| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 25, 2001 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Education | University of California, Berkeley |
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) |
| Weight | 200 lb (91 kg) |
| Sport | |
| Country |  United States |
| Sport | Water polo |
| Position | Goalkeeper |
| College team | California Golden Bears |
Medal record | |
Adrian Leonardo Weinberg (born November 25, 2001) is an American water polo player. He was selected as part of the United States team at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Weinberg was born on November 25, 2001, in Los Angeles, California. [1] He started swimming at age seven, and later tried out with an area youth water polo team. [2] Initially a position player, he later tried out goalkeeper and immediately, "he had found his spot". [2] He played for the Pride Water Polo Academy and continued his career at Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village. [3]
At Oaks Christian, Weinberg was a four-year letterman in water polo and helped the school to the 2016 Division 3 championship and an appearance in the 2018 Division 1 championship. [3] In one year, he recorded 248 saves and averaged 12.4 stops per game, being chosen first-team All-American, the Division 3 co-player of the year and the Elite 8 most valuable player. [2] [3] He was also named the Ventura County Star Water Polo Player of the Year. [2]
Weinberg attended the University of California, Berkeley, and initially intended on redshirting as a freshman, due the California Golden Bears having a returning starter and All-American at goalkeeper. [4] However, the head coach convinced him to try to play, and Weinberg ultimately won the starting job in his first year. [4] [5] He became one of the top goalkeepers nationally and started 22 of 23 games, recording 217 saves while being named honorable mention All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) and honorable mention All-American by the ACWPC. [3] In his sophomore year, he was the MPSF leader in saves per game and was chosen second-team All-MPSF while being third in save percentage. [3]
In 2021, Weinberg again led the MPSF in saves per game and in total saves, being named second-team All-American, second-team All-MPSF and helping the Golden Bears to the NCAA national championship while being named to the NCAA Championship All-Tournament team. [1] [5] He won another national championship in 2022, won another All-MPSF selection and recorded 204 total saves. [1] [6] He returned for a final season in 2023 and won his third-straight national championship, having 200 saves on the year. [1]
Weinberg was a member of the USA Water Polo program from a young age; he competed internationally for the Development Team & Youth National Team in 2015 and for the Cadet National Team in 2016. [3] He played for the junior national team at the FINA Junior Water Polo World Championships in 2019 and 2021 and trained with the senior national team prior to the 2020 Summer Olympics, although he did not compete there. [3] [5] He was called up to the senior national team for the 2022 World Aquatics Championships and also participated at the 2022 FINA Men's Water Polo World League tournament. [3] [6] In 2023, he played at the World Aquatics World Cup, the World Aquatics Championships and the Pan American Games. [1] He played at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships and was later selected for the U.S. squad at the 2024 Summer Olympics. [1] [7]
Weinberg was named the best goalkeeper at the 2024 Olympics, totaling the most saves, third best save percentage, second most powerplay saves, and a goal, in addition to two penalty shootout victories, in which he saved two penalties each. Weinberg won the Bronze medal after a 11-8 shootout victory over Hungary.
The NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship is an annual tournament to determine the national champion of NCAA men's collegiate water polo. Beginning in 1969, it has been held every year except 2020, when it was postponed to March 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. With a limited number of NCAA water polo programs at the national level, all men's teams, whether from Division I, Division II, or Division III, are eligible to compete each year in the National Collegiate tournament. The tournament was expanded from a four-team bracket in 2013 by adding two play-in games that are contested by the bottom four seeds, effectively creating a six-team bracket with a first-round bye for the top two teams. This makes it the sport with the fewest teams reaching the NCAA tournament; this is because there are only 43 men's water polo teams between all three NCAA divisions.
The NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship has existed since the 2001 season. Seven conferences have teams competing in women's water polo: the Big West Conference, the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA), the single-sport Golden Coast Conference, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF), the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) and the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA). Some teams compete at Division III either as members of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference or independently. Teams qualify by either winning their respective conference tournament or receiving one of the few at large bids available. Unlike most NCAA sports, only one National Collegiate championship is held each season with teams from Division I, Division II, and Division III competing together.
