Rick Merlo is an American water polo

Water polo

Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...

 player. He was a member of the United States men's national water polo team

United States men's national water polo team

The United States men's national water polo team is the representative for the United States of America in international men's water polo.The team competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics, where they won silver medal in the final, losing to Hungary 14-10....

 at the 2008 Beijing Olympics

Water polo at the 2008 Summer Olympics

Water polo at the 2008 Summer Olympics was held from 10 August to 24 August 2008 at the Ying Tung Natatorium in Beijing, People's Republic of China.-Men's medalists:-Women's medalists:-Men:-Women:-External links:**...

. In the championship game, the USA team won the silver medal, defeated by Hungary.

High school

CIF Champion at Buchanan High School in 1997 and 2000… CIF MVP, First-Team All-American, All-League, and All-CIF in 2000

College

Merlo attended University of California, Irvine

University of California, Irvine

The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...

 and played water polo under Ted Newland and Marc Hunt.
First-Team All-American, First-Team All-MPSF, and Scholar Athlete in 2005… ThirdTeam All-American and Second-Team All-MPSF in 2004