Being John Vargas
John Vargas, Stanford men’s water polo coach the past 20 years, retired unexpectedly last week. After four decades—in a career that includes three NCAA titles and appearances as a player and coach for the U.S.— what’s next for one of America’s top polo strategists?
An Immigrants' (Water Polo) Tale: Jovana & Matej Sekulic Land at Princeton
Jovana and Matej Sekulic are exceptional in the classroom—as evidenced by their admission to Princeton University—and in the water. Brother and sister play for Tigers' water polo, with Jovana making a splash this season as a freshman.
Top Five Stories from 2021: No 5—Water Polo is Back!
Man w/a Hat is looking at the 5 biggest water polo stories for 2021. Up first; after a year of COVID-19-related cancellations, a slew of major tournaments took place.
View From the East: Princeton Emerges as Region’s Best
By virtue of beating #17 Fordham in the 1st round of the 2021 NCAA Men’s Water Polo Tournament, #11 (T) Princeton moves on to the quarterfinals and mighty UCLA. The Tigers are but one of many stories that defined East Coast men’s polo this season.
My Mostly Excellent Water Polo Adventure in Cambridge, MA
Despite a St. Francis blowout loss to Harvard, the Man with a Hat’s travels to Cambridge were good—especially a 12-9 match where Princeton beat host Harvard, cementing the Tigers’ status as the team to beat in the East.
Contenders or Pretenders: Teams from the Northeast Harbor NCAA Hopes
Brown, Harvard, Princeton and St. Francis—the NWPC’s top teams—descend on Cambridge and Providence to determine who seizes control of the East’s most competitive men’s polo conference.
CWPA Top 20 Week Two: No Stopping Cal, Stanford, UCLA or USC
Six teams remain unbeaten in NCAA men’s varsity water polo; four of them—Cal, Stanford, UCLA and USC—are in the MPSF and occupy the top spots in this week’s CWPA Top 20 poll.