BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) announces the selection of 48 student-athletes to the 2017 ACWPC Division I Men’s Varsity All-America Team.
19 institutions garnered at least one All-America honor led by the University of Southern California which collects eight selections. 2017 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) National Champion the University of California-Los Angeles earned six awards with Stanford University, the University of California, University of the Pacific and the University of California-Irvine each collecting four laurels. Princeton University took three nods with the trio of Harvard University (two), Pepperdine University (two) and the University of California-Santa Barbara posting pairs. Brown University, Bucknell University, Fordham University, Long Beach State University, San Jose State University, George Washington University, the United States Air Force Academy, the University of California-Davis and Wagner College each earn one recipient.
26 of the selections are repeat Division I All-America honorees as McQuinn Baron (2017 First Team; 2016 First Team; 2015 Second Team; 2014 Second Team), Lachlan Edwards (2017 First Team; 2015 Second Team), Matteo Morelli (2017 Third Team; 2016 Second Team; 2015 Honorable Mention), Blake Edwards (2017 Second Team; 2016 First Team; 2015 First Team), Matt Maier (2017 Honorable Mention; 2016 Honorable Mention) and James Walters (2017 Honorable Mention; 2015 Honorable Mention; 2014 Honorable Mention) of USC; Johnny Hooper (2017 First Team; 2016 First Team; 2015 Second Team), Odysseas Masmanidis (2017 Second Team; 2016 First Team; 2015 Third Team) and Luca Cupido (2017 First Team; 2016 First Team; 2015 First Team; 2014 Third Team) of California; Connor Stapleton (2017 Second Team; 2015 Honorable Mention) and Blake Parrish (2017 Honorable Mention; 2016 Second Team) of Stanford; Alex Roelse (2017 First Team; 2016 Honorable Mention; 2015 Honorable Mention) and Max Irving (2017 First Team; 2016 Honorable Mention; 2015 Third Team) of UCLA; Lovre Milos (2017 Second Team; 2014 Honorable Mention), Kyle Trush (2017 Honorable Mention; 2015 Honorable Mention) and Matej Matijevic (2017 Honorable Mention; 2015 Honorable Mention) of UC-Irvine; Drew Holland (2017 Third Team; 2015 Honorable Mention; 2014 Third Team); Ege Colak (2017 Third Team; 2016 Honorable Mention) and Devon Thumwood (2017 Honorable Mention; 2016 Honorable Mention; 2015 Honorable Mention) of Pacific; Ido Goldschmidt (2017 Third Team; 2015 Honorable Mention) of UC-Davis; Mark Urban (2017 Third Team; 2016 Honorable Mention) of Pepperdine; Vojislav Mitrovic (2017 Honorable Mention; 2016 Honorable Mention; 2015 Honorable Mention; 2014 Honorable Mention) and Jordan Colina (2017 Honorable Mention; 2016 Honorable Mention) of Princeton; Rade Joksimovic (2017 Honorable Mention; 2016 Third Team) of Bucknell; Shane Hauschild (2017 Honorable Mention; 2016 Honorable Mention) of UC-Santa Barbara; and Riley Thomas (2017 Honorable Mention; 2015 Honorable Mention) of Air Force all previously earned recognition.
In addition, Massimiliano Mirachi of Fordham earns his fourth All-America nod with an Honorable Mention nod after previously taking Division III First Team notice in 2014, 2015 and 2016 at Whittier College.
Overall, the All-America team is led by Cal’s Cupido who claims National Player of the Year notice to rate as the first Golden Bear to earn the award since Troy Barnhart in 1993. He is the eighth California player to earn National Player of the Year laurels to join Dirk Zelen (1992-co.), Chris Oeding (1992-co.), Chris Humbert (1991-co.; 1990), Kirk Everist (1988), Jeff Brush (1987), Alan Gresham (1984-co.; 1983-co.) and Pete Cutino, Jr. (1983-co.).
