Cuesta Men's Water Polo returns to action this weekend and begins its pursuit for more conference titles and playoff berths. Cuesta College Athletics and Western State Conference (WSC) Coach of the Year Greg Enloe also begins his second season at the helm of the college's most successful sport. Last year, Enloe did not join the team until a month into the campaign but guided the program to its 30th conference title and 44th straight playoff berth. The Cougars' 3rd place finish at the 2023 CCCAA State Championships also marked the program's best finish since 2006. Enloe jumped in to recruiting after last season and his current squad boasts a strong core of veterans, as well as a top tier recruiting class for his first full season.
Leading the returning group is South African Driver Oliver Finley, who earned all-State Second Team honors, and fellow Driver Austin Majus, who give the Cougars a pair of all-Western State Conference First Team returners. Finley is the Cougars' top returning scorer, after netting 69 goals in 2023. He was also at his best with the game on the line, including separate buzzer beaters that clinched both a conference crown and the team's trip to the State Final Four. Majus joined Finley as two of Cuesta's six players to net more than 60 goals over the 36-game season. He also dished out a team-high 55 assists, which earned him the 7th spot all time at Cuesta. Fellow returners Andonis Petroutsas and Conner Rocha also return to the tank with all-Conference credentials. Petroutsas was accorded all-WSC Second Team after clearing the 60-goal threshold, while Rocha earned all-WSC Honorable Mention after netting 25 goals. The Cougars also bring back Illinoisan Driver Joey Brocar. Brocar scored 23 goals and dished out 27 assists as a freshman in 2023. Cuesta has high hopes that the return of 2022 all-WSC First Team Center Jordan Northcutt (pict) can fill the void left in the offense by the Berkeley-bound, 2024 Cuesta College Athlete of the Year and WSC Player of the Year Dante Ianora. Northcutt netted 63 goals and drew 63 fouls (9th all time), while playing ahead of Ianora as a freshman in 2022. 2022 All-WSC Driver Ethan Merritt and fellow Driver Matthew Wheeler also return to the tank after opting to Redshirt during last season's coaching transition. Merritt scored 23 goals as a freshman in 2022 and is coming off a spectacular MVP-swim season, where he was a three-time All American and the Western State Conference Swimmer of the Year.
After his first year on the bench, Coach Enloe hit the recruiting circuit like a veteran and piled up some gems for his first class. Two names that should be familiar to Cuesta Water Polo fans are newcomers Carsten Lucia and Beau Gendron. Lucia competed in swimming last Spring and is the son of 1984 Cuesta College Athlete of the Year and two-time all-State Poloist Bill Lucia, who went on to play at UC Santa Barbara. Gendron is the son of 1994 All American and WSC Player of the Year Joey Gendron, who went on to star for Long Beach State. In high school, the younger Lucia was a four-time letterman in both water polo and swimming, while Gendron won a CIF Title in swimming and is a two-time all-West Yosemite League pick in water polo, including selection as the circuit's MVP in 2022. In the Spring, Lucia was part of the Cougars' swim team that finished 5th in the State and some of his "lane-mates" will join him for water polo this Fall. Several members of the Cougars' 2024 swim team are set to play water polo this Fall.
Veteran swimmers Jacob Baier, Carson Waldram and All American Rylan Stevenson begin their first season of water polo at Cuesta. The trio competed in swimming last Spring and helped the Cougars win a conference title in swimming and take 5th place at the CCCAA State Meet. True Freshman Dustin Drobeck, Johnny Starr and Ryan Scott shall also look to make an impact this Fall.
Goaltenders Ronan Nardone and Jacob Slotemaker are set to take over for 2023 All American Yvano Voigt, who currently remains home in France. Nardone spent his prep years under the tutelage of former Cuesta Star Casey Lyon as a two-sport star (Water Polo & Lacrosse) at Pacific Grove, while the 6-6 Slotemaker comes from Westside Christian in Tigard, Oregon.
Cuesta's Poloists shall open the season this weekend at the Merced Tournament. The Cougars are set to play San Joaquin Delta (11:45) and Diablo Valley (3:30) on Friday, before closing the event against Modesto (12:30) and host Merced (4:15) on Saturday. The Cougars first home game is Friday, September 27.
