CWPA Referee Evaluator Bret Bernard to be Inducted into USA Water Polo Hall of Fame

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- World Championship official and Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Referee Evaluator Bret Bernard is one of six individuals selected to be inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall Of Fame at a dinner June 12, 2010 at the San Diego Marriott Del Mar in San Diego, California. 

He has has been called on to whistle every major water polo championship in existence, including the Olympic Games in 1992 (Barcelona) and 1996 (Atlanta). An official at multiple World Championships, World Cups, Junior World Championships and Goodwill Games, among other competitions, on the international level, Bernard has worn the whites for every conceivable USA Water Polo Championship, including Junior Olympic and National Championships. Bernard also made great contributions to the organizational structure of USA Water Polo serving on a variety of committees and boards. He was elected USA Water Polo President from 1996-2001. Most recently, Bernard had an annual USA Water Polo Award named in his honor, recognizing outstanding officiating at the elite level.

In addition to his service to the National Governing Body, he serves as a referee evaluator for the Collegiate Water Polo Association serving in the goal of educating, training and evaluating officials.

Along with Bernard, USA Water Polo will induct former San Jose State University water polo star, United States Olympic Committee Chairman and Major League Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth; Ueberroth’s coach at San Jose State and Olympic Club great Edward Rudloff;  Olympic silver medalists Heather Moody and Kathy “Gubba” Sheehy; and longtime National Team and University of California-Davis coach Jamey Wright.

Ueberroth will deliver the evening’s keynote address.  Each inductee will be recognized by a peer of their own choosing and a short video highlighting their career.

Inductees were chosen through a process that included open nominations by their peers, evaluation of their candidacy by the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame Committee, and final ratification of the committee’s recommendations by the USA Water Polo Board of Directors.  The Committee is co-chaired by Brent Bohlender and Chris Dorst, and includes Jody Campbell, Dion Gray, Maggie Kelly, Charles Schroeder and CWPA Hall of Fame inductee Scott Schulte. This is the first Hall of Fame induction since 2004.  USA Water Polo inducted its first Hall of Fame class in 1976.

Hall of Fame ticket information will be available in the coming weeks at www.usawaterpolo.org.