In the history of the sport since the inaugural National Player of the Year award was presented in 1982, seven schools have combined to take the honor with USC (11), California (8), UCLA (6), Stanford (5), UC-Irvine (4), Pepperdine (2) and Pacific (1) on the leader board.
National Champion head coach Adam Wright of UCLA adds to his legacy to collecting the 2017 National Coach of the Year award. A three-time recipient after previously notching the 2014 and 2015 awards, Wright adds to the Bruins’ success after Adam Krikorian (2004) and Guy Baker (1999, 1996, 1995, 1991) previously took home the award.
In the history of men’s water polo, USC (Jovan Vavic – 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2005, 2003, 1998; John Williams – 1998), Stanford (Dante Dettamanti – 2001, 1994, 1993, 1986, 1985, 1984), California (Kirk Everist – 2016, 2006; Steve Heaston – 1992, 1990; Pete Cutino – 1988, 1987, 1983), Pepperdine (Terry Schroeder – 1997), UC-Irvine (Ed Newland – 1989, 1985, 1982), Pacific (James Graham – 2013) and the University of California-San Diego (Denny Harper – 2000) have also claimed the Coach of the Year. Note, a Coach of the Year was not selected in either 2007 or 2002.
The ACWPC All-America teams are selected based on nominations and voting by the head coach of each program by National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division (Division I, II, III).
Since 2005, the mission of the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) is to promote the development and advancement of collegiate water polo. This shall be accomplished by providing its membership with professional education, services, training and a united voice.
| 2017 Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches Division I All-America Team | |
| Player of the Year: | Luca Cupido (University of California) |
| Coach of the Year: | Adam Wright (University of California, Los Angeles) |
| First Team | |
| McQuin Baron (Goalie) | University of Southern California |
| Lachlan Edwards | University of Southern California |
| Ben Hallock | Stanford University |
| Johnny Hooper | University of California |
| Luca Cupido | University of California |
| Alex Roelse | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Max Irving | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Luke Pavillard | University of the Pacific |
| Second Team | |
| Alex Wolf (Goalie) | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Odysseas Masmanidis | University of California |
| Blake Edwards | University of Southern California |
| Matt Farmer | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Nicolas Saveljic | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Connor Stapleton | Stanford University |
| Lovre Milos | University of California, Irvine |
| Marko Vavic | University of Southern California |
| Third Team | |
| Drew Holland (Goalie) | Stanford University |
| Duncan Lynde | Long Beach State University |
| Ege Colak | University of the Pacific |
| Ido Goldschmidt | University of California, Davis |
| Matteo Morelli | University of Southern California |
| Reed Cotterill | University of California, Santa Barbara |
| Dennis Blyashov | Harvard University |
| Mark Urban | Pepperdine University |
| Honorable Mention | |
| Matej Matijevic (Goalie) | University of California, Irvine |
| Kevin Le Vine (Goalie) | University of California |
| Vojislav Mitrovic (Goalie) | Princeton University |
| Rade Joksimovic | Bucknell University |
| Jordan Colina | Princeton University |
| Ben Stevenson | University of the Pacific |
| Tyler Kirchberg | Brown University |
| Shane Hauschild | University of California, Santa Barbara |
| Sean Duncan | Princeton University |
| Marko Asic | Pepperdine University |
| Jacob Mercep | San Jose State University |
| Kyle Trush | University of California, Irvine |
| Jack Grover | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Devon Thumwood | University of the Pacific |
| Blake Parrish | Stanford University |
| Matt Maier | University of Southern California |
| Andrew Mavis | The George Washington University |
| Massimiliano Mirarchi | Fordham University |
| James Walters | University of Southern California |
| Austin Sechrest | Harvard University |
| Grant Stein | University of Southern California |
| Ciaran Wolohan | Wagner College |
| Riley Thomas | United States Air Force Academy |
| Fynn Schuetze | University of California, Irvine |
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