The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

The Mantas Water Polo Club, with a rising new squad of competitors, returned from the Rise Up Tournament in Orlando, Florida with the bronze medal.

The team, coached by Laszlo Borbely and Wandalee Burrows, clinched the bronze medal with a 9-8 decision over Team Orlando on Sunday after the team finished the round robin competition with a 2-1 win-loss record.

Members of the team included Shanterro Knowles, Joysell Brown, Isaiah Colon, Jaylen Rahming, Caylen Brown, Paityn Burrows, Landon Sumner, La’Mya Bodie, Jacob Johnson, Jahmahl Wilson, Cameron Carroll, Skarlette Donaldson, Asher Bastian and Grace Smith.

Borbely, who has worked extensively over the past few years to make the Manta Water Polo Club one of the most respected in the region, said the competition was an eye opener for the competitors.

“We came into it with some fresh new swimmers. At the beginning, we lost our first game, but we came back and won the last two games,” he said. “So I’m very happy that we got the bronze medal.

“In the bronze medal game, it was 9-8, but we had to fight for it because each team went up by one point. I like that game. We played very hard and we won it.”

Not just because of the fact that they won, but Borbely said he like the way the team played.

“These 12 and 13 year old players will become my 14 year olds and they will become the 16 year old team, so I have a few more years to work with them and they will only become better and better,” he insisted.

“I’m very happy that I got a chance to take them to this tournament. Some of them, at least five of them, played in an international tournament before, so for them to go back with the younger swimmers and to win the bronze is a good feeling.”

Borbely, who work out extensively with the team at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex, said the swimmers will now prepare for the Bahamas Aquatics’ National Swimming Championships in June.

After that, Borberly said he will be preparing the team to participate in their next international competition at the USA Junior Olympics in Dallas, Texas in the summer.