BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) placed 13 student-athletes on the 2017 Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) Men’s Varsity All-America Team released last week.
Divided into three teams based on the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) affiliation of the institutions, the MAWPC earned four Division I Honorable Mention, one First Team and a pair of Honorable Mention Division II and one First Team, two Second Teamd and three Honorable Mention honors as Bucknell University, George Washington University, Fordham University, Wagner College, Gannon University, Mercyhurst University, Salem International University, Johns Hopkins University and Connecticut College each garnered at least one All-America nod.
A quartet of MAWPC athletes were named to the Division I All-America Honorable Mention squad as Rade Joksimovic of Bucknell, Andrew Mavis of MAWPC Champion George Washington, Massimiliano Mirachi of Fordham and Ciaran Wolohan of Wagner were recognized for their play during the span of the 2017 season.
A 2016 Third Team recipient, Joksimovic earns his second All-America award. Further, Mirachi becomes a four-time All-America honoree as he previously earned Division III First Team notice in 2014, 2015 and 2016 at Whittier College as an undergraduate student.
Three MAWPC athletes were selected to the Division II All-America Team with Gannon’s Zarko Sadikovic taking First Team accolades to accompany Honorable Mention laurels to Connor Schmitz of Mercyhurst and Djordje Stavrevski of Salem International.
2017 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division III Champion Johns Hopkins leads the way on the Division III squad with a league-high four selections as the MAWPC posted six honors.
Giorgio Cico leads the Blue Jays and league with First Team honors, while Finn Banks and goalie John Wilson notch Second Team notices to accompany an Honorable Mention award for Josh Kurtz. Joining Kurtz on the Honorable Mention team are Dylan Pinckert and Steve Cress of Connecticut.
Similar to Joksimovic and Mirachi on the Division I Team, Cico, Wilson and Cress each add to their legacies as the trio previously collected 2016 Second Team and 2015 Second Team, 2016 Honorable Mention and 2015 Second Team and 2015 Honorable Mention awards, respectively, to rate as repeat All-America selections.
Created prior to the 2016 varsity season, the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) is divided into two regions with Connecticut, Gannon, La Salle University, Mercyhurst, McKendree University, Monmouth College, Salem International and Washington & Jefferson College comprising the Western Region. Bucknell, Fordham, George Washington, Johns Hopkins, the United States Naval Academy and Wagner make up the Eastern Region.
