Tom Popp was officially named the assistant water polo coach at the U.S. Naval Academy in July of 2018. A member of the USNA Class of 1989, Popp was a standout for the Midshipmen as an athlete, earning All-America and All-East selection honors, graduating as the all-time leader in career assists in Academy history. He returned to Navy water polo program as an assistant coach alongside former teammate and head coach Luis Nicolao (’92).
Popp served as an assistant coach for Navy from 2007-09, helping the Midshipmen to a pair of CWPA Eastern titles (2007, ‘08) and a 72-26 record during his three years as a member of the coaching staff.
In 2022, Navy posted a 16-15 overall record with an 8-8 mark in conference play. The Midshipmen entered the MAWPC Tournament as the No. 6 seed, but victories over Mercyhurst (W, 21-9), Johns Hopkins (W, 15-11 in OT), and Wagner (W, 17-14) boosted Navy into fifth place. Michael Heller (first team), Jake Altmayer (honorable mention), and Caden Capobianco (honorable mention) led the team as All-Conference selections, while Heller was also named All-MAWPC Tournament (second team).
Captains Jake Altmayer and Will Clark, along with Michael Heller led the Midshipmen offensively. Altmayer paced the offense with a team-high 81 points on 46 goals and a team-best 35 assists. Heller contributed a team-high 56 goals with 18 helpers to give him 74 total points, while Clark has a more balanced 26 goals and 32 assists for 58 total points. Tommy McKnew had 32 goals, while Travis Berzins added 27 scores. Nathan Duchez added 26 scores, while Hayden Kahn and Chris Kim notched 21 goals apiece to round out Navy’s 20-goal scorers. Ivan Pang and Rory Begin notched 25 and 21 assists to join Altmayer, Clark, and Heller in the top 5 in helpers.
Defensively, Caden Capobianco saw a majority of time between the posts. He appeared in 28 of 31 games, notching 259 saves and registering a 47.3 save percentage. In addition, Capobianco led the team with 77 steals. Jack Hightower finished with 38 stops and a 42.7 save percentage with seven steals. Jake Altmayer, Michael Heller, and Travis Berzins led all position players with 21, 20, and 16 steals apiece.
Hayden Kahn led the team with 30 ejections drawn, while Tommy McKnew was second with 28. Travis Berzins and Kyle Yelensky were next with 26 and 24, respectively.
Navy played 12 (of 31) games against teams ranked (nine games) or receiving votes (3) in the CWPA national rankings, including three top 10 opponents - #1 Cal (back-to-back national champions), #3 USC, and #10 San Jose State.
Ten (10) Navy student-athletes, including water polo players Peter Hillen and Graham Lindner, garnered College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA) Academic All-District accolades for at-large sports. Hillen and Lindner, along with Navy gymnast Ian Dinmore, earned CSC Academic All-America honors. Dinmore and Hillen garnered first team recognition, while Lindner was noted on the second team. Navy was one of seven schools to put multiple athletes on the first and second teams.
The 2021 water polo team finished the season 16-13 overall, including a 9-3 mark in conference play. Navy hosted the 2021 MAWPC Tournament at Lejeune Hall in Annapolis, Md. The Mids entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed, advancing to the championship game for the first time since 2011 with victories over (7) Gannon (W, 20-13) and (3) George Washington (W, 11-7). The Mids dropped a 9-6 decision to the top-seeded and nationally-ranked Fordham in the championship game. The second-place finish was the best for the Midshipmen since coming in as runner up in three consecutive seasons from 2009 to 2011.
Navy placed two – Isaac Salinas and Caden Capobianco – on the 2021 ACWPC Men's Division I All-America teams as honorable mention selections. Salinas became the third player in program history to earn three All-American honors, joining Nick Hill (2000, '01, '02) and Luis Nicolao (1989, '90, '91), while Capobianco is the first Navy goalie to claim the distinction since Brett Rajchel ('10) in 2009.
In addition, Salinas was named First Team All-MAWPC-East. It was the fourth time in his career that he was named all-conference and the third time earning first-team distinction. With the first-team accolade, he joined Kyle Wertz (2009, '10, '11), Alex Ratcliffe (2003, '04, '05), Luis Nicolao (1989, '90, '91), Tom Popp (1986, '87, '88), and Lawrence Kough (1983, '84, '85) as the only three-time First Team All-East honorees for Navy.
The pair of Salinas and Capobianco were also named to the MAWPC Championship All-Tournament Team. Salinas was selected to the first team, while Capobianco earned second-team honors.
Offensively in 2021, the Mids were led by Salinas, Jake Altmayer, Hayden Kahn, Jack Weggeland, and Will Clark. Salinas led all Midshipmen with 80 total points, including a team-best 61 goals. Altmayer led the team with 29 assists and chipped in 23 goals for 52 total points. Weggeland was third on the team with 42 points on 24 goals and 18 assists. Kahn (37g 3a) and Clark (17g 22a) rounded out Navy's top-five scorers with 40 and 39 points, respectively.
