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Bulldog Men's Water Polo
For more information on Bulldog Men's Water Polo, please scroll down.
Program Overview
 The addition of the Thompson Aquatic Center and consistent scheduling of Top 20 opponents has enabled
the Bulldogs to establish themselves as one of the top programs in NCAA Division III water polo. In 1999,
2001 and 2002,
Redlands won the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title with a perfect 8-0 record.
The Bulldogs are one of only two NCAA Division III teams to be ranked in the Final Top 20 poll in both 1998, 1999
and 2001. Senior captain Taj Jensen was named the 1999 SCIAC Player of the Year, and was one of five finalists
for the prestigious Peter J. Cutino National Player of the Year award which includes players from all NCAA divisions.
2002 Season Summary
The men’s water polo team has built a reputation as being the best
in the conference and this year proved to be no different as they
captured their second title in a row and their third title in four
years. The team went through a rocky start against some big name
schools, but when it came time to show the conference teams what
they were made of, the Bulldogs performed at their best. Senior T.J.
Harney (Newbury, OR) was one of the team’s greatest assets, scoring
37 goals on the season and earning a position on the Second Team
All-Western Water Polo Association. Fellow seniors,
James Graham (Novato, CA) and Matt Ackley (Libertyville, IL), were
also offensive threats for the team and their leadership will be
missed. Ready to pick up where this year’s seniors left off are
First Team All-Conference selection junior Adam Foley (Ashland, OR)
and Second Team pick sophomore Spencer Dinnean (Redding, CA). The
team will also be packed with a host of strong underclassmen ready
to defend their title as conference champions, as well as their
reputation as one of the best teams in Southern California.
About Coach Tom Whittemore
Tom Whittemore came to the U of R following a two-year coaching stint at his
alma mater, Claremont McKenna College. Since joining the Bulldog staff he has worked
as head men's and women's water polo coach, assistant swim coach, and director of
aquatics. From 1995-1999, he coached the Redlands women's water polo team to five consecutive
Collegiate III National Championships. Coach Whittemore was named
American Water Polo Association
Coach of the Year in 1996, 1998, 1999
and 2002 for women's water polo. In men's water polo, he
was named Western Water Polo Men's Coach of the Year for 1998
and 2001. In 1998, he led the team to a then-best fourth
place finish in the WWPA. Most recently, in 2001, he
raised his own bar by taking the team to a third place finish.
As a collegian, he was a four-year letterman in
swimming and a three time NCAA Division III qualifier. Whittemore
enjoys sports, doing crossword puzzles and traveling in his free
time.
2002 Team Schedule & Results | Team Roster | Week in Review
2001 Team Schedule &
Results
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