BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) is spotlighting the 2020 women’s seniors who had their season cut-short due to the Coronavirus. Conducted through written word or by video, the league’s intention is to recognize its membership.
The sole senior on the roster of the Arizona State University women’s collegiate club team in 2020, Sally Summersgill will graduate Barrett, ASU’s prestigious Honors College, with Bachelor of Science degrees in both Business and Data Analytics and Marking. In addition, she was nominated as a finalist for the W.P. Carey School of Business Outstanding Graduating Senior.
ASU head coach AJ Grucky noted:
“Sally has been our Water Polo Club’s President from since August 2018. In this short time, she has been successful in reaching this highest possible tier of club compliance at Arizona State while also increasing the club’s member participation to the highest it’s been in years. It’s because of this hard work that our club team will be positioned to have both an A Team and a B team in the following season.”
“Personally, Sally is a coach’s dream. She has the club team running like a well-oiled machine. She is extremely organized with roster information, the team budget and scheduling. She organizes team activities outside of the pool which has promoted a culture of service, selflessness and unity versus the culture of entitlement that existed before Sally took over. She handles several tasks all at once with unwavering work ethic.”
“Sally doesn’t just lead the team outside of the pool. She coordinates practice when coaches cannot, however when participating in a coached practice, she knows when to follow instruction and take direction without confrontation. Sally looks out for her teammates when they need a break or have an issue preventing them from playing yet when she herself is under the weather she still safely attends practice to show her dedication to her teammates. Sally makes time for every practice by handling her scholastic needs outside of team-time and leads the team with a 4.11 GPA.”
“Sally’s excellent communication skills is one of the aspects about her that I respect the most. She doesn’t let a problem or situation become exacerbated with silence or surreptitious discussion. She responds to these obstacles as opportunities to engage in a discussion and respectfully adds her feelings to prevent further problems.”
“One of the common mantras I like to live by is ‘The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy’. It iss this ideology I look for in all of my athletes because throughout a water polo season, we will experience several obstacles to overcome. Sally has not only been able to overcome these obstacles each and every time, but she does so with grace and candor. She doesn’t whine or complain rather she steps out of her comfort zone, gets creative and provides a positive attitude which undoubtedly leads her to tremendous success and admiration from her peers. When I’m faced with a challenge, I look to Sally. It’s because of her ability to think critically and handle unplanned situations with dexterity that we have made it through each obstacle including the devastating cancellation of our water polo season.”
“It’s truly a shame that Sally cannot see final water polo season play out. Hailing from St. Joseph, Michigan, Sally was an accomplished distance swimmer in high school. Even though she had no formal water polo experience in high school, she mastered the sport of water polo earning a regular starting role on the team throughout her time at Arizona State.”
“Sally has accepted a full-time position with Exxon-Mobile in the IT Department where she will be based in the Houston area. It’s with a heavy heart we announce her departure but even though Sally’s time at Arizona State is coming to an end, her legacy will continue to live on in her absence for many years to come.”