Defensively, Capobianco and Max Sandberg saw a majority of the action at goal. Capobianco led the team with 242 saves in 24 games played, while registering a team-high 71 steals. Sandberg played in 13 games with 79 stops and 13 steals.
Navy water polo spent 14 of the 15 weeks of the 2021 season ranked or receiving votes in the CWPA national rankings. Navy was ranked #19 in the preseason poll, while ranking #20 during week three and week seven of competition. The Mids ranked #19 during the final regular season week of the season (week 10) before moving back to #20 entering the conference tournament (week 11). The Midshipmen finished the year receiving votes in the final CWPA poll.
Once again, the Midshipmen participated in a daunting schedule, playing 15 (of 29) games against teams ranked (10 games) or receiving votes (5) in the CWPA national rankings. The Mids squared off against six top 10 opponents with three top five matchups, including hosting the eventual national champion, Cal.
In the classroom, Peter Hillen (’23) was named a Third-Team Academic-American by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) in the at-large category. Hillen, who was the only water polo player in the country represented on the list of 2021-22 Academic All-Americans, became the fifth different (sixth total) Navy water polo player to garner the award and the first since Jackson Hummeldorf was named to the first team in 2012-13.
Additionally, Navy had 12 student-athletes named to 2021 ACWPC All-Academic teams. Jake Altmayer, Caden Capobianco, Jamie Cassidy, Kyle Faison, Jonas Greer, Peter Hillen, Graham Lindner, Kenny McKinlay, and Sean O'Boyle led Navy as members of the Outstanding ranks (3.71-4.00 GPA), while Liam McInerney was named to the Superior team (3.41-3.70). Jordan Corpuz and Connor Simpson rounded out the Midshipmen on the list on the Excellent team (3.20-3.40). In addition, Navy was recognized for achieving a 3.08 collective GPA.
The 2020 water polo season was moved to the spring and shortened due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Navy finished the season 6-1 overall. The Mids finished the regular season in first place in the conference and were set to be the top seed in the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Tournament, but were not allowed to compete in the tournament due to the Naval Academy being under a restriction of movement (ROM).
The water polo team was ranked #8 in the final top 10 of the national rankings of the year. The Mids were ranked all 10 weeks of the season, dating back to the preseason poll. Navy was selected 14th in the initial National Top 20 by the CWPA. With multiple teams withdrawing from competition, the CWPA elected to do a Top 10 throughout the season. In the first Top 10 poll, Navy rose to #9 before entering the first week of competition ranked #10.
Isaac Salinas finished the shortened season with a team-high 23 points on a team-high 20 goals with three assists. He was joined by Jake Altmayer who finished with 18 points, including a team-best 12 assists. Bobby Lee added 17 points (12g 5a), while Bobby Wall (5g 7a), Payton Comstock (7g 4a), and Ivan Pang (4g 6a) finished with 12, 11, and 10 points, respectively.
Defensively, Jack Weggeland paced Navy’s position players with eight steals, while Cole Jacobs and Isaac Salinas added six apiece. Travis Berzins and Kyle Yelensky registered seven ejections drawn each to lead the team, while Salinas added six. At goal, the Mids used a pair of goalies – Max Sandberg and Caden Capobianco. The Navy goalies recorded 74 saves and a save percentage of 60.2. Sandberg recorded a team-best 44 saves, while Capobianco added 30. Sandberg led the team with a 65.7 save percentage with Capobianco registering a 53.6 clip. Capobianco led the team with 10 steals in his rookie campaign.
The Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) announced the 2020-21 Men's Water Polo All-America teams and attacker Isaac Salinas was selected to the second team. Salinas became the third Midshipmen to earn Second Team All-American honors and the first to claim the distinction since Aaron Recko (’08) in 2007. Salinas became the eleventh player in program history to earn multiple All-American honors and the first since Carl Dowzicky (’16) who was an All-American in 2013 and 2015.
The conference announced its All-MAWPC teams for the East Region and Navy had three student-athletes represented. Isaac Salinas was named to the first team, while Bobby Lee and Jake Altmayer earned second-team honors.
The Navy water polo team had 14 of its student-athletes named to 2020-21 ACWPC All-Academic teams. Jake Altmayer, Caden Capobianco, Jamie Cassidy, Kyle Faison, Peter Hillen, Graham Lindner, and Kenny McKinlay led Navy as members of the Outstanding ranks (3.71-4.00 GPA), while Jesse Hainze was named to the Superior team (3.41-3.70). Jordan Corpuz, Nathan Duchez, Cole Jacobs, Max Sandberg, Andrew Shashin, and Bobby Wall rounded out the Midshipmen on the list on the Excellent team (3.20-3.40). In total, the 14 accolades extended the program's stretch of four or more individuals on ACWPC All-Academic Teams dating back to 2005. In addition, Navy was recognized for achieving a 3.08 collective GPA.
