BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The trio of Macalester College’s Jess Palmer-Sammons (Jr., Half Moon Bay, Calif./Half Moon Bay), Washington & Jefferson College’s Emmie Ratcliff (Fr., Friendswood, Texas/Friendswood) and W&J’s Nikola Malezanov earn Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year and Coach of the Year honors as the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) releases the league’s 2025 Division III All-Conference Team.
Athletes are selected based on nominations from each institutions’ head coach. The nominations are compiled for a ballot from which the coaches select 12 field athletes and two goalies from other institutions. Coaches also select a Most Valuable Player (MVP), Coach of the Year and Rookie of the Year based on nominations from the institutions – with the ability to vote for their own nominations for the three individual awards.
Unlike 2019, 2022 and 2023 when the All-Conference team was divided into East and West Regions, and similar to the 2024 selections, the 2025 squad encompasses the current nine CWPA Division III institutions (Augustana College, Austin College, Carthage College, Connecticut College, Grove City College, Macalester, Penn State Behrend, Washington & Jefferson, Wheaton College (Mass.)).
On the First Team, 2023 CWPA Division III-West Region First Team and 2024 First Team selections Palmer-Sammons and Augustana’s Charlotte Newport (Sr., Baytown, Texas/Ross S. Sterling) are joined by fellow 2024 First Team selection and 2023 CWPA Division III-East Region honoree Emma Luna (Jr., Wahiawa, Hawaii/Punahou School) of Connecticut College. 2024 Second Team recipients Ashley Chand (Sr., Southlake, Texas/Southlake) of Austin and Emma Halle (Sr., Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) of W&J join 2024 Honorable Mention goalkeeper Jayden Kratt (Jr., Palo Alto, Calif./Henry M. Gunn) of Macalester in earning their inaugural First Team nods. Rookie of the Year Emmie Ratcliff completes the First Team by picking up her initial All-Conference selection.
The Second Team is led by pairs of selections from Austin and Augustana as Joslyn Dimitri (So., Couer d’Alene, Idaho/Couer d’Alene) and Bianca Gallegos (Jr., Albuquerque, N.M./Manzano) garner their first All-Conference selections for the Kangaroos, while 2023 CWPA Division III-West Region First Team/2024 Second Team pick Ocean Akau (Sr., Pana’ewa, Hawaii/Kamehameha) and 2024 First Team goalkeeper Lizzie Pelzman (Sr., Roseville, Calif./Roseville) from the Vikings also earn recognition. 2024 Second Team recipient Darragh Martin (Jr., Green Lane, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) of Penn State Behrend is joined by first-time honor recipients Anna Gaisser (Fr., Seattle, Wash./Ingraham) of Macalester and Kiera Crawly (Fr., Chelsea, Mich./Chelsea) of Carthage.
An octet of first-time picks comprise the Honorable Mention list as Augustana’s Waiahuli Akau (So., Pana’ewa, Hawaii/Kamehameha), Grove City’s Shastyn Tihansky (So., Hazleton, Pa./Hazleton) and Frances Baksa (Fr., Longwood, Fla./Lake Mary), Macalester’s Kendall Coney (Sr., League City, Texas/Cleark Creek), W&J’s Hallie Ratcliff (So., Friendswood, Texas/Friendswood), Wheaton’s Ryanna Ritting (Fr., Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) along with Austin’s Mikhaela Torres (So., Cypress, Texas/Bridgeland) and goalkeeper Ashley Easley (So., San Antonio, Texas/Brandeis) conclude the 22 athletes receiving All-Conference appreciation for the 2025 regular season.
In the history of the league, Palmer-Sammons is the second Macalester athlete to earn MVP status joining two-time pick Lucille Moran (2017, 2018). Emmie Ratcliff joins former Presidents Rachel Clauss (2023) and Laura Travers (2014) in claiming Rookie of the Year recognition, while Malezanov collects his inaugural CWPA Division III Coach of the Year award.
