Peter Asch

Peter Gregory Asch "Pasch" (born October 16, 1948) is a retired American water polo player from the United States, who won the bronze medal with the Men's National Team at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany. He received a Gold Medal in 1971 and a Silver medal in 1975 with the American Water Polo Team in the PanAm Games, and was rated as one of the best players in the World from 1971-76.[2] He graduated from the University of California Berkeley in 1971 where he competed in Water Polo, and later worked in banking.[1]

Not to be confused with Peter Ash.
Peter Asch
Personal information
BornJanuary 25, 1947 (1947-01-25) (age 76)
Monterey, California[1]
EducationUniversity of California, Berekley
OccupationBanking executive
Height188 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight82 kg (181 lb)
Sport
ClubSanta Clara Swim, De Anza Aquatic Foundation
Cupertino, Concord
Medal record
Men's water polo
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 1972 Munich Team competition

Asch is Jewish,[3][4][5] and attended Santa Clara High School. He was a member of the Santa Clara Swim Club, founded by George Haines, an exceptional California swim coach who was an Olympic Coach and coached Mark Spitz who also attended Santa Clara High, and Don Schollander. During Asch's High School Years, Santa Clara Swim Club was located at Santa Clara High School and had a Water Polo Team. During his High School years, he became an All-American Water Polo Player twice while swimming for championship Teams with the DeAnza Aquatic Club.[6][2]

During his college career at UC Berkeley, Asch served as water polo team captain from 1968–1969, earned All-America honors in water polo for the Bears three straight years from 1967–69, and finished second in the first ever NCAA men's water polo championship. He also served as chapter president for Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.[2]

Asch was on the American Athletic Union National Outdoor Championship Teams in 1969, 70, and 73, and from 1974-76. He represented the De Anza Aquatic & Concord Swim Clubs.[2]

In June of 1972, Asch was selected to participate in a Tour of Europe by the Olympic Committee from June 17-July 2, after which he began Olympic training. The American Team was head coached by Monte Nitzkowski, who would coach Water Polo in four Olympic years.[7]

1972 Olympic medal

In his 1972 Division A Olympic Game against Romania, on August 27, in Munich at the Olympia Schwimmhalle, Asch scored the deciding goal in a 4-3 victory with only 1:52 left to play.[8]

In the subsequent games at the 1972 Munich Olympics, the United States Water Polo Team defeated Cuba 7-6 on August 28 where Asch scored a goal, and then defeated Canada on August 29. On August 30, the team defeated Mexico, 7-5. They defeated Yugoslavia 5-3 on August 31, and tied with West Germany 4-4 on September 1. On September 1, in the difficult 4-4 tie in the opening final game with the strongly supported home team West Germany, Asch scored a vital goal.[9] But in a rare loss, the U.S. team went 5-3 to Hungary on September 2. In a closely followed game, and an important one for Asch, the US Team tied with the future Gold medal winner, the Soviet Union, 6-6 on September 3, and Asch scored a needed goal against a team many American fans viewed as a major rival.[10] The American Team was greatly disappointed with the tie, and Asch later inferred that his decision to continue playing Water Polo with the National Team was in hopes of someday beating Russia. Asch got his chance to play Russia again in Long Beach in a series of games in February of 1973 and scored at least one goal, but the Russians, swept the three game series which ended on February 18.[11][12][6] In their Final 1972 Olympic game, the US Team defeated Italy 6-5 on September 4. Russia took the gold medal, and a highly skilled team from Hungary, who had defeated the United States, the silver.[13]

Water Polo honors

Asch was a two-time All American in Water Polo, during his High School years, where he swam for the exceptional Santa Clara Swim Club, and played championship polo for Anzio Aquatic Club. He was a three-time NCAA All-American, for University of California, Berkeley from 1967-69. He was voted Most Valuable Player for U.C. Berkeley, in 1968-69, and was Captain of U.C. Berkeley Water Polo Team in 1969. Asch became a member of the University of California Athletic Hall of Fame in 1969.[14]

In 1975, Asch was winner of the James W. Lee Award for his work with the Outdoor Nationals Team and was Captain of the US National Team from 1973-76. He was a member of the All-World Team in 1973 and 1975.[2]


PanAm Games medals

After his bronze medal at the München Olympics, he won a gold in the 1971 PanAm Games and a silver at the 1975 PanAm Games.[1][2]

After graduating from Cal/Berkley in 1971, he joined the Bank of America Corp. and by 1975 was an Assistant Investments Officer.[6] He later became president of one of the Bank of America Corp. group subsidiaries.[1] His wife Marsha was a synchronized swimmer with whom he would occasionally train.[6] Asch currently lives in California. In 1984, he was inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame.[15][2]

See also

References
  1. "Peter Asch Biography". Olympedia. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  2. "Hall of Fame Inductees". usawaterpolo.org. USA Water Polo. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  3. Horvitz, Peter S. (April 2007). The Big Book of Jewish Sports Heroes. SP Books. ISBN 9781561719075.
  4. Mayer, Paul Yogi (2004). Jews and the Olympic Games. Vallentine Mitchell. ISBN 9780853035169.
  5. Skolnik, Fred; Berenbaum, Michael (2007). Encyclopaedia Judaica. Macmillan Reference USA. ISBN 9780028659282.
  6. Frizzell, Pat, "Water Polo: Basketball in the Pool", Oakland Tribune, Oakland, California, pg. 41, 19 March 1975
  7. "U.S. Water Polo Tour of Europe", The San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco, California, pg. 65, 5 June 1972
  8. "Action Opens With a Bang", Playground Daily News, Fort Walton Beach, Florida, pg. 9, 28 August 1972
  9. "US, German Water Polo Teams Tie 4-4", The Fresno Bee, Fresno, California, pg. 23, 1 September 1972
  10. US Player Tips in German Goal", Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester, New York, pg. 31, 2 September 1972.
  11. Zupan, Don, "Soviet Water Polo Visit a Sucess", Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, California, pg. 29, 18 February 1973
  12. Dixon, John, "Yank Poloists Bow", Press-Telegram, pg. 33, 9 February 1973
  13. "Water Polo at the 1972 Munich Summer Games". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  14. "University of California Hall of Fame, Peter Asch". calbears.com. University of California. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  15. "Peter Asch (1984)". usawaterpolo.org. USA Water Polo. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
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