Air Force Academy
Navy
Air Force Water Polo Hosts #18 Navy, And 2026 Rare Air Challenge
9/23/2026 10:00:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
This Week: Air Force men's water polo hosts #18 Navy on Thursday, Sept. 24 and then the 2026 Rare Air Challenge, running Friday-Sunday, Sept. 25-27 at the Cadet Natatorium and Heidmous Pool on the campus of the U.S. Air Force Academy. The Falcons are slated to play five games across the two days of competition at the Challenge, beginning on Saturday in the eight-team field.
Air Force vs. Navy
Thursday, Sept. 24 - 6:30 pm MT
Cadet Natatorium - USAF Academy, Colo.
BASE ACCESS:
- Non DoD ID card holder must obtain a visitors pass to enter base. LINK
Livestats | Video Stream
Whats at stake:
Air Force and Navy will play for the Freedom Vase. Navy has held the Freedom Vase since 2023 by winning the last three meetings.
Series History:
Air Force trails 12-26. Navy won last meeting 15-14 on Sept. 18, 2025 in Annapolis.
Last 5 meetings:
- Navy 15-14 - Sept. 18, 2025 in Annapolis.
- #17 Navy 19-18, 3OT - Sept. 20, 2024 at USAFA
- #18 Navy 11-7 - Sept. 14, 2023 in Annapolis.
- Air Force 13-12, 3OT - Sept. 15, 2022 at USAFA.
- Air Force 11-7 - Sept. 23, 2021 in Annapolis.
Rare Air Challenge Schedule/Information
- Home team wears dark caps and listed first
- Live stats for most games in Cadet Natatorium via fosh.net
- Video stream via the Air Force youtube channel for most games in Cadet Natatorium. https://www.youtube.com/@AF_Falcons
- There will be no video stream or livestats for games in Heidmous Pool.
- All times MTN standard.
BASE ACCESS & TRAFFIC
- Non DoD ID card holder must obtain a visitors pass to enter base. LINK
***Fans attending games on Saturday and Sunday should expect an influx of traffic at the gate due to crowds arriving for the Bruno Mars concert, which begins at 7 pm on both Saturday and Sunday at Falcon Stadium.***
Friday, Sept. 25
6 pm - Occidental vs. Cerritos College - Livestats
7:30 pm - #14 UC Santa Barbara vs. Austin College - Livestats | Watch
(Both games in Cadet Natatorium)
Saturday, Sept. 26
Cadet Natatorium Games
10 am - Austin College vs. Occidental - Livestats | Watch
11:30 am - Air Force vs. Biola - Livestats | Watch
1 pm - #14 UCSB vs. Wagner - Livestats | Watch
2:30 - OUAZ vs. Augustana - Livestats | Watch
4 pm - Air Force vs. Colorado (exhibition)
5:30 pm - Biola vs. Occidental - Livestats | Watch
7:00 pm - Air Force vs. #14 UCSB - Livestats | Watch
Heidmous Pool Games
10:30 am - OUAZ vs. Cerritos
12 pm - AF Club vs. Colorado
1:30 - Peak vs. Colorado Mines
3 pm - Peak vs. Cerritos College
4:30 pm - AF Club vs. Colorado Mines
6 pm - Augustana vs. Wagner
7:30 - Colorado vs. Cerritos College
Sunday, Sept. 27
Cadet Natatorium Games
8 am - Biola vs. Wagner - Livestats | Watch
9:20 am - Augustana vs. Occidental - Livestats | Watch
12 pm - Air Force vs. Wagner - Livestats | Watch
1:30 pm - #14 UCSB vs. Occidental - Livestats | Watch
3 pm - Air Force vs. OUAZ - Livestats | Watch
Heidmous Pool Games
8 am - Austin College vs. Cerritos College
11 am - Austin College vs. OUAZ
12:30 pm - Biola vs. Augustana
Series History vs. Rare Air Opponents
vs. Biola - Air Force leads 5-0. Air Force won 18-13 on Aug. 31, 2025 at the Rare Air Challenge.
vs. Augustana - Air Force leads 3-0. Air Force won 17-10 on Sept. 7 at the Rare Air Invite.
vs. UCSB - Air Force trails 4-31. UCSB won 17-6 on Sept. 16, 2017.
vs. Wagner - Air Force leads 2-2. Air Force lost 17-10 on Sept. 8, 2024 at the Bruno Classic in Providence, RI.
vs. OUAZ - Air Force leads 3-0. Air Force won 18-10 on Aug. 31, 2025 at the Rare Air Challenge.
LAST TIME OUT
Air Force went 4-0 at the Fullerton Tournament from Sept. 11-12. The Falcons defeated Redlands and Chapman on Friday and Cal State Fullerton and Concordia-Irvine on Saturday.
