Trojans sign strong six-member recruiting class


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USC water polo coach Jovan Vavic announced the signing of six recruits for the class of 2010 on Tuesday, taking the team’s first step toward another national title.

The class comes after the Trojans have captured two national titles on the strength of veteran leadership. Both of the team’s most recent graduating classes left USC with 100 career victories and a national title to their names, but now the team will rely on a more youthful core.

Two recruits from Palos Verdes High School in Palos Verdes, Calif., two-meter/driver Riley Burke and goalie Paul Mitre lead the class.

Mitre was named last season’s California Interscholastic Federation Division IV Player of the Year during Palos Verdes’s run to the CIF-SS Division IV championship in 2009.

Two other first team All-CIF players will join Mitre and Burke at USC. Rex Butler of Coronado High School in Coronado, Calif., and Zach Lucas of Newport Harbor High School will help USC on the attack next season.

Loyola High School in Los Angeles also contributed two players to the newest signing class, including Nikola Vavic, son of the 16-year head coach. The left-handed Nikola has gained valuable experience playing for the U.S. Junior National Team at the recent Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) Men’s Junior World Championships.

Two-meter/driver Jack Plaga also joins the Trojans out of Loyola as a strong two-meter defender.