SEATTLE, Wash. – The Wheaton College (Mass.) men's water polo program will join the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation for conference play to begin in 2024, it was announced today by the MPSF.
"Wheaton is excited to join the MPSF for Men's Water Polo for many reasons, including the fact that our varsity artistic swimming team is already competing in the MPSF," said Wheaton Associate Vice President for Athletics & Strategic Programs Gavin Viano. "From a competitive standpoint as well as a recruiting standpoint, the MPSF is synonymous with a high-quality scholar-athlete experience. We have benefitted from this conference affiliation over the past few years, and we are excited to join the MPSF for an additional varsity sport in 2024."
The 2024 MPSF Men's Water Polo Championship Tournament is scheduled to feature nine teams—University of California Berkeley, Stanford University, University of California Los Angeles, and University of Southern California in the Western Division, along with Augustana College, Austin College, Pennsylvania State University Behrend, Washington & Jefferson College and Wheaton in the Eastern Division. Next year's Championship, which will be in its third-year of crowning a champion in each division, will be held at UCLA's Spieker Aquatics Center (Nov. 22-24, 2024).
Alana Burgess, the first-ever water polo Head Coach at Wheaton, is no stranger to the MPSF. Burgess was a four-year member of the nationally-ranked San Diego State University Women's Water Polo team during the Aztecs' MPSF years from 2008-12, and later helped San José State University register 17 wins as an assistant coach in 2016.
"As a previous student-athlete who competed in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, I am thrilled to return, this time as a coach," Burgess explained. "The MPSF has always provided a great competitive environment as well as championship opportunities. Wheaton Water Polo is honored to be the newest addition to this conference."
"We are excited to welcome another member of Wheaton College Athletics to the MPSF," exclaimed Foti Mellis, Executive Director of the MPSF. "The addition of Wheaton Men's Water Polo continues to strengthen our Division-III membership and will enrich an already exciting MPSF postseason tournament. I would like to thank Wheaton AD Gavin Viano for his continued support of the MPSF. We look forward to Wheaton's inaugural MPSF season in 2024."
Men's water polo will become the second sport sponsored by Wheaton to compete under the MPSF umbrella, joining Artistic Swimming, which joined the league prior to the 2022-23 season.
