The 1986 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship was the 18th annual NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship to determine the national champion of NCAA men's collegiate water polo. Tournament matches were played at the Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach, California during December 1986.
Stanford defeated rival California in the final, 9–6, to win their sixth national title. Coached by Dante Dettamanti, the Cardinal finished the season undefeated, 36–0.
The Most Outstanding Players of the tournament were Fernando Carsalade (UCLA), David Imbernino (Stanford), and Craig Klass (Stanford). An All-Tournament Team of eight players was also named.
The tournament's leading scorer was Robert Lynn from USC (12 goals).
Qualification Since there has only ever been one single national championship for water polo, all NCAA men's water polo programs (whether from Division I, Division II, or Division III) were eligible. A total of 8 teams were invited to contest this championship.
Team Appearance PreviousAir Force5th1981Brown8th1985California13th1984Navy2nd1984Pepperdine5th1984USC9th1984Stanford14th1985UCLA15th1985
Bracket Site: Belmont Plaza Pool, Long Beach, California
All-tournament team Fernando Carsalade, UCLA (Co-Most outstanding player) David Imbernino, Stanford (Co-Most outstanding player) Craig Klass, Stanford (Co-Most outstanding player) Jeff Brush, California Kirk Everist, California Erich Fischer, Stanford Robert Lynn, USC Bill Schoening, California
See also NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship
References