BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The University of California remains the early season favorite to claim the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship and Pomona-Pitzer Colleges retains its position as the lead contender to claim the USA Water Polo Division III National Championship 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 1/September 7 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 following the opening weekend of competition during the 2022 NCAA season.
The United States Naval Academy, which fell to Fordham University in the 2021 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference title tilt, replaces the Rams at No. 1 in the MAWPC Top Five Poll, while defending NWPC champion Princeton University retains it Preseason No. 1 position in the NWPC’s 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 1/September 7)
The University of California is once again the top-ranked team in the nation as the 2021 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Champion and Preseason top-billed Golden Bears remain No. 1 in the Week 1/September 7 National Men’s Varsity Top 20 Poll.
California (100 points), which posted 98 points in the Preseason voting, becomes a unanimous No. 1 selection to lead a Top 10 which experiences significant adjustments in the wake of the opening weekend of competition.
The University of California-Los Angeles (95 points) supplants the University of Southern California (90 points) as the No. 2 team in the nation following an 8-6 victory by the Bruins over the Trojans during the opening weekend. Stanford University (86 points) retains the No. 4 spot with University of the Pacific (80 points) shattering a tie with Long Beach State University (70 points) to attain sole custody of the No. 5 position.
The University of California-Davis (76 points) rises one position to No. 6 with Long Beach State dropping back to No. 7.
The University of California-Santa Barbara (65 points) holds at No. 8, while Pepperdine University (58 points) takes over at No. 9.
Last week’s All-California Top 10 is broken up after the opening two days of competition as Princeton University (51 points) and San Jose State University (51 points) each rise and fall one position, respectively, to tie at No. 10.
The University of California-Irvine (49 points), the University of California-San Diego (35 points), Harvard University (35 points) and Loyola Marymount University (29 points) reposition to No. 12-to-15, respectively, with California Baptist University (26 points) and Fordham University (14 points) holding down the No. 16 and 17 berths.
Brown University (9 points) and St. Francis College Brooklyn (9 points) both ascend into a tie at No. 18 with the United States Naval Academy (8 points) cracking the Top 20.
2022 Men’s Varsity Top 20 (Week 1/September 7) |
|||
| Rank | Team | Preseason Poll | Points |
| 1 | University of California | 1 | 100 |
| 2 |
University of California-Los Angeles |
3 | 95 |
| 3 | University of Southern California |
2 | 90 |
| 4 | Stanford University | 4 |
86 |
| 5 |
University of the Pacific |
5 (T) | 70 |
| 6 | University of California-Davis |
7 | 76 |
| 7 | Long Beach State University |
5 (T) |
70 |
| 8 | University of California-Santa Barbara |
8 | 65 |
| 9 | Pepperdine University | 10 | 58 |
| 10 (T) |
San Jose State University | 9 | 51 |
| 10 (T) |
Princeton University |
11 | 51 |
| 12 |
University of California-Irvine |
12 | 49 |
| 13 |
University of California-San Diego |
13 (T) |
38 |
| 14 |
Harvard University |
16 | 35 |
| 15 |
Loyola Marymount University |
15 | 29 |
| 16 |
California Baptist University |
13 (T) |
26 |
| 17 |
Fordham University |
17 |
14 |
| 18 (T) |
Brown University |
19 |
9 |
| 18 (T) |
St. Francis College Brooklyn |
20 | 9 |
| 20 |
United States Naval Academy |
RV |
8 |
| RV | Santa Clara University |
RV | 5 |
| RV | George Washington University |
RV | 4 |
| RV | Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges |
NR | 2 |
| RV | Pomona-Pitzer Colleges |
18 | 2 |
| RV | United States Air Force Academy |
RV | 2 |
| RV | Wagner College |
NR | 1 |
| RV | Bucknell University |
RV | 1 |
2022 Men’s Varsity Division III Top 10 (Week 1/September 7)
The reign of Pomona-Pitzer Colleges as the No. 1 team in Division III continues as the Sagehens lead the Week 1/September 7 Men’s Varsity Division III Top 10 Poll.
Pomona-Pitzer (99 points) and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (95 points) remain at No. 1 and 2, while California Lutheran University (94 points) takes over at No. 3 after the opening weekend of 2022 competition.
Whittier College (77 points) and Johns Hopkins University (77 points) are now tied at No. 4 with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (76 points) hanging on at No. 6 for another week.
The University of La Verne (70 points), the University of Redlands (59 points), Chapman University (57 points) and Occidental College (38 points) complete the Week 1 Top 10.
2022 Men’s Varsity Division III Top 10 (Week 1/September 7) |
|||
| Rank | Team | Preseason Poll | Points |
| 1 | Pomona-Pitzer Colleges |
1 | 99 |
| 2 | Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges |
2 | 95 |
| 3 | California Lutheran University |
4 | 91 |
| 4 (T) |
Johns Hopkins University | 5 | 77 |
| 4 (T) |
Whittier College |
3 |
77 |
| 6 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
6 | 76 |
| 7 | University of La Verne |
9 |
70 |
| 8 | University of Redlands |
7 | 59 |
| 9 | Chapman University |
8 | 52 |
| 10 | Occidental College |
RV | 38 |
| RV | Austin College |
10 | 28 |
| RV | Washington & Jefferson College |
RV | 13 |
2022 Men’s Varsity Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Top 5 (Week 1/September 7)
The United States Naval Academy – which finished as the runner-up at the 2021 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Championship – dislodges defending league champion Fordham University to assume the top spot in the Week 1/September 7 MAWPC Top Five Poll.
The Midshipmen (96 points) hold a narrow lead as Fordham (95 points) and George Washington University (94 points) are one and two points behind Navy, respectively.
Wagner College (84 points) moves up one place to No. 4 and Johns Hopkins University (49 points) cracks the Top Five in the final position.
The MAWPC features 11 teams with Fordham, George Washington, Navy, Wagner, Johns Hopkins, Bucknell 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 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Top 5 (Week 1/September 7) |
|||
| Rank | Team | Preseason Poll | Points |
| 1 | United States Naval Academy |
3 (T) | 96 |
| 2 | Fordham University |
1 |
95 |
| 3 |
George Washington University |
2 | 94 |
| 4 | Wagner College |
5 | 84 |
| 5 | Johns Hopkins University | RV | 49 |
| RV | Bucknell University | 3 (T) | 32 |
2022 Men’s Varsity Northeast Water Polo Conference Top 5 (Week 1/September 7)
Defending Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) champion Princeton University retains top-billing in the Week 1/September 7 NWPC Top Five Poll.
The 2018 and 2021 NWPC Champion Tigers (100 points) become a unanimous No. 1 selection, but see their lead over three-time (2016, 2017, 2019) NWPC Champion Harvard University (95 points) and St. Francis College Brooklyn (89 points) shrink and expand to five and 11 points, respectively, after Crimson and Terriers were tied at No. 2 and within seven votes of Princeton (99-to-92) last week.
Harvard and St. Francis Brooklyn now rate at No. 2 and 3 with Brown University (86 points) and Iona University (80 points) 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.
2022 Men’s Varsity Northeast Water Polo Conference Top 5 (Week 1/September 7) |
|||
| Rank | Team | Preseason Poll | Points |
| 1 | Princeton University | 1 | 100 |
| 2 |
Harvard University |
2 (T) |
95 |
| 3 | St. Francis College Brooklyn |
2 (T) | 89 |
| 4 | Brown University |
4 |
86 |
| 5 | Iona University |
5 | 80 |
