Meet the 2012 Olympians

Ryan Bailey
Country: USA
Event: Men's Water Polo
Position: 2M

The senior member on the U.S. roster is making his fourth Olympic appearance which is tied with teammate Tony Azevedo for most Olympic appearances...Fired in six goals at the 2012 FINA World League Super Final... Tallied eight goals en route to winning Gold and an Olympic Games berth at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico...Earned a Silver Medal at 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China scoring seven goals and handing out one assist… One of the premier centers in the water polo world…Tallied seven goals in Silver Medal finish at the 2008 FINA World League Super Final… Scored twice in upset victory over #1 Croatia on May 31…Named MVP of 2006 ASUA Cup...Only American to play in final four in European League...Outstanding Offensive Player at the 2006 Premier League Championships… Scored in two games at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, including the  opening goal at the 2004 Olympics...Scored in six games at the 2003 Pan American Games, including two in the USA’s 13-7 win over Brazil for the gold medal and a spot in the Athens Olympics...Was named as the USOC Water Polo Male Athlete of the Year in 2001 and 2002…Was a co-recipient of Chuck Metz MVP in 2002…Was named as the Most Valuable Offensive Player in the debut season of the American Water Polo League (18 goals)…Scored eight goals, including the winning goal in the final seconds to beat Croatia at the 2001 World Championships…Scored three goals in his Olympic debut in the 2000 Sydney Games…Holds the team record in the bench press at 385 lbs. and has the fastest recorded shot on the team at 54 mph.plays professionally in Serbia...played for the Anteaters from 1994-98, redshirting the 1997 season...three-time All-American as well as MPSF Player of the Year in 1988...scored 263 goals in his Anteater career, including 104 goals to led the team as a senior.

 

 
Tim Hutten
Country: USA
Event: Men's Water Polo
Position: 2-meter defender

Making his second Olympic appearance...Earned a Silver Medal at 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, scoring three goals...Scored two goals for Team USA at the 2012 FINA World League Super Final...Second on the team with nine goals scored in helping Team USA to an Gold Medal and Olympic berth at the 2011 Pan American Games...Member of the 2006 ASUA Cup Gold Medal Team…Played professionally for N.O. Vouliagmeni, Greece; Jadran Split, Croatia; and currently plays for C.N. Posiliiipo...2008 winner of the annual Peter J. Cutino award given to the best collegiate water polo player in the country...two-time All-American while at UCI...Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Player of the Year as well as MPSF Tournament MVP as the Anteaters made it to the championship game...Conference scholar-athlete as well as the 2008 UCI Lauds & Laurels Athlete of the Year...member of the Anteater team from 2003-07, taking a redshirt year in 2006...graduated with a degree in political science.

 

 
Dan Klatt
Country: USA
Event: Women's Water Polo
Position: Assistant Coach

Making his first appearance as an assistant coach with the USA women’s water polo team…Joined the USA Women’s Senior National Team Coaching Staff as an Assistant Coach in April 2010…Led the Senior “B” Team to a first place finish at the Canada Cup in late 2009…2004 Olympian as a player with the men’s team…Named Big West Coach of the Year the last four years, guiding the Anteaters to a fourth place finish at the NCAA Championships in 2012…UCI ended the year ranked sixth in the country, the highest final ranking in program history…Guided his Anteater squad to four straight Big West Championship titles…Played for the Anteaters men’s team from 1997-2000, earning All-American honors three times.

 

 
Jamie Morrison
Country: USA
Event: Women's Volleyball
Position: Assistant Coach
Making his second Olympic appearance, but first as the U.S. Women’s National Team assistant coach/technical coordinator, a similar role he held with the 2008 Olympic Games gold-medal winning U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team…The U.S. women are currently ranked No. 1 in the world after over-taking Brazil in November of 2011…For the 2005-2008 Olympic Games quadrennial, Morrison was part of the U.S. Men’s National Team staff that guided the Americans to the 2008 Olympic Games gold medal, progressing through the Olympic Games without losing a match…In addition to the 2008 Olympic Games gold medal, the U.S. Men’s National Team won its first-ever FIVB World League title in 2008…The U.S. Men’s National Team compiled a 107-33 record in major international competitions during Morrison’s tenure on staff...Became an assistant coach with the UC Irvine women's volleyball program on March 22, 1012.
 

