Polo Rides to Nationals for Third Straight Year

For the third straight year, the Westmont Men’s Club Polo Team has won the U.S. Polo Association Western Regionals, and a berth in the USPA national intercollegiate championships in Charlottesville, Va., April 6-11. Westmont beat Stanford 20-4  for the championship March 7, after getting past Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, 33-6 on March 6.

This year’s team includes returning players Collin White, a junior from Napa, and new players Wiley Uretz, a first-year student from La Quinta, and Bodie Bottoms, a senior from Santa Barbara. White and Uretz were selected to the Men’s All Star Team and Bottoms received Honorable Mention for Sportsmanship at the three-day tournament.

The team nearly succeeded in its unexpected quest for a national championship in 2007, losing 12-8 to Texas A&M in the finals at the Kentucky Horse Park.

John Westley, owner of the Santa Barbara Polo School, coaches the team.

Polo became a club sport on campus eight years ago, but students were unable to field a team until three years ago. The team practices with Westley at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club and plays games on Sundays, riding horses on loan from the Santa Barbara Youth Polo Association.