Quad Cities selected to host 2023 USA Water Polo DIII Championships
August 22, 2023
ROCK ISLAND, ILL. (August 22, 2023) — USA Water Polo has announced Augustana College and the Anne Greve Lund Natatorium in the Quad Cities as the site of the 2023 Division III men's water polo championship tournament.
"We are very excited to return to Augustana College this December for the men's championship after a wonderful experience last spring for the women's tournament,” said Katie Wieber, USA Water Polo Director of Events. “A big thank you to our partners at Augustana and Visit Quad Cities, in collaboration with the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches, for helping to make this happen. By setting this date now, the planning can begin immediately to make sure this event is truly world class. It also gives all the Division III teams a confirmed destination for their championship dreams."
The two-day tournament will take place December 2-3, 2023, and will feature four teams competing for a national title, including two from the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, one from the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation East, and one from the East Coast Region. The semifinals will take place on Saturday, December 2, with the third-place contest and championship game held the following day.
"Augustana Athletics is honored to be selected to host the USA Water Polo Division III men's championship in December," said Augustana Director of Athletics Mike Zapolski. "I look forward to partnering with the staff at Visit Quad Cities and USA Water Polo to host a memorable championship experience for the four participating programs."
Visit Quad Cities will be an official partner of the two-day event and plans to assist with the student-athlete experience while the participating teams are in the QC.
"We are thrilled to work alongside our partners at Augustana College and host the USA Water Polo Division III Championship," said Dave Herrell, President and CEO of Visit Quad Cities. "The Lindberg Center's Anne Greve Lund Natatorium is a state-of-the-art venue, and we look forward to hosting the student-athletes, administrators, and fans in the Quad Cities regional destination. Hosting this championship event continues to diversify our portfolio of sporting events and is a fantastic opportunity to showcase Augustana College."
December's USA Water Polo DIII National Championships will serve as the first-ever men's Division III national tournament outside the state of California. Augustana also served as the host for the first-ever USA Water Polo DIII women's national championships outside of California in May 2023.
All four games will be live streamed via the Viking Sports Network on YouTube. Live stats will also be available for each contest.
About USA Water Polo
USA Water Polo, Inc., is the national governing body for water polo in America, overseeing our United States Olympic program as well as 20 championship events annually, such as Junior Olympics and Masters National Championships. With more than 50,000 members, USAWP also is the sanctioning authority for more than 500 Member Clubs and more than 400 tournaments nationwide. USAWP is committed to the development of the sport throughout the U.S. It fosters grass-roots expansion of the sport, providing a national system of affiliated clubs, certified coaches, and officials.
About Sports QC
Sports QC Powered By Visit Quad Cities is a private, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and division of Visit Quad Cities that operates as the official sports commission by attracting, hosting, creating, and facilitating sporting events, tourism, and opportunities for the region. Learn more at SportsQuadCities.com.
About Visit Quad Cities
Founded in 1990, Visit Quad Cities is the official and certified Destination Management and Marketing Organization (DMMO) for the region. Visit Quad Cities is a private 501(c)(6) non-profit engine charged with driving economic opportunity through tourism, building our authentic brand, telling & selling the Quad Cities story, and enhancing Quad Citizens' quality of life and quality of place.
###
Media Contact: Trevor Jossart, Director of Athletic Communications, Augustana College
O: (309) 794-7525, C: (920) 858-7141, trevorjossart@augustana.edu