 All-Century Group selection. She continues to instructor, recently at her alma mater and likewise with Group USA at the FINA World Championships.

Ron Richison is a legend in northern The golden state water polo, training 22 high school All-Americans, 24 NCAA champions and also nine Olympians. His previous pupils include Steve Heaston, Kirk Everist, Peter Schnugg, John Schnugg, Craig Klass, Rick McNair as well as Olympic swimming gold medalist Matt Biondi. Richson began mentoring at Del Val High in Walnut Creek in 1965 as well as invested 14 years at Campolindo High starting in 1969. He took over Acalanes High in 1984.

There, he won the 1987 state title amongst three CIF crowns. He signed up with Concord Water Polo Club in 1968 as well as assisted bring it to nationwide prestige. Now retired, Richison also functioned as the treasurer for Pacific Water Polo for a years.

Coralie Simmons was twice the NCAA Gamer of the Year at UCLA, a four-time All-American who won 3 national titles, topped by the 2001 crown. She made her initial Olympic group as an undergrad, winning silver in 2000 in Sydney at the first Olympics to have women's water polo. She, shared the nation's Gamer of the Year honor that year.

The native of Hemet, Calif., charted a long career in Europe, winning three Greek as well as one European title with Glyfada as well as Vouliagmeni. She aided New York Athletic Club win several championship games and coached at the College of Hawaii and also UCLA before coming to be the Department II Train of the Year at Sonoma State. She remains in her 7th period as the head females's water polo coach at Cal, leading the Golden Bears to four NCAA semifinals, and has actually two times worked as the head instructor of the united state jr nationwide group.

Peter Varellas was the leading left-handed danger for the united state men's team for regarding a years. An item of Campolindo and Stanford College, he won a nationwide title as a freshman with the Cardinal and also reached the final each of the next three seasons. The two-time All-American racked up 168 objectives as well as made the Pac-10 Male Athlete of the Year and the Stanford Many Impressive Male Elder Honor.

Globally, he aided the U.S. win gold at the 2007 Frying Pan American Gamings and also silver at the 2008 Olympics, the last a first Olympic medal for the program in 20 years. He became part of the 2012 Olympic team as well as added an additional Frying pan Am title in 2011. He played in Europe for Italian club Rari Nantes and also domestically for the Olympic Club in San Francisco. He's an athlete agent to the USA Water Polo Board.