Cal Men Remain Atop Men’s Varsity Water Polo Week 4 Polls

Courtesy: Collegiate Water Polo

BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The Golden Bears of the University of California retain the No. 1 position in the nation as the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) releases the Week 4/February 17 Winter 2021 Men’s Varsity National Top 10 and Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Top Five Polls.

In the MAWPC Top Five rankings, defending Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Champion Bucknell University, which shattered a tie with the United States Naval Academy to acquire sole possession of the top spot last week, is once again knotted with the Midshipmen at No. 1.

Voted on by a panel of coaches from the MAWPC, Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC), Golden Coast Conference, Western Water Polo Association (WWPA), Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF), Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the polls are compiled and released on Wednesdays during the abbreviated Winter 2021 season through the week following the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship slated for March 18, 20 and 21 on the campus of Stanford in Palo Alto, Calif.

WINTER 2021 MEN’S VARSITY NATIONAL TOP 10 (WEEK 4)

The University of California stays in front of the field for another week as the Golden Bears top the Week 4/February 17 National Men’s Varsity Top 10 Poll. The National Top 10 is a change from the normally released Top 20 due to a decrease in the number of varsity programs competing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first seven positions in the Top 10 remain unchanged from last week as Cal (98 points), the University of California-Los Angeles (94 points), Stanford University (91 points), the University of Southern California (87 points), Pepperdine University (81 points), Loyola Marymount University (74 points) and California Baptist University (68 points) remain locks at No. 1-to-7, respectively.

The only changes come in the final three positions as the United States Air Force Academy (60 points) and the United States Naval Academy (57 points) rise to No. 8 and 9, while Bucknell University (54 points) slips into a tie with previously unranked San Jose State University (54 points) at No. 10.

WINTER 2021 MEN’S VARSITY MID-ATLANTIC WATER POLO CONFERENCE TOP 5 (WEEK 4)

Defending league champion Bucknell University – which acquired sole possession of the No. 1 position in the Week 3/February 10 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Top Five Poll after being tied with the United States Naval Academy the previous week – is once again deadlocked with the Midshipmen in the Week 4/February 17 league poll.

The 2016 and 2019 MAWPC Champion Bison (96 points) – which held sole custody of the No. 1 spot in the MAWPC’s Preseason Poll before being tied with the United States Naval Academy in the Week 1 and 2 voting – is squared with the Midshipmen (96 points).

Navy – which defeated George Washington University by an 8-2 score last week – remains in front of Fordham University (91 points) and the Colonials (86 points) which take over at No. 3 and 4, respectively.

The final position in the Top Five is shared between La Salle University (32 points) and Iona College (32 points) as the Explorers and Gaels hold off MAWPC-West front-runner McKendree University (17 points).