Ohl has made a big splash in Newport Harbor water polo

Watching 6-foot-6, 220pound Connor Ohl of Newport Harbor High play water polois similar toa great white shark sighting. You're stunned and in awe.

- ERIC SONDHEIMER

NEWPORT HARBOR'S 6-foot-6 Connor Ohl is the youngest of three water polo-playing brothers.

He’s water polo’s version ofadolphinin the pool, able to accelerate so fast with his long arms and powerful legs that few can stay with him. He won the Southern Section Division 1 50-yard freestyle title last spring and broke 20 seconds ina league meet (19.79), so beware to those who think he’s not as fast as advertised.

Then comes his size and strength. He couldbea football player because physicality comes naturally. Being the youngest of three water polo-playing brothers, it was sink or swimin the Ohl household growing up in Greenwich, Conn. One brother plays for Stanford, where Connor will soon join him. The other plays at Princeton.

Connor moved to Orange County for his sophomore season so he could be part of what he calls “the water polo hub of America.”