Event Wraps Up USPA Intercollegiate/Interscholastic Polo’s
Tournament Season
After a week of intense competition, the Westmont College men’s and UVA women’s polo teams emerged victorious in the U.S. Polo Association (USPA) National Intercollegiate Championship with title victories on Saturday. The tournaments took place just outside of Houston in Brookshire, Texas, and featured the top university polo programs and some of the best up-and-coming talents in the nation.
The underdog Westmont College men’s team came into the tournament as the fourth seed and went on a three-game run to win the title. The team took down defending champion UVA in the semifinals before facing a strong Colorado State team in the championship. The final match was tied going into the fourth and final chukker, but Westmont proved to be too much for Colorado State and prevailed with a 19-16 victory.
On the women’s side, rivals UVA and Cornell showed off their talents in the tournament and met up for a memorable championship finale. Down four goals early, the UVA squad battled back to make it 6-4 at halftime and eventually caught up with Cornell in the fourth chukker to force an overtime shootout. UVA won the shootout and took home the title with a 10-9 victory over Cornell. The win marked their second straight national championship.
Men’s All Stars:
Patrick Uretz – Westmont
Felipe Viana – UVA
Ford MacCarty – Colorado State
Tony Uretz – Westmont
Women’s All Stars:
Kylie Sheehan – UVA
Kaylie Eldredge – Cornell
Isabella Wolf – UVA
Anna Winslow – Cornell
“These two action-packed events were a great way to wrap up an exciting tournament season in college polo,” said Amy Wisehart, USPA Intercollegiate/Interscholastic Program Director. “The competitiveness and sportsmanship demonstrated by all the participating teams, from regional tournaments to the national championship, served as a great representation of the sport and its rising popularity with young players and fans in this country.”
The USPA National Intercollegiate Championship brings an end to the national tournament season for USPA Intercollegiate/Interscholastic (I/I) polo, which has embodied the excitement and growth surrounding the sport. The USPA I/I program is devoted to helping expand the sport in the U.S. and has added 25 new teams since 2010. The program currently boasts 107 teams competing at the high school and college level.
For more information on I/I polo and the sport in the U.S., please visit www.uspolo.org for more information.