LEBANON, Ill. — McKendree University Director of Athletics Chuck Brueggemann announced that the institution’s men’s and women’s water polo teams, which debuted as club programs in the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) this year, will advance to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) varsity status for the 2017-18 academic year.
In addition to the elevation of the current water polo programs to varsity status, McKendree will continue sponsoring a men’s water polo team at the club level. In all, there will be three water polo programs competing for the University in 2017-18.
“We are excited about the fact that our water polo teams will be moving into NCAA varsity competition next year, and for years to come,” said Brueggemann. “Head coach Gregg Emde, his staff and his student-athletes have done a wonderful job in building a strong foundation for our men’s and women’s programs in just a short period of time. This move will allow our teams to continue to grow and will enable them to compete at the highest level, and we look forward to the impact this will have on McKendree University.”
The McKendree University men’s water polo varsity program will apply for membership in the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC), which is administered by the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA). The Bearcats have applied for membership in the West Region of the MAWPC with the goal of competing against NCAA members Gannon University, Mercyhurst University, Washington & Jefferson College, Salem International University, LaSalle University, Penn State Behrend, Monmouth College (Ill.) and Connecticut College.
This past Fall, the McKendree men’s water polo squad made its debut as a CWPA club program. The Bearcats won 12 matches in their inaugural season, finished second in the Missouri Valley Division and earned a berth in the 2016 Men’s National Collegiate Championship at the University of Notre Dame where McKendree finished Eighth in the nation.
The second men’s program that will participate in the Fall will continue as a member of the CWPA club division with intentions of continuing in the Missouri Valley Division.
In women’s water polo, McKendree has made application to the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA). If accepted into the conference membership, the Bearcats would become the eighth member of the WWPA, joining schools from each coast. Current WWPA members include Gannon, Mercyhurst, California State University-East Bay, California State University-Monterey Bay, Sonoma State University and the University of California-San Diego. Earlier in January, Fresno Pacific University was introduced as the seventh WWPA member to begin competition in the conference in 2017-18.
For the 2017 season, the McKendree women’s team will compete in the collegiate club ranks as a member of the CWPA’s Midwest Division. The team is slated to open its inaugural season of competition on Friday, February 3, at Brown University in Providence, R.I., against varsity competition as part of the Bruno Classic hosted by Brown University in Providence, R.I.
“This is great news for our both of our programs,” said Emde, who was hired in 2015 after leading Lindenwood University to a men’s National Collegiate Club Championship. “We are so pleased that the administration and athletic department has the confidence in the type of programs we are building. Our men’s team had a great debut season, and I know our women’s squad will have a great first season as well. This is an exciting next step for McKendree water polo, and we cannot wait for what the future holds for us.”
All three McKendree water polo teams will host their home matches at the McKendree Metro Rec Plex, a multi-purpose facility that opened earlier this month in O’Fallon, Ill. The McKendree Metro Rec Plex includes an NCAA-sanctioned aquatic center, two NHL-sized sheets of ice, fitness equipment and other amenities.
Information/release courtesy McKendree University Athletics Communications
