Zimmerman.

For the past seven years that name has been synonymous with water polo excellence at Harvard. This season was no different as sophomore Mike Zimmerman continued the legacy that his brother Jeff '94 began several years ago.

Mike was awarded Ivy League Player of the Year honors for an effort that saw him shatter Harvard's single-season record for most goals scored. The 6'4" two-meter guard notched 102 tallies to top the previous mark of 99 set by none other than brother Jeff in 1994.

"It's pretty exciting to break a school record, especially at a place like Harvard," Zimmerman said. "It's great knowing that Jeff and I have had a big impact on Harvard water polo for the last few years."

As great as he is, Zimmerman is not the archetypical water polo phenom.

Let's face it--not too many polo greats hail from St. Louis, Missouri. Maybe that's what makes Zimmerman so good--he knows he has something to prove in a sport that is traditionally dominated by Californians.

"I used to go to tryouts and, as soon as coaches saw where I was from, they assumed I couldn't play," Zimmerman said. "But when I got in the water, things were different."

With his drive, there may be no limit to the accolades Zimmerman will receive. This was the second season in a row in which Zimmerman led the Crimson in scoring. He will most likely be selected to the First Team All North squad, and he would probably have been given All-Eastern honors if the Crimson had successfully advanced to that tournament.

But awards are nothing new to the very large holeman. Zimmerman was a high school All-American, a member of the National Youth Team, and First Team All-Missouri. He has also been an alternate at two U.S. Olympic festivals and was a junior All-American last spring.

Zimmerman also earned a spot on the First Team All-Ivy for the second straight year, along with three of his Crimson comrades. Driver Andy Davis, goalie Ed Chen and 2-meter guard Marty Edlund, all juniors, also garnered First team honors.

The awards cap off a solid season for Harvard water polo. The Crimson (23-8) finished fifth behind Brown in the North Division, narrowly losing to the Bears in the qualifying round for Easterns for the second year in a row. Unfortunately, only the top four teams advance to the tournament.

The Crimson also finished second in the Ivy League behind the rival Bears, coming close to avenging its loss in the Eastern qualifiers. Harvard fell in overtime to Brown in the championship game.

"We weren't very deep, and we were weren't as talented as last year," Zimmerman said. "But we played great as a team."

Despite the setbacks against Brown, Harvard remains optimistic about its chances against the Bears in future years. After all, the second coming of Zimmerman has plenty of polo left, and plenty of games remaining to exorcise the Brown demon.

Now in the offseason, Zimmerman looks forward to an intense summer experience as a member of the East Coast National B Team. As part of the recently developed national program, Zimmerman will live in Maryland and train with other Eastern players at the naval academy facilities in Anapolis.

The East Coast team provides a chance for Zimmerman to stick it to the ignorant Californians who think that the sport just can't cut it outside their state.

"We're trying to prove that water polo exists outside of California," Zimmerman said. "East Coast players are just as good as players from anywhere else."

And Zimmerman shows that every time he steps in the pool.