STANFORD, Calif. – John Vargas, The Dunlevie Family Director of Men's Water Polo, has announced the six incoming freshmen who will join an already strong core of returning Cardinal players.
The freshman class consists of Soren Jensen (Orinda, Calif.), Nolan Krutonog (Los Angeles, Calif.), Ike Love (Newport Beach, Calif.), Jackson Painter (Orinda, Calif.), Ethan Parrish (Santa Barbara, Calif.) and Riley Pittman (Irvine, Calif.).
"We are excited to welcome a talented group of scholar athletes to our institution and program," said Vargas. "I'm really proud of this class and I am looking forward to watching them grow and prosper with our team and the greater Stanford community in ways beyond water polo."
An attacker from Campolindo High School, Jensen helped lead his team to back-to-back NCS championships and the 2019 Nor Cal State championship. He was named league MVP as a junior and captained his team as a senior. A two-time All-American, Jensen earned first team honors in 2019. He played club for CC United.
Krutonog, a goalie out of Harvard-Westlake High School, led his team to consecutive CIF championships in 2018 and 2019 after reaching the semifinals the previous two seasons. He captained his team as a junior and senior. Krutonog played club for Premier Water Polo Club. He also helped the United States win championships at the Darko Cukic Memorial International Tournament in 2017 and the Pan Am Games in 2019.
Love comes to The Farm as a center from Newport Harbor High School. He helped guide his squad to three straight Sunset Conference Surf League championships and three consecutive CIF Southern Section Division I top-3 finishes. A two-time league MVP, he was named the OC Register County Player of the Year in 2018. He was also named Dream Team Player of the Year twice by the LA Times Daily Pilot (2018 & 2019). A two-time All-CIF First Team selection, he was twice named a NICSA CA-HI First Team All-American and a USAWP Academic All-American. Love played club for Newport Beach Water Polo, Inc., and has been a member of USAWP's Youth National Team since 2018.
An attacker from Miramonte High School in nearby Orinda, Painter helped his team win the North Coast Section championship as a freshman and finished with an undefeated league season as a senior. He led his team with 75 goals in 2019 and was named the Diablo Athletic League MVP. He is a four-time all-league selection and two-time All-American. A two-time team captain, he was also a four-time NCS Scholar-Athlete. Painter played club for Lamorinda Water Polo Club and has been a member of USAWP's Youth National Team since 2018.
Parrish, the younger brother of former Cardinal Blake Parrish (2015-18), comes to Stanford as a utility player from Dos Pueblos High School. He helped lead his team to back-to-back Channel League Championships (2018 & 2019) and finish second in the CIF Southern Section Division 3 championship. A two-time Channel League MVP, he was named the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Player of the Year in 2018, 2019 and 2020. A two-time All-CIF performer, he was also named team MVP as a junior and senior. Parrish played club for Santa Barbara 805 Water Polo Club and spent time with USAWP from 2016-18.
Pittman, an attacker out of Woodbridge High School, helped his team win the program's first two league titles in the Pacific Coast League as a junior and senior. A three-time All-CIF selection, he was named Pacific Coast League Male Athlete of the Year as a senior. A two-time Pacific Coast League MVP, he earned All-Orange County First Team honors and was selected Woodbridge High School's Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year as a senior. Pittman played club for SoCal and has spent time with USAWP's Development National Team, Cadet National Team and Youth National Team.