 
Amber Neben
Country: USA
Event: Cycling
Position: Road
2003 USA Cycling National Road Race Champion...two-time winner of the Tour de l'Aude Feminin (women's Tour de France)...earned a master's degree in biology from UCI...current member of the Anteater Recreation Center.
 

 
Jeff Powers
Country: USA

Event: Men's Water Polo
Position: Defender

Heading to the Olympics for the third time...Tied for second-leading scorer at the 2012 FINA World League Super Final with 6 goals... Led the team in scoring with 11 goals on the way to a Gold Medal and Olympic qualification at the 2011 Pan American Games...Scored five goals during a fourth place finish at the 2009 FINA World Championships in Rome, Italy where he was named to the All-World Team...Earned a Silver Medal at 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, scoring six goals...Was a leading offensive force for Team USA at 2004 Olympic Games…Hat trick in the USA’s gold-medal win over Brazil at Pan American Games, which earned Team USA a place in Athens…Co-recipient of 2002 Chuck Metz Award at Men’s Senior Nationals after piloting Newport to the championship... Plays professionally for Vasas (Hungary)…Also played for Rari Nantes Imperia (Italy) 2009-2010, Rari Nantes Bogliasco (Italy) 2008-2009, Plebiscito Padova (Italy) 2007-2008, Bissolati Cremona (Italy) 2005-2007, Vouliagmeni (Greece) 2004-2005.

 

 
Brian Thornton
Country: USA

Event: Men's Indoor Volleyball
Position: Setter

Making his first Olympic appearance… Helped the U.S. Men to the silver medal in the final round of the 2012 FIVB World League in Sofia, Bulgaria and a gold medal at the NORCECA Men's Continental Olympic Qualification Tournament…Led all U.S. setters in 2011 with 514 assists on 1,799 attempts in 99 sets played…Started 31 sets at the FIVB World Cup and finished with nine points on five kills and four blocks…Played professionally for Chaumont in France’s B…Ended his UCI career as the all-time set assists leader with 4,662…totaled 1,645 assists as a senior which is also a UCI season record…member of UC Irvine’s NCAA Championship team…named to the NCAA All-Tournament team…two-time All-American…graduated with a degree in sociology…younger brother, Keith also went to UC Irvine, and sister, Kelsey, will start at Irvine in the fall of 2012 and play water polo for head coach Dan Klatt.

 

 
David Smith
Country: USA
Event: Men's Indoor Volleyball
Position: Middle Blocker

Making his Olympic debut…Member of the U.S. team that won the bronze medal at the 2011 London Volleyball International Invitational and a silver medal at the 2011 Pan American Cup…Won a gold medal at the 2010 Pan American Cup…Played professionally for Tours in France's A League in 2011-12…Also played in Spain… Played for the Anteaters from 2004-07…Member of UC Irvine’s NCAA Championship team…Earned first team AVCA All-American honors in 2007…Named first team All-American and first team All-MPSF in 2007 as well as selected to the NCAA All-Tournament Team…Led the nation with a .559 hitting percentage as a senior, which is a UCI season record…UCI’s career leader in block assists (471) and total blocks (520)…Graduated with a degree in civil engineering…Was a UCI Scholar-Athlete… Wife Kelli (Vanderburg) was a distance runner for the Anteaters.

 

 
Paula Weishoff
Country: USA

Event: Women's Indoor Volleyball
Position: Assitant Coach
Making her first trip with the U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team as an assistant coach...The U.S. is currently ranked No. 1 in the world after over-taking Brazil in November of 2011… A three-time Olympian for the U.S. Women’s National Team, competing in 1984, 1992 and 1996…Won a silver medal in 1984 and a bronze in 1992, becoming the only two-time U.S. Olympic medalist in women’s indoor volleyball…Voted the MVP of the Olympic Games in 1992…Inducted in to the Volleyball Hall of Fame in 1998…Named to USA Volleyball's 1978-2002 All-Era Team…Will enter her fourth season as the UC Irvine head coach in 2012…In her first season at UCI, the Anteaters went 22-8 and set a record with a program-best .733 win-loss percentage…She has mentored two AVCA All-Americans as well as six All-Big West selections in her tenure at UCI.