LEXINGTON, Va., Sept. 27, 2024—VMI Water Polo Head Coach Danielle Montenegro will work for USA Water Polo this upcoming year, as she was asked to be the head coach of one of the organization's 16 and Under Olympic Development Program (ODP) Teams.

"I'm excited to be a part of the ODP process," Montenegro said. "It is an opportunity to help mentor and coach athletes attempting to enter the Olympic pipeline in the U.S. I will get to work alongside current and former national team members, and hope to learn a lot along the way."

Montenegro, who started her duties this past weekend by working a camp at Brown University, is the Head Coach of the Cadet Team in the Northeast Region.

"Each camp is in a different area," said Montenegro. "This first one was at Brown University, the next at will be held at Marist, and the third is to be determined. I am coaching at the camps and evaluating the athletes that attend, to create a team of the top athletes in the Northeast zone. From there, we will compete at Regionals in Salt Lake City, Utah, with Nationals being held in Dallas, Texas."  

A native of Rowland Heights, California, Montenegro is entering her fifth year at the helm of VMI Water Polo. The Keydets scored some big wins and showed major statistical jumps in the pool last year, and are primed for a strong season this year with six freshmen integrating into the program.

Read more about the USA Water Polo Olympic Development Program on their official website.

This article and image originally appeared on vmikeydets.com.