July 24, 2008

MORAGA, Calif. - Five Golden Bears helped guide their club team, Diablo, to a silver medal at the 20 & Under National Championships on Thursday afternoon at the Soda Aquatic Center at Campolindo High School. Sophomore utility Camille Hewko, redshirt freshmen Laura Wood and Kirsten Auker, redshirts Georgi Cappelletti and Shannon Walsh as well as incoming freshman Libby McLaren all compete for Diablo. The team is coached by Cal volunteer assistant coach Maureen O'Toole-Purcell and Cal head coach Richard Corso.

Diablo dropped the championship game, 6-7, Thursday against SET, a club team out of Orange County, Calif. In the narrow loss, Wood converted a five-meter penalty shot.

Diablo will next try for gold in the USA Water Polo Senior National Championships, starting with its opening match Friday at 1:30 p.m. at Miramonte High School in Orinda. Several other Bears - graduated senior keeper Heather Stuart, juniors two-meter Paige Lorenz and goalie Lauren Burke, sophomore defender Meghan Corso, redshirt sophomore driver Erika Hanson and redshirt freshman utility Julie Oreglia will join their Cal teammates on Diablo for this weekend's tournament.