WELLINGTON, FL-August 31, 2013—Zone 2 will play Zone 3 Sunday at noon in the championship final of the inaugural USPA National Youth Tournament Series National Championship at the Virginia International Polo Club in Upperville, Va.
Grant Ganzi of Grand Champions Polo Club and Justin Daniels of Wellington getting ready for the game.
Zone 3, led by Grand Champions Polo Club’s Juancito Bollini and Grant Ganzi, defeated Zone 4, 7-3, in the opening round game.
In the other game, Zone 2 defeated Zone 1, 12-4.
Bollini and Ganzi were joined by Justin Daniels of Wellington and Wes Finlayson on the Zone 3 All-Star team coached by John Gobin.
Bollini led scoring with four goals, three from the field. Finlayson added two goals and Daniels had one.
Team photo of Zone 3 All-Stars from left to right, Justin Daniels, Grant Ganzi, Coach John Gobin, Juancito Bollini, Wes Finlayson.
Zone 3 and Zone 4 were tied after the opening chukker. Finlayson’s goal in the second chukker gave Zone 3 a 4-3 lead and the team never trailed after that with two more goals from Bollini and one from Daniels.
Zone 2 features Andrew Begg, Pierce Alworth, Agustin Arellano and Wes Bryan. Bryan and Arellano each scored four goals. Bryan scored three of them on penalty shots.
Zone 2 jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the opening chukker and never relinguished its lead.
At 10 a.m., Zone 1 will play Zone 4 in the consolation game followed by a two-chukker junior polo exhibition at 11 a.m.
The two-day tournament is the culmination of the U.S. Polo Association’s National Youth Tournament Series that featured 23 qualifiers held at various polo clubs across the nation where 99 All-Stars were selected.
Grant Ganzi of Grand Champions Polo Club saddling up for the opening round game.
Eight All-Stars (four starters and four alternates) were selected to represent each of the four zones.
The two other Zone All-Star team lineups are:
Zone 1: Liam Lott, Austin Finch, Loreto Natividad, Russell Stimmel.
Zone 3 teammates Juancito Bollini, Grant Ganzi and Wes Finlayson and ponies ready for the first half.
Zone 4: All-Stars are Wyatt Harlow, Johann Colloredo-Mansfield, Simon Colloredo-Mansfeld, Marissa Wells.
Bollini, 18, a Wellington High School graduate and incoming freshman at Florida Atlantic University, is ranked at 1.5 goals. He is following in the footsteps of his father Juan Bollini, a former 8-goal rated player, who competes for Piaget during the 20- and 26-goal seasons and plays at Grand Champions Polo Club during the spring and fall seasons.
Ganzi, 15, a sophomore at St. Andrew’s School in Boca Raton and rated at 0.5 goals, is from a polo family. His parents Marc and Melissa Ganzi, owners of Grand Champions Polo Club, one of the nation’s fastest growing polo clubs, are avid players. His younger sister Riley also plays polo.
Zone 3 teammates Juancito Bollini, Grant Ganzi and Wes Finlayson and ponies ready for the first half.
GRAND CHAMPIONS FALL SCHEDULE
Sept. 27-29,Tackeria Invitational, Palm City Polo Club, Boca Raton
Oct. 4-6, USPA Fall Classic
Oct. 13-15, USPA Kay Colee Memorial
Oct. 18-20, US Trust Cup
Oct. 25-27, USPA Fall Plates
Oct. 30-Nov. 9, USPA North America Cup
Nov. 1-3, Pedro Morrison Memorial
Nov. 8-10, Palm Restaurant Invitational
Nov. 13-24,The National 20-Goal Championship
GRAND CHAMPIONS POLO CLUB
WHERE: 13444 Southfields Road, on the corner of South Shore Boulevard and Lake Worth Road, Wellington, 561-644-5050.
INFORMATION: There are great field side views for tournament action at the home base of pro teams Audi and Piaget. Everyone is welcome to watch high and medium goal polo in a relaxed atmosphere during the spring and fall tournament season and other special events including the International Cup in November, Buzz Welker Memorial Junior Tournament in March, Women’s Championship Tournament and Gay Polo League International Tournament, both in April.
