Mark R. Gensheimer (2022) - Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame

Mark R. Gensheimer

Induction:
2022
Class:
1981

A 2012 inductee into the Collegiate Water Polo Association Hall of Fame, MARK GENSHEIMER ’81 has taken his place among Bucknell’s best. Classmates with the great Scott Schulte, who is one of the all-time leading scorers in college water polo history, Gensheimer was a prolific scorer in his own right. His 244 goals, 152 assists, and 396 points all still rank among Bucknell’s best ever.

A tenacious player at both ends of the pool, Gensheimer was a key member of Bison teams that produced a 114-15-3 record with four straight Eastern Championships and four straight NCAA Tournament berths from 1977-80. Even more remarkable, those were the Bucknell men’s water polo program’s first four seasons at the varsity level.

As a senior, Gensheimer recorded 108 goals and 181 points on a team that finished 31-4-2 and placed seventh at NCAAs. He had 74 goals and 51 assists on a 27-3-1 team that finished fifth at NCAAs during his junior year. As a sophomore, he logged 20 goals and 17 assists on a squad that went 28-3 and took sixth in the national championship tournament. Gensheimer tallied 42 goals as a freshman when Bucknell finished 28-5, including a seventh-place NCAA finish. No goal was bigger than his tally in sudden-death overtime in Bucknell’s epic 21-20 win over Pittsburgh in the 1977 Eastern Championship game.

Gensheimer, who also competed on the Bison swimming and diving team, earned First Team All-Eastern Championship honors in 1980 and Second Team honors in 1977. After his junior year, he tallied 13 goals and nine assists in six games at the AAU indoor national championships, earning him AAU All-America honors.

After graduation, Gensheimer competed on the East Team at the 1981 U.S. Olympic Festival and helped the team win the gold medal. It was the only time in the history of that tournament that the winning team came from the East. He has since remained heavily involved in the sport of water polo, including a stint on the CWPA Board of Directors.