Thursday, October 2
Stockton, CA - Chris Kjeldsen Pool
8:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
at
Pacific
Photo by Sophie Kent
Air Force Water Polo With Four Games On West Coast
10/1/2025 9:00:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
This Week: Air Force men's water polo (13-5) heads west this weekend for four games. The Falcons open WCC play Thursday, Oct. 2 at Pacific. After a day off, the Falcons take part in the Gary Troyer Invite, taking on Chapman and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Saturday, followed by a road game at Redlands Sunday.
Air Force Schedule
Thursday, Oct. 2
vs. Pacific - 7 pm ET - Chris Kjeldsen Pool - Stockton, Calif.
Watch: ESPN+
Livestats: Fosh.net
Gary Troyer Invitational Tournament:
Video: Flo Swimming (for CMS and Redlands games)
Livestats: Fosh.net
Saturday, Oct. 4
vs. Chapman - 11:30 am PT - Haldeman Pool - Claremont, Calif.
vs. CMS - 5:45 pm PT - Axelrood Aquatics Center - Claremont, Calif.
Sunday, Oct. 5
at. Redlands - 11:00 am PT - Thompson Aquatic Center - Redlands, Calif.
Video: Flo
Livestats: Fosh.net
Series History vs. Opponents
vs. Pacific - Air Force trails 7-33. Pacific won last meeting 22-12 on Nov. 3, 2024 at the Academy.
vs. Chapman - Air Force leads 24-2. Air Force won 14-9 on Sept. 28, 2024 at Chapman.
vs. CMS - Air Force leads 39-9. CMS won 15-13 at Troyer Invite last season, Oct. 4, 2024.
vs. Redlands - Air Force leads 33-12. Lost 14-12 at Inland Empre Classic on Sept. 10, 2023.
Recapping Last Time Out
Air Force went 2-2 last time out (did not compete last weekend). The Falcons fell at 15-14 at Navy on Sept. 18. Air Force then went 2-1 at the Bucknell Invite, defeating LIU and Gannon and falling to host Bucknell.
National Leaders (based on fosh.net)
Goals
1. Tom Leggett (86)
6. Jack Richards (46)
Assists:
1. Jonah Vander Veen (40)
2. Tom Leggett (36)
3. Jack Richards (34)
Points
1. Tom Leggett (122)
2. Jack Richards (80)
9. Brady Kopperud (55)
Saves
3. Luca Smith (137)
Leggett Sets School Goals and Points Records:
Junior utility Tom Leggett set school records for most goals and points against Gannon at the Bucknell Invite. He is now Air Force's all-time leader in goals (343) and points (448).
Most Career Goals
1. Tom Leggett (2022-25) 343
2. Ben Phillips (1971-74) 339
3. Grant Snyder (2019-22) 283
Most Points
1. Tom Leggett (2022-25) 448
2. Ben Phillips (1971-74) 442
3. Grant Snyder (2019-22) 399
Leggett on Cutino Award Watch List
Tom Leggett is one of 20 players on the 2026 Cutino Award Watch List. Leggett currently leads the nation in goals and points and is second in assists.
Honors:
Tom Leggett:
- WCC Player of the Week (Sept. 9) 5th career WCC POW honor.
- WCC Player of the Week (Sept. 2)
- Air Force Athletics Athlete of the Week (Sept. 8)
- 2025 Preseason All-WCC
- 2025 Cutino Award Watch List
Brown Reaches 100 Wins:
Air Force head coach Ryan Brown reached the 100 career wins mark on Sept. 6 with the win over McKendree. Brown is just the third coach in program history to reach the mark. Brown ranks third in all-time wins at Air Force.
Former Coach Jeff Heidmous Inducted to Air Force Athletics Hall of Fame
Former Air Force men's water polo head coach Jeff Heidmous was inducted into the Air Force Athletics Hall of Fame on Sept. 26, 2025. A 1977 USAFA graduate, Heidmous is the winningest head coach in program history with 328 wins in 25 seasons. He led the Falcons to three first-place finishes in the Western Water Polo Association (1990, 1994, 2012) and earned three WWPA coach of the year awards. He led the Falcons to five NCAA appearances across three different decades (1981, 1986, 1990, 1994, 2012). The 2012 team finished fourth at the championships. Heidmous coached 14 All-American players and 46 that earned 76 all-WWPA honors during his career from 1981-84, 1985-89 and 2010-17. He later became an athletic administrator at the Academy and had the water polo pool named in his honor in 2022.
