BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The University of Southern California remains at No. 1 as the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) releases the 2019 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 1/September 11 Polls.
Pomona-Pitzer Colleges, which captured the 2018 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) title, holds on at No. 1 in the Division III Poll, while Bucknell University acquires sole possession of the top spot in the MAWPC rankings. 2018 NWPC Champion Princeton University retains the No. 1 position in its league ranking through the first week of the season.
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.
2019 Men’s Varsity National Top 20 (Week 1/September 11)
The University of Southern California remains at No. 1 in the Week 1/September 11 2019 National Men’s Varsity Top 20 Poll.
The Trojans (96 points) hang onto the top position by two points over the University of California-Los Angeles (94 points) as the Bruins acquire sole custody of the No. 2 slot. UCLA was tied with Stanford University (93 points) for the runner-up berth in the preseason rankings, but edges out the Cardinal after the opening weekend of competition.
The University of California-Santa Barbara (87 points) breaks into the Top Four of the National Rankings following a defeat of the University of California (77 points). UCSB’s rise from No. 7 in the preseason voting to the Top Four causes a shift in the remainder of the Top 10 as California, University of the Pacific (76 points), Long Beach State University (71 points) and Pepperdine University (66 points) adjust to rate at No. 5-to-8, respectively. The University of California-Irvine (58 points) breaks into the Top 10 by tying the University of California-San Diego (58 points) at No. 9 to complete the upper half of the weekly poll.
The University of California-Davis (51 points) slips to No. 11, while Harvard University (42 points) and Princeton University (42 points) move into a tie at No. 12.
Bucknell University (34 points), George Washington University (29 points), Loyola Marymount University (28 points), St. Francis College Brooklyn (14 points), San Jose State University (13 points), Brown University (11 points) and California Baptist University (6 points) complete the Top 20 at No. 14-to-20, respectively.
2019 Men’s Varsity Top 20 (Week 1/September 11) |
|||
| Rank | Team | 2019 Preseason Poll | Points |
| 1 | University of Southern California | 1 | 96 |
| 2 |
University of California-Los Angeles | 2 (T) | 94 |
| 3 | Stanford University | 2 (T) |
93 |
| 4 | University of California-Santa Barbara |
7 (T) | 87 |
| 5 |
University of California | 4 | 77 |
| 6 | University of the Pacific |
5 (T) | 76 |
| 7 |
Long Beach State University | 5 (T) | 71 |
| 8 | Pepperdine University | 7 (T) | 66 |
| 9 (T) |
University of California-Irvine | 13 | 58 |
| 9 (T) | University of California-San Diego |
9 | 58 |
| 11 | University of California-Davis |
10 | 51 |
| 12 (T) |
Harvard University |
11 | 42 |
| 12 (T) |
Princeton University | 12 | 42 |
| 14 | Bucknell University | 16 (T) |
34 |
| 15 |
George Washington University | 15 | 29 |
| 16 |
Loyola Marymount University | 14 | 28 |
| 17 |
St. Francis College Brooklyn |
RV | 14 |
| 18 |
San Jose State University | 18 | 13 |
| 19 | Brown University |
20 | 11 |
| 20 |
California Baptist University | 16 (T) | 6 |
| RV | Pomona-Pitzer Colleges | 19 | 5 |
| RV |
Santa Clara University | RV | 3 |
| RV | United States Air Force Academy |
RV | 2 |
| RV | United States Naval Academy |
RV | 1 |
2019 Men’s Varsity Division III Top 10 (Week 1/September 11)
The Sagehens of Pomona-Pitzer Colleges rate as the unanimous No. 1 in the Week 1/September 11 Men’s Varsity Division III Top 10 Poll.
Pomona-Pitzer (100 points), Whittier College (92 points) and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (88 points) retain their positions at No. 1-to-3, respectively, from the preseason voting.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (86 points), Chapman University (77 points), the University of Redlands (73 points) and Johns Hopkins University (64 points) rise to No. 4-to-7, while California Lutheran University (63 points) slides to No. 8.
Occidental College (62 points) and the University of La Verne (59 points) complete the Top 10.
2019 Men’s Varsity Division III Top 10 (Week 1/September 11) |
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| Rank | Team | 2019 Preseason Poll | Points |
| 1 |
Pomona-Pitzer Colleges | 1 | 100 |
| 2 | Whittier College | 2 | 92 |
| 3 |
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges | 3 | 88 |
| 4 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
5 | 86 |
| 5 | Chapman University |
6 | 77 |
| 6 | University of Redlands |
7 | 73 |
| 7 | Johns Hopkins University |
8 | 64 |
| 8 | California Lutheran University |
4 | 63 |
| 9 | Occidental College | 9 | 62 |
| 10 | University of La Verne | 10 | 59 |
| RV | Penn State Behrend |
RV | 11 |
2019 Men’s Varsity Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Top 5 (Week 1/September 11)
Following a preseason ranking in which George Washington University and Bucknell University were tied at No. 1, the Bison of Bucknell acquire sole possession of the No. 1 spot in the Week 1/September 11 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Top Five Poll.
The 2016 MAWPC Champion Bison (98 points) edge out the 2017 and 2018 MAWPC Champion Colonials (97 points) by a single point in the wake of the opening weekend of competition.
Fordham University (87 points) and the United States Naval Academy (87 points), which were tied in the preseason voting, remain deadlocked at No. 3.
Wagner College (48 points) again rounds out the Top Five.
The MAWPC features 14 teams as Bucknell, Fordham, George Washington, Navy, Wagner, Johns Hopkins University and La Salle University comprise the Eastern Region, with Gannon University, Mercyhurst University, Monmouth College, Salem University, Washington & Jefferson College, Connecticut College and McKendree University competing in the Western Region.
2019 Men’s Varsity Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Top 5 (Week 1/September 11) |
|||
| Rank | Team | 2019 Preseason Poll | Points |
| 1 |
Bucknell University | 1 (T) |
98 |
| 2 | George Washington University | 1 (T) | 97 |
| 3 (T) |
Fordham University | 3 (T) | 87 |
| 3 (T) | United States Naval Academy | 3 (T) | 87 |
| 5 | Wagner College | 5 | 48 |
| RV | Johns Hopkins University | RV | 33 |
2019 Men’s Varsity Northeast Water Polo Conference Top 5 (Week 1/September 11)
2018 Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) Champion Princeton University remains the early season favorite as the Tigers top the Week 1/September 11 NWPC Top Five Poll.
Princeton (99 points) continues to hold a narrow lead over 2016 and 2017 NWPC Champion Harvard University (96 points).
Brown University (88 points) stays at No. 3, while the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (81 points) and St. Francis College Brooklyn (70 points) exchange the No. 4 and 5 spots.
2019 Men’s Varsity Northeast Water Polo Conference Top 5 (Week 1/September 11) |
|||
| Rank | Team | 2019 Preseason Poll | Points |
| 1 | Princeton University | 1 | 99 |
| 2 |
Harvard University | 2 | 96 |
| 3 | Brown University | 3 | 88 |
| 4 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
5 | 81 |
| 5 | St. Francis College Brooklyn | 4 | 70 |
| RV | Iona College | RV | 16 |
