Air Force Men’s Water Polo Welcomes Class of 2029
8/18/2025 1:31:00 PM | Men's Water Polo
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. - Air Force men's water polo welcomes eight freshmen that comprise the class of 2029, announced today by head coach Ryan Brown.
Shane Borunda, Max Ellis, Bode Farren, Aidan Forehand, Blake Fuchslin, Derek Hymer, Olin Kusevskis and Matt Oravetz join the Falcons this season. Seven members of the class hail from California, with Kusevskis coming from Illinois.
Shane Borunda - AT - Coronado, CA (Francis Parker HS)
Earned five varsity letters with four in water polo and one in basketball … two-time MVP and school record-holder in all-time goals and assists … high school water polo coach was Sam Busby … also competed for La Jolla United for eight years, earning third place at club championships and winning the Holiday Classic Gold … also a team captain on club team.
Max Ellis - C - Irvine, CA (Santa Margarita Catholic HS)
Lettered four years in water polo, two at Santa Margarita and freshman and sophomore year at Woodbridge HS … also competed in swimming and swam the butterfly and freestyle events … First-Team All-Trinity League, Second-Team All-CIF Southern Section – Open Div., team offensive POY and scholar-athlete award … First-Team All-Pacific Coast League as a sophomore, team offensive POY as a freshman and sophomore, scholar-athlete award … high school water polo coach at Santa Margarita was Pavle Filipovic … also competed for 18U SOCAL Black, earning 6th place at Junior Olympics Platinum Division, 18U SET WPC, finishing 8th at Junior Olympics Platinum Division, 16U SOCAL Black, finishing 2nd at Junior Olympics Platinum Division
Bode Farren - G - Penryn, CA (Del Oro HS/American River CC)
Led American River College to Big 8 Conference Championship and second place finish at 3C2A NorCal Championships…Broke ARC single season record with 256 saves, averaging 8.8 saves per game ... As a senior in high school, earned team MVP, was team captain and first-team all-section … as a junior, led Del Oro to its first section Championship in program history, was team defensive player of the year, first-team all-league … recorded 276 saves and 9.5 saves per game as a senior and 284 saves for a 10.1 saves per game average as a junior … lettered three years in water polo and two in swimming … high school water polo coach was Kenny Waldthaler … also competed for Sacramento Water Polo for 2019-23.
Aidan Forehand - AT - Indian Wells, CA (Xavier College Prep)
Lettered four years in water polo and also competed in swimming … First-team Dester Empire League (3x) … led Xavier Prep to three DEL titles and made the CIF quarterfinals three times … team captain as a senior … led Xavier Prep to Riverside Poly tournament title … high school water polo coach was Pavol Valovic … also played club for Scorpions Water Polo Club from 2021-24 and Chino Hills Area Water Polo from 2016-21 … team captain on club team, earned 3x Junior Olympics medalist, placed top 20 in nation and podium finishes at Cal Cup … graduated with 4.0 grade-point average and earned full NROTC scholarship for multiple schools.
Blake Fuchslin - AF - Sacramento, CA (Davis Senior HS)
Earned eight varsity letters, with four each in water polo and swimming … led Davis Senior to D2 Norcal Championship … all-section first-team … high school water polo coach was Tracy Stapleton … also competed in club water polo for 680 Drivers from 2021-25 and Davis Blue Devils from 2015-20 … team captain and first-team all-league and first-team all-section in club play.
Derek Hymer - AT - San Carlos, CA (Sequoia HS)
First-team all-league (3x) … led Sequoia to two PAL Bay League titles … scored 86 goals, 20 assists and 19 steals as a senior, 91 goals, 12 assists and 15 steals as a sophomore and 72 goals, 12 assists and five steals as a sophomore … team MVP as a junior and senior … also played baseball, earning all-league honorable mention honors … high school water polo coach was Eric Bittner … played club water polo for Mid-Penn Water Polo Club from 2022-25 and was a team captain
Olin Kusevskis - C - Buffalo Grove, IL (Stevenson HS)
Attended USAFA Prep School in 2024-25 and played club ball for Peak Polo ... 116 goals and 54 drawn exclusions as a senior at Stevenson HS … played on state championship team as a freshman … High school water polo coach was Sean Wimer … also competed in swimming and earned all-conference honors … also competed in club for Northern Illinois Polo Club.
Matt Oravetz - UT - Newport Beach, CA (Servite HS)
Earned six varsity letters at Servite, earning three each in water polo and swimming … First-Team All-Trinity League … team MVP as a senior … led Servite to two CIF D1 Southern Section qualifiers … high school coach water polo coach was Andy Coffman … also competed club for Imperial Water Polo, where he was a team captain for three years … club coach was Pavle Filipovic … swam the 50 free and was on 200 free relay in swimming.
