Brown University Men’s Water Polo Class of 2022 Video Announcement
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Brown University men’s water polo head coach Felix Mercado announced the Bears will welcome six incoming freshmen to the program for the 2018 season as part of the Class of 2022.
The class includes three student-athletes from the state of California and one each from Florida, Pennsylvania, and Greece. The group comprises two attackers, a utility, a center, a center defender, and a goalkeeper and represents six different high schools and five different club programs. All six of the newcomers measure above 6-feet tall, and three of them stand 6-foot-4 or taller.
The members of the Bears’ Class of 2022 are attacker Niko Bhatia (Los Altos, Calif.), attacker Gabe Kaplan (Santa Monica, Calif.), utility Andrew Penner (Atherton, Calif.), goalkeeper Ugo Piovan (Vouliagmeni, Greece), center defender Steve Salle (Chadds Ford, Pa.) and center Matt Simko (Coral Gables, Fla.).
Niko Bhatia
Position: Attacker
Height | Weight: 6-foot-0 | 180 lbs.
Hometown: Los Altos, Calif.
High School: Menlo School
Club Team: Stanford Water Polo Club
Prep Accolades: Served team as captain … Won a Junior Olympic title at the U16 level … Played for head coach Jack Bowen … Competed on the club level for Stanford Water Polo Club … Also competed in swimming for head coach Kelly Crowley … An academic high honors student.
Why Brown? “I chose Brown because of the atmosphere I got from the students who do not seem overly stressed. Brown is a place where you can go to have a balanced college experience, and that is exactly what I was looking for.”
Gabe Kaplan
Position: Attacker
Height | Weight: 6-foot-1 | 170 lbs.
Hometown: Santa Monica, Calif.
High School: Harvard-Westlake School
Club Team: Los Angeles Premier Water Polo Club
Prep Accolades: Earned All-Mission League honors … Helped lead team to CIF Division I finals in 2015 and semifinals in 2016 and 2017 … Captained team as a senior … Won a North/South Challenge title … Played for head coach Brian Flacks … Competed on the club level for Los Angeles Premier Water Polo Club … Won a state championship with LA Premier … Finished as runner up at the U18 Junior Olympics … Earned All-Academic honors.
Why Brown? “Brown is an unusually intellectually rich place where students are not bound by traditional structures. At Brown, students combine their creative passion and academic hunger in ways that are impossible at any other university. These are not mere conjectures – I learned about Brown by speaking with students about my passions and their own interests. Conversations on topics ranging from their academic and athletic interests to Rick and Morty to political discourse proved to me how special Brown is. Whether you are an athlete, an academic, or an artist, every person and idea is not only accepted at Brown but welcomed.”
Andrew Penner
Position: Utility
Height | Weight: 6-foot-4 | 180 lbs.
Hometown: Atherton, Calif.
High School: Deerfield Academy (Mass.)
Club Team: Stanford Water Polo Club
Prep Accolades: Earned First Team All-New England as a sophomore, junior, and senior … Scored 234 career goals in three years at Deerfield … Gained the Deerfield Academy Coaches’ Award … Played for head coach Mark Scandling … Competed on the club level for Stanford Water Polo Club … Also competed in swimming for head coach Mark Spencer.
Why Brown? “I chose Brown because of the academic and athletic future I see myself having there. I have also heard family and friends describe their years at Brown as some of the best of their lives thanks to the close community, which I saw for myself while visiting.”
Ugo Piovan
Position: Goalkeeper
Height | Weight: 6-foot-2 | 180 lbs.
Hometown: Vouliagmeni, Greece
High School: Athens College High School
Club Team: Vouliagmeni Nautical Club
Prep Accolades: Competed for the Greek Junior National Team, placing eighth at the 2017 European Championships in Malta, eighth at the 2017 Mediterranean World Cup in Montenegro, and second at the Balkan Games in Serbia in 2016 … Played for Vouliagmeni Nautical Club, winning the U17 National Championships in 2016 and both the U19 and U15 National Championships in 2015; finished second at the U17 National Championships in 2017 … Earned Most Valuable Goalkeeper at a pair of international tournaments, the 2017 Petros Skandalis and 2017 Lori Voutsinos … Played for coaches Panagiotis Primpas, Marios Kazdaglis, and Kostantinos Loudis … Member of school’s Chess Club and Math & Physics Club, competing in national competitions with both … Volunteered with All Together, an NGO in Greece, tutoring orphan children, and with ANFASS in Italy, working with mentally challenged children … Completed two internships in Stuttgart, Germany … Gained the National Academic Excellence Award all four years.
Why Brown? “What attracted me first to Brown was the intellect and diversity of the students. In Brown, I feel I will interact with intelligent and interesting people from all walks of life. Apart from that, I was really fascinated by both the prestigious academics and the competitive athletic programs. From one side, I genuinely feel that through Brown’s unique curriculum I will be able to satisfy my thirst for constantly exploring new ideas/concepts and eventually discover the type of engineer I want to become. From the other side, Brown can offer me the opportunity to continue playing water polo at a very competitive level with an amazing team. Indeed, during my recent visit I had the chance to live with my future teammates and spend time with them, and I must say that I immediately felt comfortable and at home.”
Steve Salle
Position: Center Defender
Height | Weight: 6-foot-6 | 200 lbs.
Hometown: Chadds Ford, Pa.
High School: Malvern Prep
Club Team: Frogmen Water Polo
Prep Accolades: Earned First Team All-Inter-Academic League three times … Gained NISCA All-America accolades … Led team to four Inter-Ac titles … Helped team win 2017 Eastern Prep title … Gained Inter-Ac MVP in 2016 … Won Team MVP honors in 2016 and 2017 … Tallied 239 goals, 208 assists, and 188 ejections drawn in career … Posted 80 goals, 47 assists, and 64 ejections drawn as a sophomore … Notched 73 goals, 59 assists, and 66 ejections drawn as a junior … Registered 65 goals, 82 assists, and 44 ejections drawn as a senior … Played for head coach Jay Schiller … Competed for the Northeast Zone ODP Team and Chelsea Piers.
Why Brown? “I chose Brown because it will challenge me both academically and athletically. The water polo team has a real family feel to it which I noticed when I first visited. It’s an amazing place that I can’t wait to attend for the next four years.”
Matt Simko
Position: Center
Height | Weight: 6-foot-5 | 220 lbs.
Hometown: Coral Gables, Fla.
High School: Ransom Everglades School
Club Team: Raider Water Polo Club
Prep Accolades: Garnered NISCA All-America accolades … Earned All-Dade County as a sophomore, junior, and senior, including First Team honors in 2017 … Won a state title in 2017 … Tallied 57 goals, 30 steals, and 19 assists in 2017 … Earned team’s Coaches Award and Most Promising Freshman award … Selected for ODP Southeast Zone Team in 2015, 2016, and 2017 … Attended USA National Team Selection Camp in 2015 and 2016 … Played for head coach Eric Lefebvre … Competed on the club level for Raider Water Polo Club and Miami Swimming … Also competed in swimming for head coach Andy de Angulo … National Honor Society student … Gained USA Water Polo All-Academic laurels.
Why Brown? “I chose Brown because it is a great opportunity to play high-level water polo, while still attending a great academic institution.”
