Eric Emil Lindroth is a retired American water polo player who won the bronze medal with the United States men's team at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany. A two-time All-American at UCLA, where he won three NCAA titles, he played for the U.S. national team from 1970 to 1983 and was inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame in 1988.
Background
Eric Emil Lindroth was born on September 12, 1951, in Huntington Beach, California, to Mr. and Mrs. Reynold Lindroth. Huntington Beach is a city in Orange County, in Southern California.
His competitive water polo began in the high school system of the region. He attended Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach, where he competed from 1967 to 1968 under coach Bill Barnett, who was later inducted into the water polo Hall of Fame. The California Interscholastic Federation recognized his play with a championship in 1967 and a Player of the Year award in 1968.
Education
Lindroth attended Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach, California, before moving on to collegiate competition. Newport Harbor was the school where he first earned the statewide high school honors that preceded his college career.
He enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles in 1969, the Los Angeles campus of the University of California public university system. The UCLA men's water polo team won NCAA championships in 1969, 1971 and 1972, and it posted a 73-4 overall record during his four years there. He was a two-time All-American at UCLA.
He graduated from UCLA in 1973 with a degree in physical education. His university education therefore combined collegiate water polo with a degree in a field related to athletics and physical training.
Career
Lindroth's competitive career began in high school and continued through UCLA, where he was a freshman on the program's first NCAA championship team in 1969. He was named the most valuable player of the 1972 NCAA tournament, which was played in December 1972 at the Armond H. Seidler Natatorium in Albuquerque, New Mexico. During his college years he also played club water polo for Phillips 66 from 1969 to 1973.
He made his international debut in 1970 and played on the United States national team from 1970 to 1983. At the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany, he was the youngest member of the United States men's water polo team. The team won the bronze medal, the country's first Olympic water polo medal since 1932. Hungary, the pre-Games favorite, had won three of the previous four Olympic titles, which made the American result an upset in the context of the tournament. The team was led by head coach Monte Nitzkowski.
Lindroth later competed in the Pan American Games, which are held every four years for athletes from nations of the Americas. He won a silver medal with the team at the 1975 Games in Mexico City and a gold medal at the 1979 Games in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He also competed at the World Championships in 1973, 1975 and 1978. The United States did not compete at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow because of a boycott, though Lindroth was a member of the 1980 United States Olympic team. He was part of the national team that won the 1983 FINA Cup championship, and FINA is the international governing body for aquatic sports.
Outside international play, he continued his club career with Fullerton Aquatic Club from 1974 to 1975, the Southern California All Stars from 1976 to 1979, and Industry Hills from 1980 to 1983. He was admitted to the bar in 1978. He later continued to play masters water polo with the Old Mission Bay Club.
Lindroth died on June 17, 2019, in San Diego, California, at the age of 67, after a battle with metastatic melanoma.
Achievements
Helped UCLA win NCAA men's water polo championships in 1969, 1971 and 1972, a run that gave the program three national titles in four years of his collegiate career.
Played over 100 international matches for the United States national team and won nine AAU Senior National Outdoor championships with club teams.
Was selected for the 1980 United States Olympic team, which did not compete at the Moscow Games because of the United States boycott.
Membership
Lindroth's club membership formed a continuous part of his water polo career, allowing him to compete in regional and national club events between his college seasons and his national team service. Phillips 66 was his club from 1969 to 1973, followed by Fullerton Aquatic Club from 1974 to 1975. He then played for the Southern California All Stars from 1976 to 1979 and for Industry Hills from 1980 to 1983. In later years he continued to play masters water polo with the Old Mission Bay Club.
Phillips 66
,
United States
1969 - 1973
Fullerton Aquatic Club
,
United States
1974 - 1975
Southern California All Stars
,
United States
1976 - 1979
Industry Hills
,
United States
1980 - 1983
Masters water polo player
Old Mission Bay Club
,
United States
Personality
Physical Characteristics:
He was 188 centimetres (6 feet 2 inches) tall and weighed 86 kilograms (190 pounds).
Quotes from others about the person
Former teammates described him as a complete player, a strong shooter, defender, passer and counterattacker, and a selfless teammate. Those who remembered him after his death also described him as a devoted family man who showed love, support and affection.
Connections
Lindroth was born to Mr. and Mrs. Reynold Lindroth. He married Deborah Ann Donnelly, who was known as Debi, and the couple had three children: Lauren, Ryan and Cameron. At his death in 2019 he was survived by his wife and three children.
His coaches included Bill Barnett at Newport Harbor High School, Bob Horn at UCLA, and Monte Nitzkowski with the 1972 United States Olympic team.
Father:
Reynold Lindroth
child:
Lauren
child:
Ryan
child:
Cameron
Wife:
Deborah Ann Donnelly
Known as Debi; survived him at his death in 2019.
References
Eric Lindroth
Encyclopedia entry covering his birth and death, his 1972 Olympic bronze medal, and his USA Water Polo Hall of Fame induction.
Eric Emil LINDROTH
Olympic athlete profile summarizing his participation in the 1972 Munich Games, his Pan American Games medals, and his Hall of Fame honors.
Eric Lindroth (1988) - Hall of Fame
USA Water Polo Hall of Fame profile setting out his playing record and honors, including national team, collegiate and club achievements.
