The University of Redlands landed both Offensive and Defensive Athletes of the Year as Andrew Higginson and Roberto Barrera led the 2023 SCIAC Men’s Water Polo All-Conference teams.

Higginson led the Bulldogs with 32 goals scored in conference play as Redlands tied for the regular season title behind the league’s top offense. With his versatile skillset , he frequently was tasked with locking down the opponent’s best player or guarding the 2-meter while contributing fluidly on offense as the center or on the perimeter. 

Barrera was the last line of defense for the conference’s stingiest unit that allowed a meager 7.5 goals per game. He registered a phenomenal .596 save percentage on 81 stops with a 6.7 goals-against average while between the posts. He added 12 steals and four assists in just eight games as he missed three late in the season while competing for the Mexico National Team at the Pan-American Games.

CMS lefty attacker Nick Kennedy earned Newcomer of the Year recognition after leading the co-regular season champion Stags in goals, assists and points during conference play. His contributions were key to the Stags ranking second in goal difference by just four and earning the top seed in the SCIAC Tournament.

The Character Award was presented to Chapman University’s Jacob Bullock in acknowledgment of his success in the pool, classroom and with involvement in community and school service. A two-time team captain, Bullock has involved his team in a variety of community initiatives including cleaning up in local Hart Park and wrapping blankets in ribbon to gift children at CHOC Hospital. Conscientious of his and the team’s impact on people and in spaces they occupy, he is routinely the last one on the bus ensuring the locker room and pool deck are left clean or deep in conversation with someone who helped support the facility hosting their game.

Greg Lonzo was recognized with his third Coaching Staff of the Year award after leading CMS from third place last season to a tie for the regular season title in 2023. The Stags dropped a single game over conference play in overtime to Redlands on the last day of the regular season with the second-highest goal difference in the league - just four out of first and 21 more than the third-ranked squad. Under his tutelage this season, a conference-high four players were named First Team All-SCIAC.

Redlands led the conference with five total selections, followed by CMS’ four First Team picks and three total from Pomona-Pitzer Colleges. Christian Guillaume of Occidental College made the step up to the First Team after consecutive Second Team appearances each of the last two seasons while Aidan Nettekoven and Luke "Bear" Weigle of CMS repeated on the First Team. The 2021 Newcomer of the Year and a Second Team choice, University of La Verne's Peter Trinh, was one of three others to step up from the Second Team, along with CMS' Cristian Pang and Chapman University's Everett Prussak. Fellow Panther Nate Randolph earned a third straight Second Team accolade and Redlands' Ron Gvishi repeated on the Second Team.
 

Offensive Athlete of the Year	Defensive Athlete of the Year	Newcomer of the Year	Character  Award	Coaching Staff of the Year
Andrew Higginson Redlands	Roberto Barrera Redlands	Nick Kennedy CMS	Jacob Bullock Chapman	Greg Lonzo CMS

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