The USA Women’s Junior National Water Polo Team claimed the gold medal at the U20 World Championships in Brazil earlier this month.
And two players from the Inland Empire played important roles in Team USA taking the crown.
Emily Ausmus, who graduated from King High School in 2023, scored a team-high 23 goals across six matches and was selected the MVP of the tournament. Christine Carpenter, who graduated from Yucaipa High School in 2023, led the defense with 46 saves over five matches.
Ausmus was the team’s leading scorer in three matches, including a six-goal performance in a 13-11, pool-play victory over Greece and a five-goal effort in the 13-11 semifinal win over Italy. Ausmus scored twice in Team USA’s 15-14 win over Spain in the championship match.
Carpenter shared time inside the cage with Lauren Steele in two of the matches, but she went wire-to-wire in the semifinal and championship rounds. Carpenter had 14 saves in the semifinal victory, including two stops in the decisive shootout. She recorded eight blocks in the title match.
It has been a busy summer for Ausmus. The 2024 Olympian also competed for the USA Senior National Team in July at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. Ausmus registered a team-high 17 goals across six matches as Team USA placed fourth. Tara Prentice, who graduated from Murrieta Valley High School in 2016 and was an Olympic teammate of Ausmus in Paris, tallied seven goals in six matches.
Ausmus and Carpenter both had phenomenal college campaigns in the spring.
Carpenter helped Stanford win the NCAA Division I championship in her sophomore season and was selected the MVP of the tournament.
Ausmus scored 114 goals during her freshman season at USC and was a finalist for the prestigious Peter J. Cutino Award (NCAA Player of the Year).
KOMROSKY WINS DISCUS GOLD
Joshua Komrosky, who began his junior year at Ayala High School earlier this month, won a gold medal in 15-16 year-old division of the 1.6-kilogram discus at the USA Track and Field Junior Olympics in Savannah, Ga., back in July. Komrosky claimed that title with a throw of 180 feet and 8 inches.
Komrosky also finished fourth in the 12-pound hammer throw (172 feet, 11 inches) and fifth in the 12-pound shot put (51 feet, 9 3/4 inches). He was the only athlete in his age division to medal in all three of those throwing events.
Komrosky fouled on two of his first three throws in the discus. He was sitting in second place going into his final attempt, the one that proved a winner.
“My dad told me to throw it as hard as I can,” Komrosky stated in an email sent by his father and coach, Jon.
This marks the second time Komrosky has won a national title in the discus. He also won a gold medal in his age division in 2023.
Komrosky had a strong sophomore season at Ayala. He placed second in the boys discus at the CIF Southern Section’s Division 1 Championships, and at the section’s Masters Meet. He went on to place seventh at the CIF State Championships. Komrosky also qualified for the Masters Meet in the shot put.
ZAREMBKA TO COMPETE AT DEAFLYMPICS
Darius Zarembka, a multi-sport athlete who graduated from California School for the Deaf-Riverside earlier this year, has been selected to compete for Team USA at the Deaflympics in Tokyo in November.
Zarembka earned a spot on the USA Deaf Track and Field team and will be competing in jump events. He was among the Inland area’s top high jumpers this past track and field season. Zarembka finished second in that event at the CIF Southern Section’s Division 4 finals and also qualified for the section’s Masters Meet.
At the Arrowhead League finals, Zarembka captured titles in the high jump, long jump and discus. He also ran a leg on CSDR’s winning 4 x 100 relay.
Zarembka also competed in football, basketball, baseball and wrestling during his years at CSDR. He helped the school’s football team win three consecutive CIF Southern Section 8-Person championships (2022-24).
Zarembka and his family is raising money to fund travel, lodging, training and uniform expense. To contribute: www.mightycause.com/story/Zarembka
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