Navy finished the 2019 season 16-13 overall, and 6-6 in the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference – East Division. It marked the second consecutive season that the Midshipmen finished the season with a winning record. For their efforts during the season, Isaac Salinas and Trevor Clark (’20) were named to the 2019 MAWPC-East Region All-Conference team. Salinas was named to the first team, while Clark was tabbed second team.
Navy water polo earned the No. 4 seed in the MAWPC Championship. The Mids opened the tournament with a 16-12 victory over fifth-seeded Wagner to advance to the semifinals. Navy was edged by eventual champion Bucknell, 7-5, in the semifinals, but defeated No. 2 seed Fordham, 9-5, to finish the tournament in third place. Salinas was named First Team All-MAWPC Tournament. Salinas finished the tournament with 10 goals and two assists for 12 total points. He was the only player selected to the first team that did not play in the championship game.
The ACWPC announced the 2019 Men’s Water Polo All-America teams and Navy attacker Isaac Salinas was an honorable mention selection. He became the first Mid to earn the accolade since Carl Dowzicky (‘16) was an honorable mention selection as a senior in 2015. In addition, he is also the first Midshipmen All-American under head coach Luis Nicolao.
Isaac Salinas finished the season with a team-high 104 points, becoming the first Mid to record 100 or more points in a season since Paul Pedrotty notched 137 points (91g 46a) in 2012. Salinas tallied a team-best 89 goals, while adding 15 assists on the year. Salinas, who played in 26 of 29 games on the year, led the Midshipmen with 30 steals, while also leading the team with 38 ejections drawn. He paced the offense by leading the team in points in 19 of the 26 games that he played. Salinas finished the season with 17 hat tricks, including scoring three or more goals in seven of 11 games he played against ranked opponents. Thirty-eight (38) of Salinas' 104 points came against ranked opponents.
Jake Altmayer led the team in assists, tallying 35 helpers in his inaugural season. Will Clark was second on the team in assists with 24, while Bobby Lee was third with 20.
Defensively, Cole Jacobs and Jack Weggeland finished second and third behind Salinas in steals. Jacobs finished with 25, while Weggeland posted 21. Jacobs, Max Sandberg and Andrew Shashin trailed only Salinas in ejections drawn with Jacobs and Sandberg drawing 25 apiece and Shashin getting 21.
At goal, the Midshipmen used a trio of goalies – Ronan Williams, Brandon Shields, and Max Sandberg. The Navy goalies recorded 309 saves and a save percentage of 46.7. Sandberg recorded a team-best 149 saves, while Williams added 125. Williams led the team with a 49.0 save percentage with Sandberg registering a 45.3 clip.
Senior captain Ronan Williams (’20) etched his name into the Navy record book. Entering the final game of his collegiate career against #16 Fordham, Williams had 597 career saves. The senior posted 12 stops, giving him 609 for his career, making him just the fourth goalie in program history with 600 or more saves. He allowed just five goals to the nationally-ranked Rams en route to the victory.
The Navy water polo team had 10 of its student-athletes named to 2019 ACWPC All-Academic teams. Graham Lindner, Jonas Greer, Kyle Faison, Peter Hillen, Jake Altmayer, and Jamie Cassidy led Navy as members of the Outstanding ranks (3.71-4.00 GPA), while Kenny McKinlay and Jesse Hainze were named to the Superior team (3.41-3.70). Andrew Shashin and Trevor Clark rounded out the Midshipmen on the list on the Excellent team (3.20-3.40). In total, the 10 accolades extend the program's stretch of four or more individuals on ACWPC All-Academic Teams dating back to 2005.
Navy once again played a demanding schedule in 2019, playing 16 games against teams that were ranked in or receiving votes for the top-20, including #2 Stanford – eventual national champion – and #2 UCLA. The Midshipmen posted three victories over ranked opponents in 2019. The Mids defeated #16 Fordham, 15-12, in the Bronx before claiming a 14-8 win over #17 George Washington at home. Navy closed out the 2019 campaign with a 9-5 victory over #16 Fordham at the MAWPC Championship in Lewisburg, Pa.
In 2018, Popp assisted in directing the team to a 15-14 overall record, including a 6-6 mark in the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference – East Division. It was the first time the Midshipmen finished the year with a winning record since 2015.
Three members of the team were named to the All-MAWPC-East team with Bobby Lee (’21) earning first team honors, and Andrew Shashin (’21) and Isaac Salinas (’22) each claiming second team accolades. In addition, Salinas was named the 2018 Rookie of the Year, while Lee and Salinas were also selected to the MAWPC All-Tournament Second Team.
