BRIDGEPORT, Pa — Princeton University men’s water polo athlete Roko Pozaric (Sr., Zagreb, Croatia/Gimnazija Titusa Brezovackog) is among five Tigers’ student-athletes named finalists for the 2025 William Winston Roper Trophy which is awarded annually to a Princeton senior man of high scholastic rank and outstanding qualities of sportsmanship and general proficiency in athletics. The award is presented by Mrs. William W. Roper and the Class of 1902.
The William Winston Roper Trophy will be presented at the Gary Walters ’67 Princeton Varsity Club Awards Banquet on Thursday, May 22, starting at 5:00 p.m. Eastern.
ROKO POZARIC | Men’s Water Polo
A four time Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) All-America selection and three time Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) Most Valuable Player (MVP) for Princeton men’s water polo, Pozaric is the institution’s all-time leading goal scorer with 281 tallies while also ranking second all-time in assists. Arguably the best player in program history, the economics major from Zagreb, Croatia, made an immediate impact when he arrived at Princeton, being named the NWPC Rookie of the Year and Rookie of the Tournament on his way to his first All-America honor.
In 2023, Pozaric had a career year and received recognition as the NWPC Tournament MVP and was named a Cutino Award finalist, an award presented annually by the Olympic Club to honor the nation’s most outstanding male and female water polo athletes. He has helped transform the program into a national contender, winning the conference title four years in a row, making it to the Final Four in 2023 behind a program record 28 wins, finishing ranked fifth in the country the last two seasons and beating two of the water polo “Big Four”, in the University of California and Stanford University, during his career. Pozaric is a four time First Team All-NWPC performer, 14-time conference player of the week and won 90% of his sprints over his four years with the Tigers.
Information courtesy Princeton University Athletics Communications
