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USC Water Polo Will Have 14 Trojans in Paris for 2024 Olympic Games
July 25, 2024 | Men's Water Polo, Women's Water Polo
Seven USC men and seven Women of Troy will represent five different nations.
The USC water polo program will be represented by 14 Trojans in the 2024 Olympic Games, with seven USC men and seven women set to represent five different nations in Paris. Ten of those Trojans were NCAA Champions at USC, and four already have Olympic medals in their collection entering the 2024 Games.Â
With seven men on the list, USC matches its program record of seven male Olympians competing in a single Games, first achieved in 1956. Four of those Trojans will represent Australia: Blake Edwards, Lachlan Edwards, Jacob Mercep and Nic Porter. The Edwards brothers will be making their second Olympic appearance, joined this year by fellow former Trojans Mercep and Porter, who were teammates on USC's 2018 NCAA championship team. Team USA has two repeat Trojan Olympians in Hannes Daube and Marko Vavic, who also teamed up as Trojans for USC's 2018 national championship. Olympic veteran Kostas Genidounias, who won silver with Greece in 2020 and collected three NCAA championships during his time at Troy, is back for his third Olympic Games.
"I'm super proud of our players representing their respective countries in the Olympics," USC men's water polo head coach Marko Pintaric said. "The determination, hard work and commitment to excellence that they displayed at USC is now on display with their national teams. We're very proud of their achievements and we know they represent USC in the best light."
On the women's side, five Women of Troy are returning to the Olympic scene, joined by first-timers Verica Bakoc (Canada) and incoming Trojan Emily Ausmus (USA). The youngest athlete on the Team USA roster for 2024, Ausmus is joined by Olympic veteran and two-time gold medalist Kaleigh Gilchrist, who is the eldest member of this 2024 U.S. team. A 2013 NCAA champion as a Trojan, Gilchrist will compete in her third Games, with a third Trojan — goalie Amanda Longan — capped up for the USA for her second Games. Longan was a two-time NCAA champion at USC (2016 & 2018), having played alongside another two-time Olympian in Canada's Hayley McKelvey for those two NCAA titles. This year, McKelvey has another two-time national champion Trojan in the water with her, as Verica Bakoc makes her Olympic debut with Canada after helping USC win NCAA crowns in 2018 and 2021. Back for more with her Australia squad is Tilly Kearns, a current USC student who is making her second trip to the Olympic Games with the Aussie Stingers. The true veteran of the USC women's contingent is Spain's Anni Espar, a 2013 NCAA champion as a Trojan who is now competing in her fourth Olympic Games and looking to add to her medal count of two silver medals (2012 & 2020).Â
"We are thrilled to see what these USC women have accomplished," USC women's water polo head coach Casey Moon said. "Their ambition, hard work and sacrifice has driven them to achieve this much-deserved dream. They are continuing a legacy of Olympic tradition for USC women's water polo, and we wish them all the best in Paris!"Â
After the Games, USC will have two Olympians back on campus and in the pool for the coming 2025 women's collegiate season. Already a two-time All-American with the Women of Troy, Australian two-meter standout Tilly Kearns is set up for her fourth season of action at USC. Team USA's youngest player in Paris, Emily Ausmus, will also bring an Olympic pedigree to USC when she joins the Trojans as a freshman for the season to come.
In addition to the 14 Trojans in the pool in Paris, USC will have two other members of the Trojan Family on deck at the Games. USC alum Jenn McCall will be a referee for the water polo competition, set for her first appearance as an Olympic official. On the microphone for the in-arena public address will be Mark Cousineau, father of former USC women's water polo players Mary and Alaina and longtime PA announcer for USC water polo home games.
Women's water polo competition kicks off in Paris on July 27, with men's water polo action beginning July 28. Follow all of USC's 2024 Olympians in Paris at https://olympics.usctrojans.com
USC WATER POLO'S 2024 OLYMPIANS
Australia - Women
  Tilly Kearns^
Australia - Men
  Blake Edwards
  Lachlan Edwards
  Jacob Mercep*
  Nic Porter*
Canada - Women
  Verica Bakoc*
  Hayley McKelvey
Greece - Men
  Kostas Genidounias
Spain - Women
  Anni Espar
USA - Women
  Emily Ausmus%*
  Kaleigh Gilchrist
  Amanda Longan
USA - Men
  Hannes Daube
  Marko Vavic
^ — current USC student-athlete
% — incoming USC student-athlete
* — first-time Olympian
USC WATER POLO IN PARIS — BY THE NUMBERS:
10Â have been members of NCAA Championship teams at USC
In all, USC's 2024 Olympians have 15 NCAA Championship rings among them
4Â are first-time Olympians (Ausmus, Bakoc, Mercep, Porter)
2Â will be USC student-athletes in 2024-25 (Ausmus, Kearns)
5Â different nations will be represented by Trojans
6Â were selected as Cutino Award finalists as a Trojan
2Â were named National Player of the Year and Cutino Award Winner as a Trojan (Genidounias, Longan)
4 of the 10 repeat Olympians have already won medals (Espar, Genidounias, Gilchrist, Longan)
With 2 goalies competing in Paris (Longan & Porter), USC marks the fifth straight Games with at least one Trojan Olympic goalie.
