CLOVIS, Calif. — The University of California San Diego men's water polo team won its 19th Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) Championship on Sunday, defeating rival UC Davis,11-10, at Clovis West Olympic Swim Complex.
It's the second conference title in the last four seasons for UC San Diego (19-5), with both victories coming against UC Davis (18-8).
Redshirt junior Kacper Langiewicz scored four goals for the Tritons, while redshirt sophomore Jack Ranj and junior Cooper Milton both scored twice, junior Skyler Munatones recorded three assists and redshirt junior goalkeeper Jack Turner finished with 15 saves in the net.
Turner was named WWPA tournament MVP, and was joined on the WWPA Championship First-Team by Langiewicz and sophomore Connor Turnbow-Lindenstadt.
UC San Diego will host an NCAA Championship Play-In game next weekend at Canyonview Aquatic Center.
A Langiewicz tip-in goal over two UC Davis defenders off an assist from Turnbow-Lindenstadt put the Tritons on top 10-6 with just over seven minutes remaining. Milton followed with a break-away goal off a nice pass from Munatones to make it 11-6 with 6:35 left to play.
WWPA All-Tournament Team
MVP: Jack Turner, R-Jr., UC San Diego
First Team:
James Burke, So., Air Force
Blazo Mitrovic, Fr., Loyola Marymount
Alex Athymaritis, Jr., Loyola Marymount
Ido Goldschmidt, Sr., UC Davis
R.J. Quigley, Sr., UC Davis
Connor Turnbow-Lindenstadt, So., UC San Diego
Kacper Langiewicz, R-Jr., UC San Diego
Jack Turner, R-Jr., UC San Diego
Second Team:
Alfredo De La Mora, Sr., Concordia
Kyle Eoff, Sr., Fresno Pacific
Tanner Shore, Sr., Cal Baptist
Reilley May, Sr/, Santa Clara
Luke Andres, Jr., Air Force
Joe Shaw, So., Loyola Marymount
Riley Venne, Sr., UC Davis
Calder Hilde-Jones, So., UC San Diego
About UC San Diego Athletics
With 30 national team championships, nearly 150 individual titles and the top student-athlete graduation rate among Division II institutions in the United States, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program annually ranks as one of the most successful in the country. The Tritons sponsor 23 intercollegiate sport programs that compete on the NCAA Division I and II levels and, in summer 2020, will transition into full Division I status as a member of the Big West Conference. UC San Diego student-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent. A total of 80 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 36 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. In competition, more than 1,300 UC San Diego student-athletes have earned All-America honors.
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