Recapping 2024: Air Force went 13-20 last season and 1-5 in WCC action. The Falcons faced a ranked opponent 16 times, including the final seven games to cap the season. Air Force's signature win came over #18 LMU in a 19-18 win at home in WCC play. Sophomore UT Tom Leggett led the nation with 143 goals and 183 points, which were both school records. Leggett earned ACWPC All-America third team honors.
Who's Back: Air Force returns 18 letterwinners, including its top two scorers from 2024. The Falcons return Leggett and second-leading scorer, Jack Richards, who scored 75 goals and 109 points as a sophomore. Air Force returns senior goalkeeper Luca Smith, who recorded 243 saves last season.
Who's Gone: Air Force lost three seniors to graduation. Jacob Yi led the Falcons last year with 68 assists and Kaito Ham was fourth on the team with 68 points. The Falcons also lost David Brown, who tallied 37 assists.
Who's New: Air Force welcomes eight freshmen from the class of 2029. Seven of the eight freshmen hail from California, with one from Illinois.
Shane Borunda - AT- Coronado, CA/Francis Parker HS
Max Ellis - C - Irvine, CA/Santa Margarita HS
Bode Farren - GK - Penryn, CA/Del Oro HS/American River CC
Aidan Forehand - AT - Indian Wells, CA/Xavier College Prep
Blake Fuchslin - AT - Sacramento, CA/Davis Senior HS
Derek Hymer - AT - San Carlos, CA/Sequoia HS
Olin Kusevskis - C - Buffalo Grove, IL/Stevenson HS
Matt Oravetz - UT - Newport Beach, CA/Servite HS
Team Captains: Senior Colin Chase and junior Tom Leggett are the team captains for 2025.
Up next: Air Force hosts Cal Baptist in a WCC game on Sunday, Oct. 12.
Miscellanous Team Notes:
Air Force is in its 55th season of men's water polo ... The Falcons are in their third season at members of the West Coast Conference ... The Falcons were previously members of the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) from 1987-2022 ... junior UT Tom Leggett led the nation in goals (143) and fourth in points (182) as a sophomore, earning ACWPC All-American Third Team honors ... Leggett lwas named to the Preseason All-WCC Men's Water Polo Team ... sophomore Brady Kopperud is the second member of his family to play Air Force water polo. His brother, Cole, was a four-year letterwinner and 2024 USAFA graduate ... former head coach Jeff Heidmous is slated to go into the Air Force Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the 2025 class.
Air Force Schedule
Thursday, Oct. 2
vs. Pacific - 7 pm ET - Chris Kjeldsen Pool - Stockton, Calif.
Watch: ESPN+
Livestats: Fosh.net
Gary Troyer Invitational Tournament:
Video: Flo Swimming (for CMS and Redlands games)
Livestats: Fosh.net
Saturday, Oct. 4
vs. Chapman - 11:30 am PT - Haldeman Pool - Claremont, Calif.
vs. CMS - 5:45 pm PT - Axelrood Aquatics Center - Claremont, Calif.
Sunday, Oct. 5
at. Redlands - 11:00 am PT - Thompson Aquatic Center - Redlands, Calif.
Video: Flo
Livestats: Fosh.net
Series History vs. Opponents
vs. Pacific - Air Force trails 7-33. Pacific won last meeting 22-12 on Nov. 3, 2024 at the Academy.
vs. Chapman - Air Force leads 24-2. Air Force won 14-9 on Sept. 28, 2024 at Chapman.
vs. CMS - Air Force leads 39-9. CMS won 15-13 at Troyer Invite last season, Oct. 4, 2024.
vs. Redlands - Air Force leads 33-12. Lost 14-12 at Inland Empre Classic on Sept. 10, 2023.
Recapping Last Time Out
Air Force went 2-2 last time out (did not compete last weekend). The Falcons fell at 15-14 at Navy on Sept. 18. Air Force then went 2-1 at the Bucknell Invite, defeating LIU and Gannon and falling to host Bucknell.
National Leaders (based on fosh.net)
Goals
1. Tom Leggett (86)
6. Jack Richards (46)
Assists:
1. Jonah Vander Veen (40)
2. Tom Leggett (36)
3. Jack Richards (34)
Points
1. Tom Leggett (122)
2. Jack Richards (80)
9. Brady Kopperud (55)
Saves
3. Luca Smith (137)
Leggett Sets School Goals and Points Records:
Junior utility Tom Leggett set school records for most goals and points against Gannon at the Bucknell Invite. He is now Air Force's all-time leader in goals (343) and points (448).