USC's 7 men competing in Paris matches a program record set in 1956
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With seven men on the list, USC matches its program record of seven male Olympians competing in a single Games, first achieved in 1956. Four of those Trojans will represent Australia: Blake Edwards, Lachlan Edwards, Jacob Mercep and Nic Porter. The Edwards brothers will be making their second Olympic appearance, joined this year by fellow former Trojans Mercep and Porter, who were teammates on USC's 2018 NCAA championship team. Team USA has two repeat Trojan Olympians in Hannes Daube and Marko Vavic, who also teamed up as Trojans for USC's 2018 national championship. Olympic veteran Kostas Genidounias, who won silver with Greece in 2020 and collected three NCAA championships during his time at Troy, is back for his third Olympic Games.
"I'm super proud of our players representing their respective countries in the Olympics," USC men's water polo head coach Marko Pintaric said. "The determination, hard work and commitment to excellence that they displayed at USC is now on display with their national teams. We're very proud of their achievements and we know they represent USC in the best light."
On the women's side, five Women of Troy are returning to the Olympic scene, joined by first-timers Verica Bakoc (Canada) and incoming Trojan Emily Ausmus (USA). The youngest athlete on the Team USA roster for 2024, Ausmus is joined by Olympic veteran and two-time gold medalist Kaleigh Gilchrist, who is the eldest member of this 2024 U.S. team. A 2013 NCAA champion as a Trojan, Gilchrist will compete in her third Games, with a third Trojan — goalie Amanda Longan — capped up for the USA for her second Games. Longan was a two-time NCAA champion at USC (2016 & 2018), having played alongside another two-time Olympian in Canada's Hayley McKelvey for those two NCAA titles. This year, McKelvey has another two-time national champion Trojan in the water with her, as Verica Bakoc makes her Olympic debut with Canada after helping USC win NCAA crowns in 2018 and 2021. Back for more with her Australia squad is Tilly Kearns, a current USC student who is making her second trip to the Olympic Games with the Aussie Stingers. The true veteran of the USC women's contingent is Spain's Anni Espar, a 2013 NCAA champion as a Trojan who is now competing in her fourth Olympic Games and looking to add to her medal count of two silver medals (2012 & 2020).Â
"We are thrilled to see what these USC women have accomplished," USC women's water polo head coach Casey Moon said. "Their ambition, hard work and sacrifice has driven them to achieve this much-deserved dream. They are continuing a legacy of Olympic tradition for USC women's water polo, and we wish them all the best in Paris!"Â
After the Games, USC will have two Olympians back on campus and in the pool for the coming 2025 women's collegiate season. Already a two-time All-American with the Women of Troy, Australian two-meter standout Tilly Kearns is set up for her fourth season of action at USC. Team USA's youngest player in Paris, Emily Ausmus, will also bring an Olympic pedigree to USC when she joins the Trojans as a freshman for the season to come.
In addition to the 14 Trojans in the pool in Paris, USC will have two other members of the Trojan Family on deck at the Games. USC alum Jenn McCall will be a referee for the water polo competition, set for her first appearance as an Olympic official. On the microphone for the in-arena public address will be Mark Cousineau, father of former USC women's water polo players Mary and Alaina and longtime PA announcer for USC water polo home games.
Women's water polo competition kicks off in Paris on July 27, with men's water polo action beginning July 28. Follow all of USC's 2024 Olympians in Paris at https://olympics.usctrojans.com
USC WATER POLO'S 2024 OLYMPIANS
Australia - Women
  Tilly Kearns^
Australia - Men
  Blake Edwards
  Lachlan Edwards
  Jacob Mercep*
  Nic Porter*
Canada - Women
  Verica Bakoc*
  Hayley McKelvey
Greece - Men
  Kostas Genidounias
Spain - Women
  Anni Espar
USA - Women
  Emily Ausmus%*
  Kaleigh Gilchrist
  Amanda Longan
USA - Men
  Hannes Daube
  Marko Vavic
^ — current USC student-athlete
% — incoming USC student-athlete
* — first-time Olympian
USC WATER POLO IN PARIS — BY THE NUMBERS:
10Â have been members of NCAA Championship teams at USC
In all, USC's 2024 Olympians have 15 NCAA Championship rings among them
4Â are first-time Olympians (Ausmus, Bakoc, Mercep, Porter)
2Â will be USC student-athletes in 2024-25 (Ausmus, Kearns)
5Â different nations will be represented by Trojans
6Â were selected as Cutino Award finalists as a Trojan
2Â were named National Player of the Year and Cutino Award Winner as a Trojan (Genidounias, Longan)
4 of the 10 repeat Olympians have already won medals (Espar, Genidounias, Gilchrist, Longan)
With 2 goalies competing in Paris (Longan & Porter), USC marks the fifth straight Games with at least one Trojan Olympic goalie.
USC's 7 men competing in Paris matches a program record set in 1956
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