Jan. 13, 2009
BALTIMORE, MD – The Johns Hopkins water polo team ended the season ranked #1 in the final CWPA Division III poll of the season. The Blue Jays posted a 17-17 record in 2008, winning its 11th Division III Eastern Championship, finishing as the runner-up at the ECAC, third at the Southern Championships and sixth at the Eastern Championships.
This marks the second time in program history that Hopkins has been ranked #1 in the final poll. The Blue Jays finished the 2005 season ranked #1 with a 24-6 record and going unbeaten against Division III competition. Hopkins lost just one game to a Division III team in 2008, an 11-8 loss at then #1 Redlands.
Hopkins was led this season by senior captains Josh Kratz (Lansdale, PA/North Penn) and Alex Bond (North Wales, PA/Germantown Academy) and senior goalie Chris Hutchens (Granite Bay, CA/Bellarmine Prep). Kratz scored a career-high 60 goals to go along with 42 assists for a team-best 102 points. Bond, the Blue Jays best defensive player, notched 21 goals and a team-best 45 assists. Hutchens finished the season fourth in the nation, among all divisions, in saves per game with 10.43. He also led the team in steals with 43.
2008 Division III Poll (December 3)
Rk Team-Last- Points
1 Johns Hopkins-1-97
2 University of Redlands-2-96
3 California Lutheran-3-88
4 Pomona Pitzer Colleges-T4-81
5 MIT-T4-79
6 Occidental College-6-77
7 Claremont Mudd-Scripps-7-76
8 Whittier-8-62
9 UC Santa Cruz-9-60
10 Chapman-10-48
RV La Verne-RV-11
