The Wigo house is celebrating two national champions in water polo.
In the last two weeks, dad Wolf Wigo and his 12-year-old son Channing played on national championship teams in USA Water Polo Tournaments.
Wolf Wigo played on the New York Athletic Club “A” squad that won the USA Water Polo Senior Nationals in a 17-15 win over the Los Angeles Athletic Club on July 10 at Mt. San Antonio College.
This past weekend, Channing Wigo led the Channel Islands United Club to the 12U Platinum Division championship at the first session of the Junior Olympics in Orange County.
Wolf Wigo, the UC Santa Barbara men’s water polo coach, said it’s the first father and son to win national titles in the same year.
Channing was named the MVP of the 12U Division. He scored seven seven goals in a 15-5 semifinal win against CC United Black of Lafayette and six goals in 12-5 championship victory over Tustin Patriot Navy.
Channel Islands United went 7-0 in the tournament and outscored its opponents 114-36.
The team includes Santa Barbara area players Preston Rufi, Nick Ignatzk. Kumani Roth, Elliott Kim, Skyler Carroll, Wyatt Warkentin, Ren Fujikake, Max Gelman and Hunter Loo.
Wolf Wigo was joined by former UCSB players Chris Whitelegge (Class of 2014) and Reed Cotterill (2017). It was the 18th national title for Wigo, a New York native, who has competed at the national championships for the NYAC since 1989.
Ross Sinclair, another Gaucho (2007) who played for Wigo, coached Newport Beach Water Polo to the Boys 18U Junior Olympics title.
