Nov. 27, 2006
John Mann, California's senior water polo captain, has been named the Muscle Milk California Student-Athlete of the Week for Nov. 27. The senior from Newport Beach, Calif., led the Golden Bears to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championship this weekend, scoring six goals during the tournament.
In the opening round, he scored a team-high three goals against Long Beach State, then followed that with a team-high two goals against UCLA in the semifinals. On Sunday, in the championship match against previously undefeated USC, Mann added another goal and was a key factor in the Bears' 6-5 upset of the defending national champions.
In addition to breaking USC's 44-match win streak, the Bears also receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, their first trip since 2002. Mann, who is a top candidate for the Peter J. Cutino Award as the nation's top collegiate water polo player, leads the Bears in scoring with 76 goals.
