PRINCETON, N.J. — Head coach Dustin Litvak of the Princeton University men’s water polo team announced the program’s incoming Class of 2028.
The Tigers welcome Nathan Banos, Tas Palcza, Gavin Appledorn and Teddy Rountree-Shtulman.
“In addition to two more incoming student-athletes to be announced later, we are excited to welcome these four outstanding young men to our program, the Princeton community and of course The Garden State,” Litvak said. “Gavin, Nathan, Tas and Teddy all hail from some of the top clubs in the nation and round out our roster nicely as we pursue our goal of competing for a conference and national title. This summer, Gavin and Nathan competed for Team USA at the Youth World Championships in Buenos Aires. Gavin’s club team, Newport Beach, won the Junior Olympics for the second year in a row. Tas’s high school team, J Serra Catholic HS, went undefeated last year going 30-0 in route to a CIF and Regional Championship. Teddy helped lead his high school team, Pasadena Poly Tech, to a 24-4 record, an appearance in the CIF Semi-Finals and was named his league’s MVP. All four of these guys know what it takes to get to the top and stay there and we look forward to having them join our strong group of returners.”
Nathan Banos
Corona Del Mara, Calif.
Mater Dei
High School: Senior Captain that earned the team Offensive Player of the Year … Recorded Trinity League All-League and All-CIF Team in 2022-23 … Team won the Trinity League title in 2021 and reached the CIF Regional Finals … Also lettered in swimming … Member of the Mater Dei Teen with Disabilities Awareness Club … Principal’s Honor Roll all four years … Mater Dei Male Scholar Athlete of the Year.
Personal: Son of Minnie Resurreccion and Ricardo Banos … Has two sisters, Natalia and Samantha … Sister, Natalia, swam at Boston University … Sister, Samantha, swims at the University of California-Santa Barbara … Was coached by Princeton men’s water polo alum Wyatt Benson ’22 his senior season.
Tas Palcza
Huntington Beach, Calif.
JSerra Catholic HS
High School: CIF Varsity Water Polo Third Team … USA Water Polo All-America First Team … Set school swimming records in the 200Y IM, 200Y Medley Relay, 100Y Breastroke, 400Y Freestyle Relay and 200Y Freestyle Relay … Sunset Conference/Wave High School Swim League MVP … ODP National Youth Team … USA Water Polo Outstanding All-Academic … Part of JSerra’s 30-game winning streak … Squad won State Regional and CIF Open Division, Trinity League titles in 2022 and 2023 … CIF Open Division runner-up and Sunset Conference/Wave High School league title in 2021.
Personal: Son of Whitney Woodward and Zsolt Palcza … Has a sister, Talia.
Gavin Appledorn
Newport Beach, Calif.
Newport Harbor
High School: First-Team All-CIF … Top 15 NHHS Athlete … Junior Olympic Second-Team … Team won the CIF and CIF regional titles in 2022 … Squad was CIF runner-up in 2023 … Junior Olympic 2023 Champions … Won the Michael Grier Award …. NHHS Link Crew … AP Scholar with Distinction … USA Water Polo All-Academic.
Personal: Son of Tyler and Randy Appledorn … Has a sister, Parker, and brother, Fletcher.
Teddy Rountree-Shtulman
Pasadena, Calif.
Polytechnic
High School: Prep League MVP (2023) … Poly Invitational Tournament MVP (2022) … Prep League Second Team (2022) … All-CIF Division III (2023) … Helped team get promoted from CIF Division V (2-20) to Division III (2022-23) … School’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 and MVP in 2023 … Member of the student government … Upper School Community Engagement Council … Vocal Ensemble … Spring Musical … Eric D. Stelter Chemistry Award … USA Water Polo All-Academic … AP Scholar.
Personal: Son of Kathleen Rountree and Andrew Shtulman … Has a sister, Lucy Rountree-Shtulman … Parents are members of the Princeton Class of 2001.
Release courtesy Princeton University Athletics Communications
