So in addition to eight-and-a-half hours of work each day, camp participants got to spend a lot of time in the training room.

"There were a lot of stitches in the face and head, a lot of shoulder and knee injuries from extensive training and water polo drills," Scherrer said. "But they also have extensive sports medicine--they keep you going."

And on top of everything, there isn't any oxygen in Colorado.

"It's 7060 feet," Stokes explained. "They have that on a big sign there."

"After doing a normal swim set, once where normally you wouldn't feel tired, you're so winded that all you can think about is air," Scherrer said.

This all might not be your idea of an ideal summer vacation, but these three guys aren't complaining.

"It was a lot of fun," Benson says.

"We got to play with players equal and better than us, some of the top water polo players in the country."

And according to Harvard Tri-Captain Rob Strauss--who attended the camp two years ago--the results are quite noticeable.

"Donnie's play has improved so much, probably as a result of going to this camp," he says. "Now he's one of the stud goalies on the east coast."

In fact, in the 100-meter time trials conducted at the camp, Benson clocked in as the fastest goalie--and Scherrer as the second-fastest field player.

And with Benson excelling in goal and Scherrer and Stokes anchoring the offense, this year's Crimson squad has compiled an impressive 12-5 record and looks to challenge Brown at this weekend's Ivy Championship Tourney.

So much for the California advantage.