PHILADELPHIA -- Champions in the pool and in the classroom, the UCLA Bruins had 18 members of its 2024 NCAA Championship squad capture ACWPC All-Academic accolades, as announced by the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) today. The Bruins defeated Stanford, 17-14, in the semifinals and went on to beat USC, 11-8, to capture its 13th NCAA Championship on Dec. 8, 2024 at Stanford. The Bruins also finished in the top 20 nationally (16th) with a team grade point average of 3.39, the highest in the MPSF West above California, Stanford, and USC.
Student-athletes eligible for the ACWPC All-Academic award must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or higher in the current season. Athlete merit levels include "excellent" (3.2 to 3.4), "superior" 3.41 to 3.7 and "outstanding" 3.71 to 4.0.
UCLA had three players attain "outstanding" marks this past academic year. Earning ACWPC All-Academic honors was freshman attacker Andrew Spencer (Los Altos, Calif./Sacred Heart Prep), redshirt freshman defender Max Matthews (Tiburon, Calif./Redwood HS), and graduate center/defender Nico Tierney (Sierra Madre, Calif./Harvard-Westlake School/Pepperdine).
The Bruins placed 10 on the "superior" list, which included freshman attacker Alex Heenan (Los Angeles, Calif./Harvard-Westlake School), sophomore utility Ben Liechty (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor HS), redshirt junior attacker Chase Dodd (Long Beach, Calif./Huntington Beach HS), junior utility Gray Carson (Long Beach, Calif./Woodrow Wilson HS), freshman center/defender Harry Tucker (Perth, Australia/Wesley College), freshman goalkeeper Joey Kent (Huntington Beach, Calif./JSerra Catholic HS), graduate attacker Makoto Kenney (Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Harbor HS), junior attacker Noah Rowe (North Tustin, Calif./Foothill HS), redshirt junior attacker Trey Doten (Davis, Calif./Davis Senior HS), and redshirt sophomore attacker Vinnie Merk (Huntington Beach, Calif./Mater Dei HS).
Five Bruins earned "excellent" honors in 2024, which included redshirt sophomore utility Ben Larsen (Lafayette, Calif./Campolindo HS), redshirt junior center Eli Liechty (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor HS), redshirt freshman goalkeeper Nate Tauscher (Sunset Beach, Calif./Mater Dei HS), freshman utility Peter Castillo (Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Harbor HS), and sophomore attacker Wade Sherlock (Long Beach, Calif./Orange Lutheran HS).
Champions in the pool and in the classroom, the UCLA Bruins had 18 members of its 2024 NCAA Championship squad capture ACWPC All-Academic accolades.
ACWPC All-Academic award winners must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or higher.