Update from Head Water Polo Coach John McBride -- May 2023

Hello from Bison Water Polo,

The women competed at the CWPA Championships last weekend and lost both games vs. Harvard and Brown. Harvard went on to the finals against Princeton, and Princeton ended up winning the berth to the NCAA post-season.

This team has been through a lot this year. Our overall numbers were down, which made practicing very difficult, and our schedule was developed for a roster of 21 women, but we only had 12 left to end the year. There were many reasons for this, but ultimately, these 12 women fought until the end. I couldn’t be any prouder of this group. They are tough women, and the seniors will enter this world in a few weeks and significantly impact their chosen careers. The first-year students now know what it takes to win and what it feels like to lose. We will see a new and improved women’s water polo team in the 2023-24 season.

The incoming class for next year is strong. We’ve added six women to the roster, and they will immediately make an impact. We will have a minimum of 16 players on the roster, so we will grow and return to where we were just a couple of years ago.

Thank you to the alums and parents for sticking with us during this challenging season. The parents showed up in large groups, and their support never wavered. Seeing them in the stands every weekend was great, and I could hear them cheering above our opponents’ parents. We had several alums show up for games as well, and as always, it was great to reconnect. I also want to thank everyone for their support during One Herd One Day. We smashed our fundraising goal for the year again, and that commitment to Bucknell Water Polo continues to reach great heights.

I hope everyone has a great summer, and I hope that everyone can make it back for reunion weekend!! We will see you on deck in the fall of 2023!

All my best,

John McBride
Head Water Polo Coach
Bucknell University
jwm035@bucknell.edu
Office# (570) 577-1777
Cell# (570) 238-6653

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