WIN STREAK
Air Force enters the week with a seven-game win streak. Last season, the Falcons had an eight-game wins streak. Those two streaks are the longest since winning 10 in a row in 2022.
WCC POWs
Air Force has won four WCC player of the week honors this season. The Falcons have won WCC POW each of the first three weeks of play.
- Sept. 1 - Tom Leggett - POW
- Sept. 8 - Jack Richards - POW
- Sept. 15 - Tom Leggett - POW
- Sept. 15 - Wyatt Sturgeon - FOW
Recapping 2025: Air Force went 17-15 last season for its third winning season in the last four. The Falcons faced a ranked opponent 12 times, including 8 of its last 10 games to cap the season. Junior UT Tom Leggett led the nation in goals and points scored for the second straight season with 148 goals and 198 points, which were both school records. Leggett earned ACWPC All-America second team honors.
Who's Back: Air Force returns 19 letterwinners, including its top three scorers from 2025. The Falcons return Leggett and second-leading scorer, Jack Richards, who scored 84 goals and 143 points as a junior. Air Force also returns its third-leading scorer in junior Brady Kopperud, who netted 55 goals and 92 points.
Who's Gone: Air Force lost six seniors to graduation. The Falcons lost four-year starter Luca Smith in goal (242 saves and 14 wins), center Jake Dixon (37 goals, 61 points) and attacker Jackson Carter (20 goals, 57 points).
Who's New: Air Force welcomes 13 freshmen from the class of 2030. The group represents players from five different states, with eight hailing from California and one from the Czech Republic.
Cayden Bartusek - GK - Prague, Czech Republic (Jesuit Dallas)
Pierce Bateman - CD - Columbus, OH (St. Charles Prep)
John Cowles - D - Sierra Madre, CA (Loyola HS)
Brandon Hansen - UT - Rancho Cucamonga, CA (Etiwanda HS)
Nolan Hicks - UT - Clovis, CA (Clovis North HS)
Tobin Hunt - AT - Los Angeles, CA (Loyola HS)
Wesley Musgrove - AT - Western Springs, IL (Lyons Township HS)
William Stewart - AT - Dallas, TX (Prosper HS)
Sam Storrs - D - Moraga, CA (Campolindo HS)
Wyatt Sturgeon - GK - Lake Oswego, OR (Jesuit HS)
Colin Sullivan - C - Walnut Creek, CA (De La Salle HS)
Brandon Walton - UT - Las Habra, CA (La Serna HS)
Matthew Woodroof - UT - Lake Elsinore, CA (Murrieta Valley HS)
Team Captain: Senior Tom Leggett is the team captain for 2026.
Leggett Chasing NCAA Goals and Points History
Senior utility Tom Leggett is one of the most prolific scorers in NCAA history. Leggett ranks third all-time in NCAA Div. I for points (613) and goals (476).
NCAA Record Holders
Goals
1. Scott Schulte (Bucknell) 1977-80 - 586
2. Roade Joksimovic (Bucknell) 2016-19 - 527
3. Tom Leggett (Air Force) 2023-26 - 476
Points
1. Scott Schulte (Bucknell) 1977-80 - 854
2. Roade Joksimovic (Bucknell) 2016-19 - 714
4. Tom Leggett (Air Force) 2023-26 - 613
(*Records based on research of NCAA Div. I programs' record-books.)
Tom Leggett notes:
- 2026 NCAA leader in goals (70) and points (91).
- NCAA leader for goals in points in 2024 and 2025 and was second in goals in 2023 as a freshman.
- 143 goals and 183 points as a sophomore in 2024.
- 148 goals and 198 points as a junior in 2025.
- ACWCP All-American (2nd team in 2025, 3rd team in 2024, HM in 2023)
- 3x All-WCC and 3x Preseason All-WCC
- School single season and all-time record holder for goals and points.
- Trained with USA Men's National Water Polo Team during the summer of 2026, scoring two goals in a 16-8 win over China.
Seniors Get Assignments:
The Air Force senior class of 2027 recently got their first assignments upon graduation from the Academy. Upon graduation, the seniors commission into the Air Force or Space Force as 2nd Lieutenants.
Nicholas Cuenco - Space Force Officer
Owen Imasaki - Civil Engineer
Tom Leggett - Acquisitions Officer
Jack Richards - Civil Engineer
Jonah Vander Veen - Civil Engineer
Alex Zarcu - Space Force Officer
Up next:
Air Force travels to the Gary Troyer Tournament, Oct. 2-3, in Claremont, Calif. The Falcons take on Cal Lutheran and Cal Baptist on Oct. 2 and Pomona-Pitzer and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Oct. 3.
