Reigning NCAA Champion Cal Tops Collegiate Water Polo Week 2 Varsity Polls

Courtesy: Collegiate Water Polo

BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The University of California and Pomona-Pitzer Colleges stay ahead of the pack as the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) releases the 2022 Men’s Varsity National Top 20, Division III Top 10, Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) Top Five and Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Top Five Week 2/September 14 Polls.

California, which topped the University of Southern California by a 13-12 score to claim the 2021 NCAA crown, and Pomona-Pitzer, which claimed a 13-12 overtime decision over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges for the 2021 USA Water Polo Division III Championship, hold top billing in the National Top 20 and Division III Top 10 Polls through the first two weeks of the 2022 NCAA season.

Defending MAWPC Champion Fordham University regains its preseason position at No. 1 in the MAWPC Top Five Poll, while defending NWPC champion Princeton University remains the undisputed leader it the NWPC Top Five rankings.

Voted on by a panel of coaches from the MAWPC, NWPC, Golden Coast Conference, Western Water Polo Association (WWPA), Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF), SCIAC and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the polls will be compiled and released on Wednesday during each week of the season through the week following the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship.

2022 MEN’S VARSITY NATIONAL TOP 20 (WEEK 2/SEPTEMBER 14)

The University of California is once again the top-ranked team in the nation as the 2021 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Champion Golden Bears remain No. 1 in the Week 2/September 14 National Men’s Varsity Top 20 Poll.

California (100 points) continues as a unanimous No. 1 selection to lead a Top 20 which experiences minor adjustments following two weeks of competition.

The University of California-Los Angeles (95 points), the University of Southern California (91 points), Stanford University (85 points), University of the Pacific (80 points), the University of California-Davis (75 points), Long Beach State University (71 points), the University of California-Santa Barbara (65 points) and Pepperdine University (59 points) continue at No. 2-to-9, respectively, with San Jose State University (52 points) breaking a tie with Princeton University (51 points) to acquire sole custody of the No. 10 spot.

Princeton, the University of California-Irvine (47 points), the University of California-San Diego (40 points), Harvard University (37 points), Loyola Marymount University (28 points), California Baptist University (25 points) and Fordham University (21 points) rate at No. 11-to-17 with Brown University (13 points) and St. Francis College Brooklyn (11 points) breaking out of a tie to stand at No. 18 and 19.

The United States Naval Academy (6 points) completes the Top 20.

2022 MEN’S VARSITY DIVISION III TOP 10 (WEEK 2/SEPTEMBER 14)

The reign of Pomona-Pitzer Colleges as the No. 1 team in Division III continues as the Sagehens lead the Week 2/September 14 Men’s Varsity Division III Top 10 Poll.

Pomona-Pitzer (99 points), Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (96 points) and California Lutheran University (87 points) remain at No. 1-to-3, respectively, with Johns Hopkins University (80 points) hanging on at No. 4.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (75 points) and the University of La Verne (74 points) move up to No. 5 and 6 with Whittier College (72 points), the University of Redlands (65 points), Chapman University (41 points) and Occidental College (40 points) completing the Top 10.

2022 MEN’S VARSITY MID-ATLANTIC WATER POLO CONFERENCE TOP 5 (WEEK 2/SEPTEMBER 14)

A week after the United States Naval Academy – which finished as the runner-up at the 2021 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Championship – dislodged defending league champion Fordham University to assume the top spot in the Week 1/September 7 MAWPC Preseason Top Five Poll, the New York squad returns the favor in the Week 2/September 14 voting.

Fordham (96 points) flips the script compared to Navy (95 points) as the Midshipmen held a 96-95 lead over the Rams last week.

Seven days later, Fordham returns to the lead position with Navy, George Washington University (92 points) and Wagner College (67 points) rating at No. 2-to-4, respectively.

Bucknell University (65 points) – which received votes last week – cracks the Top Five as the Bison dislodge Johns Hopkins University (52 points) for the final position.

The MAWPC features 12 teams with Bucknell, Fordham, George Washington, Navy, Wagner, Johns Hopkins, Mount St. Mary’s University, Gannon University, Mercyhurst University, Salem University and McKendree University competing for the conference crown in 2022.

2022 MEN’S VARSITY NORTHEAST WATER POLO CONFERENCE TOP 5 (WEEK 2/SEPTEMBER 14)

Defending Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) champion Princeton University marches on as the Tigers keep top-billing in the Week 2/September 14 NWPC Top Five Poll.

The 2018 and 2021 NWPC Champion Tigers (100 points) remain a unanimous No. 1 selection with three-time (2016, 2017, 2019) NWPC Champion Harvard University (95 points), St. Francis College Brooklyn (88 points), Brown University (87 points) and Iona College (80 points) once again completing the Top Five.

The NWPC features seven institutions in 2022 with Brown, Connecticut College, Harvard, Iona, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Princeton and St. Francis Brooklyn competing for the league championship.