| 2025 Collegiate Water Polo Association Division III All-Conference Team | |
| Most Valuable Player: | Jess Palmer-Sammons (Macalester College) |
| Rookie of the Year: | Emmie Ratcliff (Washington & Jefferson College) |
| Coach of the Year: | Nikola Malezanov (Washington & Jefferson College) |
| First Team | |
| Jayden Kratt (Goalie) | Macalester College |
| Jess Palmer-Sammons | Macalester College |
| Emmie Ratcliff | Washington & Jefferson College |
| Emma Halle | Washington & Jefferson College |
| Charlotte Newport | Augustana College |
| Ashley Chand | Austin College |
| Emma Luna | Connecticut College |
| Second Team | |
| Lizzie Pelzman (Goalie) | Augustana College |
| Ocean Akau | Augustana College |
| Joslyn Dimitri | Austin College |
| Bianca Gallegos | Austin College |
| Kiera Crawley | Carthage College |
| Anna Gaisser | Macalester College |
| Darragh Martin | Penn State Behrend |
| Honorable Mention | |
| Ashley Easley (Goalie) | Austin College |
| Mikhaela Torres | Austin College |
| Waiahuli Akau | Augustana College |
| Frances Baksa | Grove City College |
| Shastyn Tihansky | Grove City College |
| Kendall Coney | Macalester College |
| Hallie Ratcliff | Washington & Jefferson College |
| Ryanna Ritting | Wheaton College (Mass.) |
Coach of the Year
- 2025 – Nikola Malezanov (Washington & Jefferson College)
- 2024 – Scott Reed (Macalester College)
- 2023 – Matt Anderson (Connecticut College – East) / Ryan Pryor (Augustana College – West)
- 2022 – Joe Tristan (Penn State Behrend – East) / Mark Lawrence (Austin College – West)
- 2021 – Mark Lawrence (Austin College)
- 2020 – No competition (COVID-19)
- 2019 – Alyssa Hunt (Grove City College – East) / Peter Ollis (Monmouth College – West)
- 2018 – Scott Reed (Macalester College)
- 2017 – Scott Reed (Macalester College)
- 2016 – Joe Tristan (Penn State Behrend)
- 2015 – Matt Anderson (Connecticut College)
- 2014 – Andy Bax (Carthage College)
- 2013 – JJ Addison (Connecticut College)
- 2012 – Jon Miller (Grove City College)
- 2011 – Sarah Zink (Carthage College)
- 2010 – Jon Miller (Grove City College)
Most Valuable Player
- 2025 – Jess Palmer-Sammons (Macalester College)
- 2024 – Casey Barragan (Augustana College)
- 2023 – Gigi Sandull (Connecticut College – East) / Casey Barragan (Augustana College – West)
- 2022 – Maria Sell (Connecticut College – East) / Brooke Le (Austin College)
- 2021 – Sophie Oliver (Austin College)
- 2020 – No competition (COVID-19)
- 2019 – Tessa Leatherwood (Grove City College – East) / Becca Dabrowski (Monmouth College)
- 2018 – Lucille Moran (Macalester College)
- 2017 – Lucille Moran (Macalester College)
- 2016 – Kelsey Millward (Connecticut College)
- 2015 – Nicolle Jasbon (Connecticut College)
- 2014 – Nicolle Jasbon (Connecticut College)
- 2013 – Nicolle Jasbon (Connecticut College)
- 2012 – Chelsea Johnson (Grove City College)
- 2011 – Kimberly Genian (Carthage College)
- 2010 – Amanda Thompson (Grove City College)
Rookie of the Year
- 2025 – Emmie Ratcliff (Washington & Jefferson College)
- 2024 – Pooja Bucklin (Macalester College)
- 2023 – Gigi Sandull (Connecticut College – East) / Casey Barragan (Augustana College – West)
- 2022 – Marley Persch (Penn State Behrend – East) / Alyssa Fricker (Augustana College – West)
- 2021 – Grace McLaughlin (Wittenberg University)
- 2020 – No competition (COVID-19)
- 2019 – Elaine Miller (Grove City College – East) / Lexi Wong (Austin College – West)
- 2018 – Stephania Lopez (Connecticut College)
- 2017 – Cara Mullery (Macalester College)
- 2016 – Jane Eckles (Carthage College)
- 2015 – Maryn Horn (Penn State Behrend)
- 2014 – Laura Travers (Washington & Jefferson College)
- 2013 – Rachel Clauss (Washington & Jefferson College)
- 2012 – Hannah Hibbs (Wheaton College (Ill.))
- 2011 – Hillary Veselik (Carthage College)
- 2010 – Amanda Johnston (Grove City College)
