By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net    

COACH Laszlo “Lotty” Borbely said he was extremely pleased with the performance of the Bahamas Mantas Water Polo Club at the Rise Up Water Polo Tournament over the weekend in Florida.

The Bahamas Mantas’ under-14 girls’ team captured the title, while Owen McKenzie and Asher Bastian teamed up with the Next Level Water Polo Club out of Clearwater, Florida, as they also celebrated with the gold medal in the boys’ under-12 division.

The Bahamas Mantas’ under-14 coed team, however, finished in fifth place.

Making up the Bahamas Mantas team were Jaylen Rahming, Caylen Brown, Landon Sumner, Dalane Phillips, Jacob Johnon, Kaedan Hackett, Jahmahl Wilson, Kristna Rolle, Cameren Carroll, Asher Brown, Owen McKenzie, Joyelle Brown, Indiya Jones, Paityn Burrows and Meghan Smith.

Borbely, assisted by Wandalee Burrows and chaperone Doyle Rolle, said with some of the competitors getting too old to compete in the under-14 division, they have to find some replacements for them as they move forward. “We have a lot of time until November when we go to CARIFTA to get some swimmers to replace them,” Borbely said. “So we just have to work a little harder to put the under-14 team together.”

Borbely said while they didn’t have a full team for the under-14 girls’ team, Bahamas Mantas had seven members and they added six girls from another team and they came out with the gold.

“I am very happy, very happy with their performances,” he said. “I love it. I love it to continue. We also have to find more girls to play so that we can say we won it on our own. But the girls did very well.”

As for McKenzie and Bastian, who played on the under-14 team, Borbely said they were young enough to play on the U12 boys’ team that also won the title.

“They were guest players for another team from Tampa and they won the gold medal too,” he said. “So I am very proud for them. They played very well. They are happy. They are just 12 years old and they won medals.”

Borbely said the tournament was a very competitive one with teams competing from around Florida and it was good for Bahamas Mantas to gauge their level of competition as they prepare for the rest of the season.

Next up for Bahamas Mantas is their participation in Bahamas Aquatics’ National Swimming Championships over the weekend of June 20-24 at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex.

“Even though we are water polo players, we hope to qualify a lot of swimmers for the nationals,” Borbely said. “It’s important that we compete at the nationals. It’s the highest level of competition in the country.”

Once they are done, Borbely said some members of the Bahamas Mantas will participate in a training camp in Florida this summer as they give their competitors an opportunity to improve their game.

Additionally, Borbely said about four or five of their outstanding competitors from Bahamas Mantas will get a chance to compete for various teams in the United States in the Junior Olympics in Dallas at the end of July.

And in September, they will put all of their emphasis on preparing for the CARIFTA Water Polo Championships in November.

“Obviously, we want to do very well this year,” Borbely said.

Earlier in the year, Bahamas Mastas participated in the South Florida International Water Polo Tournament in February 16-19 where they got to the bronze medal game, but eventually lost and finished fourth.