Mann, March earn first-team honors

Former Corona del Mar High standouts John Mann (Cal) and Michael March (UCLA) were recently named first-team All-America by the Assn. of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches.

UC Irvine’s Colin Mello made the second team and Newport Harbor High product Ross Sinclair (UC Santa Barbara) earned third-team honors.

Mann was earlier picked as the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament MVP, first-team NCAA All-Tournament and All-MPSF first team.

Mann led Cal to the NCAA championship. He was the Bears’ leading scorer with 80 goals in 33 matches and finished his college career with 218 goals.

March, a senior, earned All-America accolades for the third time in his career. After leading the Bruins to the 2004 NCAA Championship, March was named a third-team All-American. In 2003, he was selected as an All-America honorable mention.

March, a first-team All-MPSF selection, finished his senior campaign with 25 goals on 69 attempts after having missed the 2005 season with a back injury. The fifth-year senior finished his UCLA career with 87 goals in 101 games. UCLA finished 17-6 this past season.

Mello led UCI and the MPSF in scoring with 87 goals this season. He was the Anteaters’ top scorer in 24 of the team’s 31 games. UCI finished the season 10-21.

Sinclair led UCSB in goals (64), assists (48), shots (166), steals (52) and field blocks (14) this season. He scored in 29 of the Gauchos’ 35 games including 19 multi-goal games and posted a streak of 16 games with at least one goal (from Sept. 9 thru Oct. 10). Sinclair was also named UC Santa Barbara’s Offensive Most Valuable Player. The Gauchos ended their season with a 21-14 overall record, marking the first season since 1990 that UCSB finished with 20 or more wins

Jovan Vranes (USC), a Newport Harbor High product, was honorable mention.

USC’s Juan Delgadilo was named MVP.