CMS Men's Water Polo Picked Third in Preseason National Division III Poll

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's water polo team was picked to finish third in the nation in the Collegiate Water Polo Association preseason Division III poll, which was released this afternoon.

The rankings take on added significance this season, which will mark the inaugural year of the NCAA Division III Men's Water Polo Championship. In the past, the SCIAC champion was either invited to the eight-team NCAA Tournament to compete against teams from all divisions, or put into a one-game playoff for the right to qualify for nationals. This year, the NCAA will field a four-team Division III championship for the first time, with two teams from the SCIAC and two from the East Coast earning invitations. 

The Stags are coming off a 16-11 season which saw them finish as the runner-up in the SCIAC Tournament after a third-place finish in the regular season, ending the year tied for second in the final CWPA Division III poll. Defending champion Pomona-Pitzer was picked first in this year's preseason poll, followed by Whittier in second, CMS in third and Cal Lutheran in fourth. MIT (fifth) and Johns Hopkins (eighth) are the two non-SCIAC teams to earn a spot in the national poll. 

CMS will test itself this season against a number of opponents who are ranked in the top 20 national poll, including hosting two of the top seven teams in the country. An early-season match-up with No. 1 Southern California as part of the Inland Empire Classic will take place at Axelrood Pool on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 12 noon, while the Stags also host No. 7 Pepperdine as part of the Gary Troyer Tournament on Saturday, Oct. 5. CMS opens the year at the UC San Diego Triton Invitational on Sept. 7, where it will meet the host Tritons (No. 9) and UC Irvine (No. 13) on its first day of competition, and also play No. 7 UC Santa Barbara on Sunday, Sept. 15 on the second day of the Inland Empire Classic. 

The Stags will begin SCIAC play on Saturday, Sept. 21 with a home match against Caltech, and will host its final regular season home match against Pomona-Pitzer on Wednesday, Nov. 13.