BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) announces the selection of 16 student-athletes to the 2021 ACWPC Division II Women’s Varsity All-America Team.
The ACWPC All-America teams are selected based on nominations and voting by varsity head coaches.
Salem University (four), Azusa Pacific University (four), Mercyhurst University (two) and Concordia University-Irvine (two) each clam multiple All-America honors, while Fresno Pacific University, Gannon University and McKendree University record single honors.
Leading the team is three-time All-America honoree Milena Guzman Ortiz of Azusa Pacfiic University who garners Division II Player of the Year and First Team recognition.
Guzman Ortiz,kung who previously collected First Team status in 2019 and 2020, is joined on the First Team by teammate Hannah Bradley who earns her first All-America nod.
A trio of Salem athletes also earn First Team status as Chloe Woodbine and three-time All-America selection Margherita Garibbo (2019 Second Team, 2020 First Team, 2021 First Team) join goalie Philippa Piper (2019 Honorable Mention, 2020 Second Team, 2021 First Team).
Two-time All-America honorees Amy Zaninovich of Fresno Pacific (2020 Honorable Mention, 2021 First Team) and Nicole Wiemken of Gannon (2020 Second Team, 2021 First Team) complete the First Team with Cassie Anderson of Mercyhurst University.
On the Honorable Mention list, three-time All-America selections Emily Weslove of McKendree (2018 Second Team, 2019 Honorable Mention, 2021 Honorable Mention) and Madison Ravelo of Concordia (2019 Second Team, 2020 First Team, 2021 Honorable Mention) join two-time picks Maddie Nye of Mercyhurst (2019 Honorable Mention, 2021 Honorable Mention) and Annefleur ten Bloemdndal of Salem (2020 Second Team, 2021 Honorable Mention).
Goalies Olivia Lott of Azusa Pacific and Sarah O’Keefe of Mercyhurst along with field players Kim Reidel of Concordia and Britni Tisdale of Azusa Pacific complete the All-America team.
Division II Coach of the Year honors go to Salem head coach Justin Kassab who becomes the second East Coast head coach to earn the laurel.
Historically, nine coaches have claimed the Division II Coach of the Year award since its inaugural presentation following the 2004 season with Tom Finwall of California State University, San Bernardino (2004), Larry Sanders of UC-San Diego (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008), Coralie Simmons of Sonoma State University (2009, 2015), Lisa Cooper of California State University, East Bay (2010, 2017), Gary Figueroa of California State University, Monterey Bay (2012), Curtis Robinette of Mercyhurst (2016), Julie Snodgrass of Azusa Pacific (2018) and Brad Kruetzkamp of the UC-San Diego (2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2019) preceding Kassab in earning the honor.
Kassab and Guzman Ortiz’s awards mark the first individual hononrs in two years as neither a Player nor Coach of the Year award was not presented in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic shortening the season.
Founded in 2005, the mission of the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) is to promote the development and advancement of collegiate water polo. This shall be accomplished by providing its membership with professional education, services, training and a united voice.
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