COLLEGE WATER POLO: AGAINST THE FLOW USC'S KRUMPHOLZ SPURNS UCLA TIES.

Byline: HEATHER GRIPP Staff Writer

That USC freshman water polo standout J.W. Krumpholz has a former UCLA All-American and the rest of a Bruin-bred family rooting for the rival Trojans shouldn't be a surprise. After all, Krumpholz is known for doing what few others can.

Krumpholz pulled off the rare feat of playing for the U.S. Men's Senior National while he was still in high school, then spent this past summer starring for both the Senior National and the Junior National teams.

Continuing the unconventional path, Krumpholz bucked the family tradition of attending UCLA and chose to play for defending national champion USC. In his first season, he has become a vital part of maintaining the Trojans' No. 1 status.

A winning goal against No. 2 Cal in Sunday's championship game of the Southern California Tournament gave Krumpholz a team-high 27 goals this season and extended USC's school-record winning streak to 34 games.

The five goals Krumpholz scored in an Oct. 6 win over UC Santa Barbara are a single-game high by a USC player this season.

``To be honest, I didn't expect him to be this good this soon,'' USC coach Jovan Vavic said. ``I knew he was talented, but I didn't expect him to be this explosive already. To be a starter as a freshman is one thing, but to be a dominant player as a freshman is another.

``It's especially rare for an American player. European players, they're used to playing at a higher level in Europe, so it's easier for them to come over here and be ready to play at this level sooner. It's very difficult for an American player to adjust right away.''

The only other freshman Vavic recalls making such an immediate impact for the Trojans during the past decade is Juraj Zatovic, a Slovakian Olympic Team player who went on to set USC's career scoring record and last season as a senior won the Cutino Award, college water polo's highest honor.

``You just don't see players play like this as freshmen,'' Vavic said.

Being exceptional is normal for Krumpholz, who has played water polo since elementary school. The 2-meter player was an All-American the past threeseasons at Foothill High of Santa Ana. He began practicing with the senior national team in 2004 and was playing for the team by 2005 when he competed in the World Championships in Montreal. He remains the youngest member of the team.

When Krumpholz joined many of his USC teammates on the junior national team this year, he scored a tournament-high 32 goals en route to leading the U.S. to a gold at the Junior Pan American Games.

``I want to go to the Olympic Games,'' Krumpholz said. ``That's always been my goal and something that really motivates me. ``When I went to the World Championships in Montreal, that was a huge step for me in the right direction. That experience has definitely helped me here. That was a big help, not only training and learning with our team, but seeing the other teams. Even if you're not playing in the game, you can pick up a lot.''

Another of Krumpholz's remarkable achievements -- that of swaying his family allegiance from UCLA -- will be put to the test today when USC (15-0, 3-0 in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) plays host to the third-ranked Bruins (9-3, 1-0).

Both of Krumpholz's parents attended UCLA, as did his older sister, Kathryn, who played for the Bruins' undefeated 2005 national champion women's team.

``I will be hiding somewhere this weekend,'' joked his father, Kurt Krumpholz, who won two national championships as an All-American water polo player at UCLA, where he was also a world record-setting swimmer in the early 1970s.

Kurt coached J.W.'s club teams until high school. J.W. said he seriously considered following in his father's footsteps at UCLA.

``I just felt USC suited me better as a person ... It was a hard decision,'' he said. ``My dad never gave me a hard time about it. I know he would have loved for me to go to UCLA, but he supported my decision.''

Kurt Krumpolz remembers the process as ``interesting ... he said, `This is where I want to go' ... I felt there was no way I could stand in the way. I don't need to live through him. I'm just happy he's happy.''

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Photo:

USC freshman J.W. Krumpholz, who leads the team with 27 goals, competes in a recent water polo game against Cal.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News

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MEN'S WATER POLO