Max Zelikov Earns a historic selection onto the U-20 National Team
South Florida Water Polo Club would like to congratulate our very own Max Zelikov on his historic USA Junior National Team Selection. Max, a Boca Raton High School alumni earned a spot on the U-20 USA national team that will compete in a week’s time in the U-20 World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia from June 14th to June 21st.
Max and his Team USA teammates before the Men’s U20 Water Polo World Championships in Zagreb. (Photo Credit: USA Water Polo)
Max’s road to achieving this historic selection was arduous but accomplishing, beginning early in his playing career when he was identified in the Olympic Development Program’s pipeline, earning a spot on various national team age groups including multiple selections to the Cadet (U-15) age group national team, several selections to the Youth Futures (U-18) national team and finally earning himself a spot on the Junior National Team. Max was a standout athlete in Florida from early on and even as a freshman in high school proved himself a dominant force to be reckoned with, helping to lead his high school to a state championship tournament appearance in 2023. As well as earning Player of the Year honors in Palm Beach County in 2022 and 2024 he also captained his high school team in 2023 and 2024. At the club level Max also proved successful earning a silver medal competing with San Diego Shores’ 16u program with Max being a vital part to the team’s success.
This past year was eventful for Max, redshirting his first year at Stanford University. Max used the motivation to explode onto the scene in the National League, a league featuring former Olympians, top level collegiate athletes, former collegiate legends and some professional international athletes and legends. Max proved he belongs, unleashing his powerful shooting arm in the first weekend of the season to hold one of the top +/- overall averages based on 6-8 statistics and from there he did not let up. Competing with the USA Pipeline team, Max finished the 14-game season with 34 goals on 49.3% shooting, 10 assists, 11 steals, 8 drawn exclusions, Max’s stats totaled to a +51.0 efficiency rating that placed him second on the USA Pipeline team after the 14 games, a clear standout for the USA squad.
Even at Senior Nationals, Max continued to prove the need for his abilities on the U-20 national team especially in the clutch moments when his big goal in the final against Los Angeles Aquatics Club sparked a massive comeback and his second goal of the game put the USA Junior Team up by two goals to close out the game and win the tournament against teams full of current Olympians such as Alex Bowen and Hannes Daube, elite college athletes such Roko Pozaric and even legends of the game such as Denes Varga.
Max Zelikov in action competing for Team USA. (Photo Credit: Max Zelikov Instagram)
Max’s selection for the USA Junior National Team is a particularly historic moment for South Florida Water Polo Club and the whole Florida water polo scene, Max joins a handful of male players from the state of Florida to earn a spot on either the Senior National Team or the Junior National Team to compete at a major international tournament, and the first one in over a decade. The previous one is Michael Rosenthal who graduated from Ransom Everglades High School and the University of Southern California in 2008 and 2012 respectively . The only ones before him from South Florida Water Polo Club are college water polo legends and fellow Stanford alums, Drac Wigo and Janson Wigo. The Wigo twins as they are often referred to are Northeast High School graduates of the class of 2006 and Stanford graduates in 2010, making Max’s selection to international competition nearly a two decade in the making moment for South Florida Water Polo Club. The twins are younger brothers to one of the greatest player USA Water Polo ever produced, a Stanford alum and three-time Olympian, Wolf Wigo. They are also the sons of legendary USA Water Polo figure and one of the South Florida Water Polo Club’s founders, Bruce Wigo. Both Drac and Janson went on to have great careers playing at Stanford that include several All-American honors and competed with the USA Junior and Senior teams.
Max will be joining one of the most talented Junior squads in recent memory with several returners including Olympic Bronze Medalist Ryder Dodd, All-Americans Peter Castillo and Ben Liechty, as well as Will Schneider and Ryan Ohl, the latter two being Max’s current teammates at Stanford University, all five were a part of the previous USA Junior Team that earned a historic bronze medal two years prior, the first time the US has ever medaled in the U-20 World Championships.
The Junior Team will face a tough road to the medal games, beginning the competition against Croatia on June 14th, then getting a chance at redemption from the 2023 semifinal match against Hungary who went on to win the tournament the following day and with the last bracket game will be on June 16th against Montenegro. Livestreaming is available on the World Aquatics YouTube channel.
Congratulations Max on an incredible achievement, historic moment and continuing to achieve your water polo dreams!
