BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Men’s Collegiate Club Spotlight spins to the Northwest Division of Boise State University, Central Washington University, Oregon State University, the University of Oregon “A”, the University of Oregon “B”, the University of Washington and Western Washington University.
HISTORY: Currently comprised of programs from Idaho (Boise State), Oregon (Oregon State, Oregon “A”, Oregon “B”) and Washington (Central Washington, Washington, Western Washington), the Northwest Division was formed in 1998.
The trio of Oregon, Oregon State and Washington have dominated the division over the past 22 seasons as the Ducks, Beavers and Huskies have combined for each division crown and 20 runner-up finishes.
Washington holds the most title game appearances with 16 as the Huskies placed first (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2009, 2016) and second (2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017) eight times. Oregon State holds 14 championship appearances with six victories (2003, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019) and eight runner-up marks (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2010, 2012, 2016), while Oregon notched eight crowns (2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013) and four second place results (2006, 2009, 2014, 2018).
Outside the “Big Three”, Boise State (2019) and former division member Washington University (1998) each hold one runner-up finish.
On the National level, Washington advanced to the 2000 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship title game, but fell to Michigan State University. The result was the opposite of the 2000 Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship in which Washington downed Michigan State for the only National Championship in the history of the division (men’s or women’s competition).
Northwest Division Champion/Runner-Up
1998 – University of Washington / Washington State University
1999 – University of Washington / Oregon State University
2000 – University of Washington / Oregon State University
2001 – University of Washington / Oregon State University
2002 – University of Washington / Oregon State University
2003 – Oregon State University / University of Washington
2004 – University of Oregon / Oregon State University
2005 – University of Oregon / University of Washington
2006 – University of Washington / University of Oregon
2007 – University of Oregon / University of Washington
2008 – University of Oregon / University of Washington
2009 – University of Washington / University of Oregon
2010 – University of Oregon / Oregon State University
2011 – University of Oregon / University of Washington
2012 – University of Oregon / Oregon State University
2013 – University of Oregon / University of Washington
2014 – Oregon State University / University of Oregon
2015 – Oregon State University / University of Washington
2016 – University of Washington / Oregon State University
2017 – Oregon State University University of Washington
2018 – Oregon State University University of Oregon
2019 – Oregon State University / Boise State University
National Collegiate Club Champion/Runner-Up
- 2000 – Michigan State University / University of Washington
THE TEAMS: Spanning Idaho, Oregon and Washington, the Northwest Division covers an area of 253,263 square miles.
Boise State University
The only men’s collegiate club team competing in the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) from the State of Idaho, the Broncos of Boise State University have risen up the ranks of the Northwest Division’s best teams to finish second in the group during the 2019 season.
Founded in 1932, Boise State offers more than 100 graduate programs, including the MBA and MAcc programs in the College of Business and Economics; Masters and PhD programs in the Colleges of Engineering, Arts & Sciences, and Education; and the MPA program in the School of Public Service. Boise State has invested in the future over the past decade, including spending over $300 million since 2003 on academic, residential, and athletics facilities across campus.
Located near downtown Boise, on the south bank of the Boise River, the 285-acre campus the school has approximately 24,000 students enrolled during an academic year. Approximately 76 percent of these students are Idaho residents, with the remaining 24 percent coming from out of state or out of country. The school has the largest graduate enrollment in Idaho.
For more information on the Boise State men’s collegiate club team, contact Eli Foli (elifoli@u.boisestate.edu).
- Facebook (@Boise-State-Club-Water-Polo)
- Website (https://www.boisestate.edu/recreation/sports/clubsports/waterpolo/)
Central Washington University
Located in Ellensburg, Wash., Central Washington University was founded in 1891 and consists of four divisions: the President’s Division, Business and Financial Affairs, Operations, and Academic and Student Life (ASL). Within ASL are four colleges: the College of Arts and Humanities, the College of Business, the College of Education and Professional Studies, and College of the Sciences. CWU is considered an emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution with 15 percent Hispanic students.
The Wildcats’ student population is comprised of 12,342 students with 11,419 undergraduates and 923 graduate students.
For more information on the Central Washington men’s collegiate club team, contact Olivia MacDougall (Olivia.McDougall@cwu.edu)
- Facebook (@cwuh2opolo)
- Website (https://www.cwu.edu/sport-clubs/water-polo)
Oregon State University
A six-time Northwest Division Champion (2003, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019) and eight-time runner-up (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2010, 2012, 2016), the Beavers of Oregon State University have been the preeminent team in the group over the last decade.
Since 2010, OSU has achieved eight title game appearances with five championships (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019) – including the last three crowns.
Located in Corvallis, Ore. – the 10th largest city in the state, the university offers more than 200 undergraduate degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees. With a student enrollment approaching 32,000, it is Oregon’s largest university.
OSU is one of 73 land-grant universities in the United States. The school is also a sea-grant, space-grant, and sun-grant institution, making it one of only four U.S. institutions to obtain all four designations. (University of Hawaii at Manoa, Cornell University and Pennsylvania State University are the only others with similar designation.)
Founded in 1856, the school’s 420-acre main campus is located in Corvallis, in the Willamette Valley, is considered one of the safest in the nation.
