Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame
Kapecki, Garrin W.
Garrin W. Kapecki
- Induction:
- 2024
- Class:
- 1989
Garrin Kapecki is one of the finest water polo players in Bucknell history, and he earned Honorable Mention All-America honors following his junior and senior seasons. He was a three-time All-Mid-Atlantic Conference selection, claiming Second Team honors as a sophomore and First Team citations as a junior and senior, and in 1987 he was selected as the league’s Most Valuable Player.
Kapecki was selected to the All-Eastern Championship team in all four of his collegiate seasons, including First Team honors in his final three appearances. He helped lead the Bison to a league championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 1985, and he captained the team in 1987 and 1988. Kapecki was the second-leading scorer as a freshman on the 1985 championship team with 67 goals and 27 assists. It was his tally with 32 seconds remaining that gave Bucknell a dramatic 11-10 win over Navy in the Mid-Atlantic Conference championship game. The Bison went on to reach the finals in the Eastern Championships, which qualified them for the NCAA Tournament. They defeated Loyola Chicago in the seventh-place game at NCAAs to finish 25-9 with a final national ranking of 11.
Kapecki’s best individual season came as a junior in 1987, when he piled up 110 goals and 63 assists for 173 points en route to league MVP and Honorable Mention All-America honors. He played through a knee injury in his final season in 1988 but still finished with 64 goals and 16 assists while repeating as an Honorable Mention All-American.
Kapecki graduated ranked third on Bucknell’s all-time goals (316) and points (443) lists. He played on four straight winning teams that combined for a 67-41 mark under Hall of Fame head coaches Dick Russell and Lynn Comer Kachmarik.
Following his senior season, he was selected to play for the United States National “B” Team. He represented his country at the Mexico City Olympic Festival before being sidelined with the knee injury, and he also played in three more United States Olympic Festivals in 1989, 1991, and 1993. Kapecki was inducted into the Collegiate Water Polo Association Hall of Fame in 2019.
A native of Northbrook, Ill., Kapecki went on to a successful business career while continuing to play water polo as a member of the New York Athletic Club. He helped that team win four national championships, and he remained connected to the sport through numerous volunteer and administrative roles at the local and national levels, including chairman of Illinois Water Polo in the early 2000s. He also served as a color analyst for the Big Ten Network’s coverage of water polo for over 15 years.
Kapecki was selected to the All-Eastern Championship team in all four of his collegiate seasons, including First Team honors in his final three appearances. He helped lead the Bison to a league championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 1985, and he captained the team in 1987 and 1988. Kapecki was the second-leading scorer as a freshman on the 1985 championship team with 67 goals and 27 assists. It was his tally with 32 seconds remaining that gave Bucknell a dramatic 11-10 win over Navy in the Mid-Atlantic Conference championship game. The Bison went on to reach the finals in the Eastern Championships, which qualified them for the NCAA Tournament. They defeated Loyola Chicago in the seventh-place game at NCAAs to finish 25-9 with a final national ranking of 11.
Kapecki’s best individual season came as a junior in 1987, when he piled up 110 goals and 63 assists for 173 points en route to league MVP and Honorable Mention All-America honors. He played through a knee injury in his final season in 1988 but still finished with 64 goals and 16 assists while repeating as an Honorable Mention All-American.
Kapecki graduated ranked third on Bucknell’s all-time goals (316) and points (443) lists. He played on four straight winning teams that combined for a 67-41 mark under Hall of Fame head coaches Dick Russell and Lynn Comer Kachmarik.
Following his senior season, he was selected to play for the United States National “B” Team. He represented his country at the Mexico City Olympic Festival before being sidelined with the knee injury, and he also played in three more United States Olympic Festivals in 1989, 1991, and 1993. Kapecki was inducted into the Collegiate Water Polo Association Hall of Fame in 2019.
A native of Northbrook, Ill., Kapecki went on to a successful business career while continuing to play water polo as a member of the New York Athletic Club. He helped that team win four national championships, and he remained connected to the sport through numerous volunteer and administrative roles at the local and national levels, including chairman of Illinois Water Polo in the early 2000s. He also served as a color analyst for the Big Ten Network’s coverage of water polo for over 15 years.
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