Offensively, Salinas led the team with 77 points with a team-high 23 assists to go along with 54 goals (second on the team). Lee tallied 68 total points scoring a team-high 57 goals, while Shashin (35) and Nate Reiff (’20 / 31 goals) also amassed 30+ goals on the season. Salinas and Reiff led the team in assists. Salinas tallied 23 helpers, while Reiff followed with 21 assists.
Defensively, Jake Haines (’21) led the team with 21 steals, just ahead Lee who finished with 19. Shashin drew a team-best 51 exclusions, while Salinas (27), Trevor Clark (’20 / 23 exclusions), and Reiff (22) also finished with 20-plus exclusions drawn.
At goal, the Midshipmen used a quartet of goalies – Francis Kim (’19), Ronan Williams (’20), Brandon Shields (’20), and Max Sandberg (’22). Led by Williams, the Navy goalies recorded 301 saves and a save percentage of 49.2. Williams recorded a team-best 196 saves and posted a 50.5 save percentage.
The Navy water polo team had nine of its student-athletes named to 2018 Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) All-Academic teams. Senior Francis Kim (’19), sophomore Declan Harrison (’21), sophomore Crawford Smith (’21), and freshman Kenny McKinlay (’22) led Navy as members of the Outstanding ranks (3.71-4.00 GPA), while sophomore Jesse Hainze (’21) was named to the Superior team (3.41-3.70 GPA). Junior Brandon Shields (’20), junior Kevin Volkov (’20), freshman Nick Grinnell (’22), and freshman Max Sandberg (’22) rounded out the Midshipmen on the list on the Excellent team (3.20-3.40 GPA).
Prior to returning to the Naval Academy, Popp established Gonzaga College High School in Washington D.C. as a top water polo program in the Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and District of Columbia areas. He coached the varsity team for five seasons (2012, ‘13, ’15, ’16, ‘17) with Gonzaga’s water polo program founder, Joe Viola. In his fourth year at the helm, Popp led Gonzaga to an Eastern Prep Championship in November 2016.
A native of San Jose, Calif., Popp was a two-time high school water polo All-American at Bellarmine College Preparatory under legendary coach Larry Rogers. While playing for Navy under head coach Mike Schofield from 1985-88, Popp helped lead Navy to three Eastern Division Championships (1986, ’87, ‘88) and three NCAA tournament appearances. A two-time MVP of the Eastern Division (1987, ‘88), he also earned All-American Honorable Mention in 1987 and third-team All-American honors in 1988. As a senior, Popp was awarded the Naval Academy Athletic Association Sword for Men in 1989, presented to “that man of the graduating class who is considered by the Association's Athletic Council to have personally excelled in men's athletics during his years of varsity competition.”
During this same period, Popp also played on the U.S. Men's Junior National Team (1985-87), traveling to Havana, Cuba, several European competitions, the Junior Pan-American Games in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and the 19 and Under World Championships in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Following his senior NCAA season, he trained with the U.S. Men's National Team from 1989 through April 1991.
Popp was inducted into the CWPA Hall of Fame in November 2008, becoming the first Navy representative to be inducted into the CWPA Hall of Fame.
After graduating in 1989 with a bachelor of science in Aerospace Engineering, Popp completed naval flight officer training and qualified as an E-2C Hawkeye aircraft mission commander. In January 1995, following deployments aboard the USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier, he enacted orders to the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., and was selected as a U.S. Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) Cooperative program student. Upon graduating from USNTPS at NAS Patuxent River, Md., in December 1997, Popp was awarded a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, transitioned to the Aerospace Engineering Duty Officer community, and flight tested several new E-2C advanced avionics systems.
After his test squadron duty, he served on the staff of Commander U.S. Naval Air Forces Pacific Fleet (COMNAVAIRPAC) at NAS North Island in Coronado, Calif., (February 2000 to April 2002). He returned to NAS Patuxent River in May 2002 as the AEDO Community Manager within Naval Air Systems Command. Subsequently, he assumed the T-45 Integrated Product Team (IPT) lead for the Naval Undergraduate Training Systems program office (PMA-273) in 2004 before returning to his alma mater in May 2007 to teach in the Aerospace Department. In Oct 2009, Popp became the Naval Air Systems Command liaison officer to the US Coast Guard before he retired from the Navy as a Captain in September 2014. Since then, Popp has been supporting the Naval Enterprise Networks program office (PMW 205) as a civilian task lead for CSA Guidance Consulting at the Washington Navy Yard, while also coaching at Gonzaga.
Tom is married to the former Ruth Chasen (Navy '89), and the couple has five daughters – Frances, Naomi, Hannah, Mary, and Ellen. Popp and his family reside in Arnold, Md.
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