Oregon State University is one of the few universities to have ROTC detachments for each branch of the US Military. Oregon State University Army ROTC is a distinguished program and has been taught regularly since 1873. After the Second World War ended in 1945, a Department of Naval Science was added at Oregon State. Providing officer training for the both the US Navy and the US Marine Corps, it is now one of the largest in the nation and has earned the unofficial title “Naval Academy of the Northwest.” The Oregon State Air Force ROTC draws more freshmen scholarships than any other AFROTC unit in the nation and has had over 1,000 officers commissioned.
In Fall 2019, total student enrollment was 31,719, the largest among all Oregon universities, as the school holds a 78.4% admission rate.
For more information on the Oregon State men’s collegiate club team, contact either Andrew Kauffman (kauffmaa@oregonstate.edu) or the team’s general email account (mens.waterpolo@oregonstate.edu).
- Facebook (@OSUMensWaterPoloClub)
University of Oregon
An eight-time champion (2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013) and four-time runner-up (2006, 2009, 2014, 2018), the Ducks of the University of Oregon rate as a consistent threat to fly together to another championship during each year of Northwest Division competition.
Currently fielding both “A” and “B” teams in the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA), the school is located in Eugene, Ore., and was founded in 1876 on a 295-acre campus along the Willamette River.
Oregon is organized into five colleges (Arts and Sciences, Business, Design, Education, and Honors) and seven professional schools (Accounting, Architecture and Environment, Art and Design, Journalism and Communication, Law, Music and Dance, and Planning, Public Policy and Management) and a graduate school. Furthermore, UO offers 316 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Most academic programs follow the 10 week Quarter System with the exception of the law school, which operates on the Semester System.
The current UO student body is composed of students from all 50 of the United States, the District of Columbia, two U.S. territories, and 89 countries around the world. Pre-Business Administration is the most popular undergraduate major at UO (12.3% of all majors), followed by Psychology (6.4%), Human Physiology (5.3%), Economics (4.8%) and Business Administration (4.4%).
For students entering Fall 2019, 22,329 freshmen were accepted out of 27,358 applicants, an 81.6% acceptance rate, and 4,525 enrolled for a yield of 20.3%.
The school’s Duck mascot is unique for a college. The popular Disney character Donald Duck has been the mascot for decades, thanks to a handshake agreement between then-Athletic Director Leo Harris and Walt Disney in 1947. The mascot has been challenged more than a few times in its lifetime. The first came in 1966 when Walt Disney died and the company realized there was no formal contract written for the use of Donald’s image. A formal contract was written up in 1973. It is one of two schools with permission to use a Disney character as its mascot – joining J.W. Hallahan High School in Philadelphia which holds rights to Mickey Mouse.
For more information on the Oregon men’s collegiate club team, contact Jonathan Beasley (jbeasle3@uoregon.edu).
- Facebook (@University-of-Oregon-Water-Polo)
- Website (https://clubsports.uoregon.edu/clubs/water-polo-men)
University of Washington
The most successful team in the history of the men’s Northwest Division with eight championships (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2009, 2016) and another eight second place finishes (2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017), the Huskies of the University of Washington have appeared in 16 of the past 22 division title games since 1998.
Founded in 1861 in Seattle, Wash., Washington offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees through 140 departments in various colleges and schools, sees about 46,000 in total student enrollment every year, and functions on a quarter system.
For Fall 2019, 23,606 (51.8%) were accepted out of 45,584 applications. The University uses capacity constrained majors, a gate-keeping process that requires most students to apply to an internal college or faculty. New applications are usually considered once or twice annually, and few students are admitted each time. The screening process is often stringent, largely being based on cumulative academic performance, recommendation letters and extracurricular activities.
University of Washington had 47,571 total enrollments as of Autumn 2019, making it the largest university on the West Coast by student population in spite of its selective admissions process. It also boasts one of the most diverse student bodies within the US, with more than 50% of its undergraduate students being members of minority groups.
For more information on the Washington men’s collegiate club team, contact either Truman Sulewski (trumansulewski@gmail.com) or Justin Zhao (jz1999@uw.edu).
- Facebook (@dawgpolo)
- Website (https://students.washington.edu/dawgpolo/)
Western Washington University
Western Washington University is the northernmost university in the contiguous United States and was founded in 1893.
The third third largest college/university in Washington after Washington State University and the University of Washington, WWU offers a variety of bachelor’s and master’s degrees for a student body of over 16,000 – with over 84% from the State of Washington.
WWU is located in Bellingham, a city of about 90,000 people, overlooking Bellingham Bay and many of the San Juan Islands. The university is 90 miles north of Seattle, 55 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia, and an hour’s drive from 10,778-foot Mount Baker.
Academic programs at Western Washington are unique as the school boasts one of the nation’s best philosophy departments among colleges and universities that offer only a B.A. in the discipline. Further, WWU’ss Vehicle Research Institute (VRI) strives to offer the best total car design curriculum in the world. The program focuses on complete vehicle design and fabrication with special emphasis on: power plants, including alternative fuels; transmissions; chassis design; and component materials. Finally, the Center for Canadian American Studies at Western Washington is one of only two U.S. Department of Education designated National Resource Centers for the study of Canada in the United States.
For more information on the Western Washington men’s collegiate club team, contact either Nathan Cutter (cuttern@wwu.edu) or the team’s general email account (westernwaterpolo@gmail.com).
- Instagram (@westernwaterpolo)
- Website (https://wp.wwu.edu/menswaterpolo/)