Alex Stankevitch

Stankevitch & Koganov to Call 2009 NCAA Men's Water Polo Title Game

PRINCETON, N.J. -- Referees Alex Stankevitch and Mark Koganov of the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) will officiate the 2009 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship game between co-No. 1 nationally ranked the University of Southern California and the University of California-Los Angeles.

It is the first time two East Coast referees or two CWPA officials will call the NCAA's penultimate game and marks the second title game in less than a month for the duo as Stankevitch and Koganov were the officiating crew on the 2009 CWPA Eastern Championship game between Princeton and Navy.

A 1998 graduate of the University of California-Santa Barbara, Stankevitch has been among the league's best referees this decade as he picked up his third Referee of the Year award at the conclusion of the 2008-09 season following similar honors in 2003 and 2008.

In addition, his selection to call the title game marks the second NCAA Championship in a row he will whistle the title game as he called the 2009 NCAA Women's Championship game also between USC and UCLA.

Overall, Stankevicth and Koganov are the league's most decorated officials.  Besides his trio of Referee of the Year awards, Stankevitch also received the 2001 Most Improved Referee Award.

Koganov, who has called the FINA World Championship title game in addition to collegiate games in the CWPA and Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF), also holds four CWPA Referee accolades as he received the 2000 and 2002 Most Improved Referee awards in addition to the 2004 and 2007 Referee of the Year awards.

Further, Koganov and Stankevitch are the only officials in league history to receive both the Most Improved and Referee of the Year awards.

"Mark and I started out at the same level and moved up together. Now, both of us are FINA international referees and talk about the game and our experiences in and outside the country on various refereeing trips. We try to share this collective experience with other referees, as well."