Shane Borunda, Max Ellis, Bode Farren, Aidan Forehand, Blake Fuchslin, Derek Hymer, Olin Kusevskis and Matt Oravetz join the Falcons this season. Seven members of the class hail from California, with Kusevskis coming from Illinois.
Shane Borunda - AT - Coronado, CA (Francis Parker HS)
Earned five varsity letters with four in water polo and one in basketball … two-time MVP and school record-holder in all-time goals and assists … high school water polo coach was Sam Busby … also competed for La Jolla United for eight years, earning third place at club championships and winning the Holiday Classic Gold … also a team captain on club team.
Max Ellis - C - Irvine, CA (Santa Margarita Catholic HS)
Lettered four years in water polo, two at Santa Margarita and freshman and sophomore year at Woodbridge HS … also competed in swimming and swam the butterfly and freestyle events … First-Team All-Trinity League, Second-Team All-CIF Southern Section – Open Div., team offensive POY and scholar-athlete award … First-Team All-Pacific Coast League as a sophomore, team offensive POY as a freshman and sophomore, scholar-athlete award … high school water polo coach at Santa Margarita was Pavle Filipovic … also competed for 18U SOCAL Black, earning 6th place at Junior Olympics Platinum Division, 18U SET WPC, finishing 8th at Junior Olympics Platinum Division, 16U SOCAL Black, finishing 2nd at Junior Olympics Platinum Division
Bode Farren - G - Penryn, CA (Del Oro HS/American River CC)
Led American River College to Big 8 Conference Championship and second place finish at 3C2A NorCal Championships…Broke ARC single season record with 256 saves, averaging 8.8 saves per game ... As a senior in high school, earned team MVP, was team captain and first-team all-section … as a junior, led Del Oro to its first section Championship in program history, was team defensive player of the year, first-team all-league … recorded 276 saves and 9.5 saves per game as a senior and 284 saves for a 10.1 saves per game average as a junior … lettered three years in water polo and two in swimming … high school water polo coach was Kenny Waldthaler … also competed for Sacramento Water Polo for 2019-23.
Aidan Forehand - AT - Indian Wells, CA (Xavier College Prep)
Lettered four years in water polo and also competed in swimming … First-team Dester Empire League (3x) … led Xavier Prep to three DEL titles and made the CIF quarterfinals three times … team captain as a senior … led Xavier Prep to Riverside Poly tournament title … high school water polo coach was Pavol Valovic … also played club for Scorpions Water Polo Club from 2021-24 and Chino Hills Area Water Polo from 2016-21 … team captain on club team, earned 3x Junior Olympics medalist, placed top 20 in nation and podium finishes at Cal Cup … graduated with 4.0 grade-point average and earned full NROTC scholarship for multiple schools.
Blake Fuchslin - AF - Sacramento, CA (Davis Senior HS)
Earned eight varsity letters, with four each in water polo and swimming … led Davis Senior to D2 Norcal Championship … all-section first-team … high school water polo coach was Tracy Stapleton … also competed in club water polo for 680 Drivers from 2021-25 and Davis Blue Devils from 2015-20 … team captain and first-team all-league and first-team all-section in club play.
Derek Hymer - AT - San Carlos, CA (Sequoia HS)
First-team all-league (3x) … led Sequoia to two PAL Bay League titles … scored 86 goals, 20 assists and 19 steals as a senior, 91 goals, 12 assists and 15 steals as a sophomore and 72 goals, 12 assists and five steals as a sophomore … team MVP as a junior and senior … also played baseball, earning all-league honorable mention honors … high school water polo coach was Eric Bittner … played club water polo for Mid-Penn Water Polo Club from 2022-25 and was a team captain
Olin Kusevskis - C - Buffalo Grove, IL (Stevenson HS)
Attended USAFA Prep School in 2024-25 and played club ball for Peak Polo ... 116 goals and 54 drawn exclusions as a senior at Stevenson HS … played on state championship team as a freshman … High school water polo coach was Sean Wimer … also competed in swimming and earned all-conference honors … also competed in club for Northern Illinois Polo Club.
Matt Oravetz - UT - Newport Beach, CA (Servite HS)
Earned six varsity letters at Servite, earning three each in water polo and swimming … First-Team All-Trinity League … team MVP as a senior … led Servite to two CIF D1 Southern Section qualifiers … high school coach water polo coach was Andy Coffman … also competed club for Imperial Water Polo, where he was a team captain for three years … club coach was Pavle Filipovic … swam the 50 free and was on 200 free relay in swimming.
Players Mentioned
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