Cal Maintains Top Varsity Spot, Pomona-Pitzer Leads D3 Ranks In Week 3 CWPA Polls

Courtesy: Collegiate Water Polo

BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The University of California and Pomona-Pitzer Colleges remain in the lead 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 3/September 21 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 three weeks of the 2022 NCAA season.

Defending MAWPC Champion Fordham University stays at No. 1 in the MAWPC Top Five Poll, while Harvard University dislodges defending NWPC champion Princeton University from the lead position in 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 3/SEPTEMBER 21)

The University of California remains the top-ranked team in the nation as the 2021 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Champion Golden Bears stay at No. 1 in the Week 3/September 21 National Men’s Varsity Top 20 Poll.

California (100 points) continues as a unanimous No. 1 selection to lead a Top 20 which experiences the first major changes of the season.

The University of California-Los Angeles (95 points) hangs on at No. for another seven-day run, while Stanford University (88 points) and the University of the Pacific (87 points) leapfrog the University of Southern California (80 points) to take over at No. 3 and 4, respectively.

USC slips to No. 5 with the University of California-Davis (76 points), Long Beach State University (70 points) and the University of California-Santa Barbara (65 points) holding firm at No. 6-to-8.

San Jose State University (53 points) moves up one spot to No. 9, while Loyola Marymount University (49 points) roars into the Top 10 after ranking at No. 15 last week.

Pepperdine University (48 points), Harvard University (46 points), the University of California-Irvine (42 points) and the University of California-San Diego (40 points) maneuver to No. 11-to-14 with Princeton University (39 points) taking over at No. 15.

A pair of ties account for the No. 16-to-19 berths as California Baptist University (22 points) acquires some company at No. 16 from Fordham University (22 points) and the pairing of Brown University (11 points) and St. Francis College Brooklyn (11 points) are deadlocked at No. 18.

The final position belongs to George Washington University (7 points) which cracks the Top 20 for the first time this season.

2022 MEN’S VARSITY DIVISION III TOP 10 (WEEK 3/SEPTEMBER 21)

Pomona-Pitzer Colleges becomes as a unanimous No. 1 pick in the Week 3/September 21 Men’s Varsity Division III Top 10 Poll.

Pomona-Pitzer (100 points) – which posted 99 points last week – is again followed by Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (95 points), California Lutheran University (90 points), Johns Hopkins University (79 points) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (75 points) as the Top Five remains consistent with the Week 2 voting.

The University of Redlands (72 points) rises to No. 6 with the University of La Verne (71 points) and Whittier College (66 points) backing up to No. 7 and 8, respectively.

Chapman University (50 points) remains at No. 9 and Augustana College (38 points) breaks into the Top 10 by claiming the final spot.

2022 MEN’S VARSITY MID-ATLANTIC WATER POLO CONFERENCE TOP 5 (WEEK 3/SEPTEMBER 21)

Fordham University continues at No. 1 in the Week 3/September 21 voting Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Top Five Poll. The Rams (97 points) are the lone team in the Top Five to retain its ranking from the Week 2/September 14 voting.

George Washington University (95 points) and the United States Naval Academy (93 points) exchange the No. 2 and 3 positions, while Bucknell University (85 points) and Wagner College (48 points) switch at No. 4 and 5.

The MAWPC features 12 teams with Bucknell, Fordham, George Washington, Navy, Wagner, Johns Hopkins University, 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 3/SEPTEMBER 21)

Harvard University ascends to the No. 1 berth in the Week 3/September 21 Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) Top Five Poll.

The 2016, 2017 and 2019 NWPC Champion Crimson (97 points) slide past 2018 and 2021 NWPC Champion Princeton University (96 points) to lead the pack.

St. Francis College Brooklyn (91 points), Brown University (86 points) and Iona College (80 points) remain at No. 3-to-5.

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.