Aug. 27, 2007

Collegiate Water Polo Association Men's National Top 20 Preseason Poll

STANFORD, Calif. - The Stanford men's water polo team will begin the 2007 season in the No. 4 spot in the Collegiate Water Polo Association Men's National Top 20 Preseason Poll, which was announced Monday. All eight Mountain Pacific Sports Federation schools earned spots in the Top 20, with the Nos. 1-7 spots in the poll going to MPSF schools.

Stanford returns four of their five All-American selections from a year ago for the 2007 season, including second-team selection Will Hindle-Katel, a junior utility who finished fourth on the squad last season with 32 goals. Twin utilities Drac (35 goals) and Janson Wigo (33 goals) each earned All-American honorable mention nods, while goalkeeper Sandy Hohener also nabbed All-American honorable mention recognition for a season in which he made 131 saves in 17 games.

The Cardinal placed fourth in both the MPSF regular season standings and the conference tournament in 2006. Stanford posted a 17-9 overall record (5-3 MPSF) and despite not qualifying for the NCAA Championships, concluded the year with a No. 4 final national ranking.

Stanford, at No. 4, is sandwiched between three MPSF schools in the Top 7. On one side are top-ranked USC, No. 2 California, and No. 3 UCLA, while on the other side, UC Irvine, Pepperdine, and UC Santa Barbara take up the Nos. 5-7 slots. Long Beach State and Pacific, the two remaining MPSF teams, are ranked ninth and 13th, respectively.

Nearly two weeks ago, the MPSF released its preseason coaches poll, in which the 1-8 spots mirror that of the MPSF schools' order in relation to one another in the national polls.