Natalie Golda is a former American water polo player and currently the head coach of the newly formed Fresno State Bulldogs water polo team to begin competition in 2018. Considered one of the greatest women's water polo players of all time, her senior leadership helped guide the 2005 UCLA Bruins to their seventh national championship. In May 2005 Golda received the Peter J. Cutino Award, given to the best player in women's collegiate water polo. She was also a member of the US Water Polo Team that won the bronze medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics and the silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In 2015, she was inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame.
Jacqueline "Jackie" Frank DeLuca Cochran is an American water polo goalkeeper, 2004 bronze medal Olympian and two-time collegiate National Player of the Year.
Courtney Lynn Kaiulani Mathewson is an American water polo player, part of the US team that won the gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics and 2016 Summer Olympics. She played water polo for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Bruins during their four-consecutive NCAA National Champion Women's Water Polo championships, and was named to the All-Tournament first team. At UCLA, she majored in sociology.
Brandon Brooks, who played water polo as a goalie for UCLA and the 2004 and 2008 United States National teams, was the head coach of the women's water polo team at UCLA until 2017. The women's team won the 2008 and 2009 NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship, and one of his players, Courtney Mathewson, captured the Peter J. Cutino Award as the player-of-the year in 2008.
Jillian Amaris Kraus is a water polo player. She won a gold medal in the 2005 Junior World Championships, won four straight NCAA Women's Water Polo Championships with UCLA, and has played with the United States women's national water polo team.
Jessica Marie Steffens is an American water polo player. She was a member of the United States national teams that won a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics and a gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She also played at Stanford University.
Adam Wright is an American water polo player and a college water polo head coach. He was a member of the United States men's national water polo team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In the championship game, the USA team won the silver medal, defeated by Hungary.
Merrill M. Moses is a United States Olympic silver medalist, three-time Olympian, and three-time Pan American Games gold medalist water polo goalkeeper. He played college water polo for Pepperdine University, where he was an All-American and helped lead the team to the 1997 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship. Moses is now associate head coach in water polo at Pepperdine.
Rick Merlo was born in Fresno, California on August 5, 1982. Merlo is an American water polo player and was a member of the United States men's national water polo team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In the championship game, the USA team won the silver medal, defeated by Hungary.
Courtney Johnson is an American water polo player, who competed in the 2000 Olympics where women's water polo made its debut. She won a silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics. She competed at the 1998 World Championships in Perth, Australia and the 2001 World Championships In Fukuoka, Japan. She won a silver medal at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada.
Chay Thomas Lapin is an American water polo goalkeeper. While playing at the University of California, Los Angeles, he set the school's all-time saves record. He also played for the United States national team at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Tumuaialii "Tumua" Anae is an American water polo goalkeeper. She was an NCAA champion and All-American while playing for the University of Southern California. She also won a gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics with the United States national team.
Anna "Anni" Espar Llaquet is a Spanish water polo player who won the gold medal at the 2013 World Championships in Barcelona. She also won the silver medal at the 2012 and 2020 Summer Olympics.
Alexander "Alex" Obert was born in Loomis, CA and is an American water polo player. He was a part of Team USA at the 2016 Summer Olympics, where the team finished in tenth place. Obert plays Center and is also currently listed as the captain of Team USA.
Stephania Haralabidis was born in Athens, Greece. Haralabidis is a Greek American water polo player who played at USC and currently playing for Ethnikos and the U.S. national team. Haralabidis also has two sisters, her twin Ioanna and older sister Anastaia. Ioanna was also on the USC women's water polo team.
Ashley Grossman is a water polo player. She has competed as a member of the United States women's national water polo team, for both the U.S. Junior and Senior National Teams, including as Team USA won a gold medal in water polo at the 2015 Pan American Games.
Jordan Raney is an American water polo player who is a member of the United States women's national water polo team. She was part of the gold medal-winning American team at the 2017 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest.
The 2021 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship occurred from December 4–5, 2021 in Los Angeles, California at the Spieker Aquatics Center. This was the 53rd NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship. Seven teams participated in this championship. Opening round game-one was played at Princeton University. The UCLA Bruins were the defending national champions and the 2021 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) champions. The rankings before the tournament: No. 1 University of California, No. 2 University of Southern California, No. 3 University of California Los Angeles, No. 4 Stanford University, No. 5 Long Beach State University.
 | ||
