USA Water Polo Announces Hall of Fame Class of 2012

HUNTINGTON BEACH, California, June 11. THE USA Water Polo Hall of Fame, a collection of excellence in the sport of water polo, will induct three remarkable honorees at a benefit dinner set for Saturday, July 7 at the InterContinental Century City in Los Angeles, CA. The Class of 2012 includes two-time Olympic Medalist, Ellen Estes Lee, Northern California Water Polo legend, Bill Brown, and Women's National Team pioneer, Margo Miranda. This year the induction will be in conjunction with a special send-off for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Water Polo Teams as they prepare for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England. The evening will be hosted by Brooke Anderson and Kevin Frazier, co-hosts of CBS' The Insider. An after-party will be hosted by actress Jenny McCarthy and former NFL star and ESPN on-air personality Marcellus Wiley will also deliver an address.

Tickets are on sale now starting at $150 with a VIP package including access to the exclusive pre-dinner reception, induction dinner, and “after party” beginning at $325. Full tables and other sponsorship opportunities are available which include invitations for ten to the pre-reception, induction dinner, “after party,” recognition in the event program along with gift bags for all attendees and more. For more information or to purchase tickets visit www.usawaterpolo.org or click here.

Proceeds from this year's event will benefit various initiatives of the entire not-for-profit USA Water Polo organization, including growth programs such as Splashball? for the young and Masters, which enables more athletes to continue playing water polo after high school and college, as well as USA Water Polo Olympic Development programs, and Olympic teams for London 2012.

Background Information On USA Water Polo Hall of Fame Class of 2012
A legendary coach in the Northern California water polo scene, Bill Brown started as an athlete first, playing football and basketball in his collegiate days at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. In 1966 he was hired to teach and coach football and basketball at Miramonte High School in Orinda, Califironia, a life changing event. In his first year students asked him to coach the boys' water polo team, a title he held until 2005. In 1995 he helped start the first girls water polo program at Miramonte High School and assisted with Miramonte water polo until 2012. Under Brown's guidance, Miramonte won 15 Sectional Championships, 25 League Championship Teams and placed six athletes on Olympic Teams from 1980 through 2012. Brown saw 90 High School All-Americans and five players selected NCAA Collegiate Player of the Year in his tenure. An inductee of the California Coaches and National High School Association Hall of Fame, Brown's name now adorns the Miramonte High School pool and he was recognized in 2012 at the Cutino Awards as a Legend of the Game. He remains involved today in the game teaching the sport at its beginning, working with the Splashball? program of the Lamorinda Water Polo Club.

Part of a special era of women's water polo in the United States, Ellen Estes Lee broke on to the scene in the late 90s as a member of the Women's National Team and a star for the Stanford University women's water polo team. Estes started in the sport at the Marin Water Polo club and followed as a two-sport star at Novato High School. She then parlayed that into a career at Stanford that saw MPSF Player of the Year honors and a NCAA Championship in 2002. In the meantime she played a key role on the Women's National Team as they ventured into uncharted territory, the Olympic Games. Estes earned Silver at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, the first to offer women's water polo, and followed that with Bronze at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. She remains involved in the game today, recently as an Assistant Coach with Harvard University, serving on the Board of Directors for USA Water Polo and acting as the National Governing Bodies' athlete representative on the US Olympic Committee Athlete Advisory Council.

A member of the Women's Senior National Team from 1983-1992, Margo Miranda helped the team to Bronze at the 1986 and 1991 World Championships. Miranda was also part of the Silver Medal winning squad at the 1983, 1984, and 1989 World Cups, and the Bronze Medal winning team at the 1991 World Cup. Not the most physically imposing athlete, Miranda made up for a lack of size with pin point accuracy on the offensive end and a knack for converting power plays. Always quick with a joke, Miranda was part of special group of women that paved the way for the successes of the present day Women's National Team.

Selection Procedure Information
Inductees were chosen through a process that included open nominations by their peers, evaluation of their candidacy by the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame Committee, and final ratification of the committee's recommendations by the USA Water Polo Board of Directors. The Committee is co-chaired by Brent Bohlender and Chris Dorst, and includes Jody Campbell, Dion Gray, Maggie Kelly, Charles Schroeder and Scott Schulte. USA Water Polo inducted its first Hall of Fame class in 1976.

The above article is a press release submitted to Swimming World Magazine. It has been posted in its entirety without editing. Swimming World offers all outlets the chance to reach our audience by contacting us at Newsmaster@swimmingworldmagazine.com. However, Swimming World reserves the right to choose what material is posted.

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