Most Career Goals
1. Tom Leggett (2022-25) 343
2. Ben Phillips (1971-74) 339
3. Grant Snyder (2019-22) 283
Most Points
1. Tom Leggett (2022-25) 448
2. Ben Phillips (1971-74) 442
3. Grant Snyder (2019-22) 399
Leggett on Cutino Award Watch List
Tom Leggett is one of 20 players on the 2026 Cutino Award Watch List. Leggett currently leads the nation in goals and points and is second in assists.
Honors:
Tom Leggett:
- WCC Player of the Week (Sept. 9) 5th career WCC POW honor.
- WCC Player of the Week (Sept. 2)
- Air Force Athletics Athlete of the Week (Sept. 8)
- 2025 Preseason All-WCC
- 2025 Cutino Award Watch List
Brown Reaches 100 Wins:
Air Force head coach Ryan Brown reached the 100 career wins mark on Sept. 6 with the win over McKendree. Brown is just the third coach in program history to reach the mark. Brown ranks third in all-time wins at Air Force.
Former Coach Jeff Heidmous Inducted to Air Force Athletics Hall of Fame
Former Air Force men's water polo head coach Jeff Heidmous was inducted into the Air Force Athletics Hall of Fame on Sept. 26, 2025. A 1977 USAFA graduate, Heidmous is the winningest head coach in program history with 328 wins in 25 seasons. He led the Falcons to three first-place finishes in the Western Water Polo Association (1990, 1994, 2012) and earned three WWPA coach of the year awards. He led the Falcons to five NCAA appearances across three different decades (1981, 1986, 1990, 1994, 2012). The 2012 team finished fourth at the championships. Heidmous coached 14 All-American players and 46 that earned 76 all-WWPA honors during his career from 1981-84, 1985-89 and 2010-17. He later became an athletic administrator at the Academy and had the water polo pool named in his honor in 2022.
Recapping 2024: Air Force went 13-20 last season and 1-5 in WCC action. The Falcons faced a ranked opponent 16 times, including the final seven games to cap the season. Air Force's signature win came over #18 LMU in a 19-18 win at home in WCC play. Sophomore UT Tom Leggett led the nation with 143 goals and 183 points, which were both school records. Leggett earned ACWPC All-America third team honors.
Who's Back: Air Force returns 18 letterwinners, including its top two scorers from 2024. The Falcons return Leggett and second-leading scorer, Jack Richards, who scored 75 goals and 109 points as a sophomore. Air Force returns senior goalkeeper Luca Smith, who recorded 243 saves last season.
Who's Gone: Air Force lost three seniors to graduation. Jacob Yi led the Falcons last year with 68 assists and Kaito Ham was fourth on the team with 68 points. The Falcons also lost David Brown, who tallied 37 assists.
Who's New: Air Force welcomes eight freshmen from the class of 2029. Seven of the eight freshmen hail from California, with one from Illinois.
Shane Borunda - AT- Coronado, CA/Francis Parker HS
Max Ellis - C - Irvine, CA/Santa Margarita HS
Bode Farren - GK - Penryn, CA/Del Oro HS/American River CC
Aidan Forehand - AT - Indian Wells, CA/Xavier College Prep
Blake Fuchslin - AT - Sacramento, CA/Davis Senior HS
Derek Hymer - AT - San Carlos, CA/Sequoia HS
Olin Kusevskis - C - Buffalo Grove, IL/Stevenson HS
Matt Oravetz - UT - Newport Beach, CA/Servite HS
Team Captains: Senior Colin Chase and junior Tom Leggett are the team captains for 2025.
Up next: Air Force hosts Cal Baptist in a WCC game on Sunday, Oct. 12.
Miscellanous Team Notes:
Air Force is in its 55th season of men's water polo ... The Falcons are in their third season at members of the West Coast Conference ... The Falcons were previously members of the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) from 1987-2022 ... junior UT Tom Leggett led the nation in goals (143) and fourth in points (182) as a sophomore, earning ACWPC All-American Third Team honors ... Leggett lwas named to the Preseason All-WCC Men's Water Polo Team ... sophomore Brady Kopperud is the second member of his family to play Air Force water polo. His brother, Cole, was a four-year letterwinner and 2024 USAFA graduate ... former head coach Jeff Heidmous is slated to go into the Air Force Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the 2025 class.
Players Mentioned
AT
/ Men's Water Polo
UT
/ Men's Water Polo
C/UT
/ Men's Water Polo
G
/ Men's Water Polo
UT
/ Men's Water Polo
AT
/ Men's Water Polo
UT
/ Men's Water Polo
UT
/ Men's Water Polo
C
/ Men's Water Polo
UT
/ Men's Water Polo
UT
/ Men's Water Polo
AT
/ Men's Water Polo
G
/ Men's Water Polo
AT
/ Men's Water Polo
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