Anthony Spoto was the first All-American for the Penn State Behrend men’s water polo program. He was selected an All-American honorable mention in 2004 as a freshman and earned a spot on the second team in 2007, during his senior year. Spoto is a four-time Division III Eastern Championship Team selection and two-time team MVP. He set new program records in career goals (237) and drawn ejections (183), while also setting the single-season records for goals (76) and drawn ejections (59). He was also a member of the men’s swimming and diving team.Spoto did more than just get his feet wet during his first season as a freshman utility player. The newcomer scored 69 goals to set a new single-season mark at Behrend. Spoto also added 59 drawn ejections, 28 steals, and 16 assists. His strong collegiate start landed him on the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) All-American team as an honorable mention, just one of 18 players in Division III to earn All-American recognition. Spoto was also voted Rookie of the Year by his teammates.
The following year, Spoto stayed on par and tallied 62 goals, 50 drawn ejections, 12 steals and three assists. With added depth to the team, the sophomore managed to average 2.7 goals per game. He scored 12 goals during the DIII Eastern Championships, including a six-goal performance, to earn All-Tournament honors for the second straight year. As a junior in 2006, he scored on 50 percent of the shots he took and did not turn over the ball once. Spoto contributed 40 goals and 30 drawn ejections. He turned many heads in his first three seasons, sparking a tryout for the United States Senior National Team in December 2006.
Spoto’s final year solidified his argument for being the best water polo player in Behrend history. The senior reset the single-season record for goals with 76 in just 27 games played. Spoto earned his second All-American honors, being one of only 22 Division III water polo athletes to earn this accolade.
He started in every game and was named Team MVP for his junior and senior years. Spoto finished his career with 247 goals, a school record that still stands. He remains number one for the single-season goals record and drawn ejections record. In addition, Spoto earned CWPA All-Academic Team honors.
On the swimming and diving team, he led the Lions to back-to-back AMCC Championships in the first two years of inclusion in the conference. He was a combined three-time individual champion and five-time relay champion.