ST. PAUL, Minn. — Macalester College recent graduate Jess Palmer-Sammons (Half Moon Bay, Calif./Half Moon Bay) of the water polo team was chosen the Region IX Women’s Sport Student-Athlete of the Year by the Division III Commissioners Association (DIIICA). Palmer-Sammons is one of 20 Division III student-athletes to receive the award, which recognizes graduating seniors who have demonstrated excellence in athletics, academics, leadership and service throughout their collegiate careers.
Palmer-Sammons, who is representing both the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) and the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA), and all of the regional award winners advance to the national ballot for the DIIICA Men’s and Women’s Sport Athletes of the Year, which will be announced next month.
A three-time All-CWPA first team selection and the CWPA Most Valuable Player in 2025 and 2026, Palmer-Sammons made the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) All-America second team after receiving All-American honorable mention the previous two seasons. This year she led Macalester with 48 goals and 32 assists for 80 points in 22 games this season. In three games at the CWPA Championships April 10-12, Palmer-Sammons tallied six goals and five assists for 11 points to lead the Scots to the CWPA title at Wheaton College (Mass.) as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. At the USA Water Polo Division III National Championship on April 25-26, she scored one of Macalester’s two goals against eventual-champion Pomona-Pitzer Colleges, then had two goals, an assist and four steals in a 7-6 comeback victory over Carthage College in the third-place game. Also a key component in the Scots’ defense, she registered 51 steals. In 78 career matches at Macalester, she has 153 goals and 70 assists for 223 points while swiping 131 steals.
A biology and Spanish double-major at Macalester, Palmer-Sammons was named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America first team this year after making the third team following her junior year. She has earned the ACWPC All-Academic Award three times and has made the CSC Academic All-District team three times. At Macalester Athletics’ year-end celebration in May, Palmer-Sammons was named the M Club Women’s Team Student-Athlete of the Year, which recognizes the Macalester student-athlete who has contributed the most to the team’s success through athletic achievement, leadership and academic excellence.
Macalester, coached by Scott Reed, posted a 16-6 record, captured the CWPA Tournament championship and made the program’s first appearance in the USA Water Polo Division III National Championship, where they placed third. The Scots have won the CWPA Championship four times: 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2026.
2025-26 Regional Student-Athlete of the Year Honorees
Region I
- Men’s Sport: Scott Gyimesi, Tufts University (Basketball) | New England Small College Athletic Conference
- Women’s Sport: Caroline Adams, Middlebury College (Lacrosse) | New England Small College Athletic Conference
Region II
- Men’s Sport: Levi BenAvram, Brandeis University (Fencing) | University Athletic Association
- Women’s Sport: Annika Naveen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Swimming and Diving) | New England Men’s and Women’s Athletic Conference
Region III
- Men’s Sport: Isaiah Brunache, SUNY Cortland (Track and Field) | SUNYAC
- Women’s Sport: Maddie Lowney, St. John Fisher University (Lacrosse) | Empire 8
Region IV
- Men’s Sport: Ethan Hagen, Stevens Institute (Soccer) | MAC Freedom
- Women’s Sport: Lauren Sullivan, Stevens Institute (Lacrosse) | MAC Freedom
Region V
- Men’s Sport: Logan Campbell, University of Scranton (Soccer) | Landmark Conference
- Women’s Sport: Molly White, University of Scranton (Track and Field) | Landmark Conference
Region VI
- Men’s Sport: Matt Conroy, Shenandoah University (Football) Old Dominion Athletic Conference
- Women’s Sport: Elyse Warren, Millsaps College (Basketball) | Southern Athletic Association
Region VII
- Men’s Sport: Ethan Manske, Kenyon College (Swimming and Diving) | North Coast Athletic Conference
- Women’s Sport: Sophie Bull, Calvin University (Track and Field) | Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Region VIII
- Men’s Sport: Adrian Manchado Cano, Milwaukee School of Engineering (Soccer) | Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference
- Women’s Sport: Jessa Alderman, Milwaukee School of Engineering (Track and Field) | Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference
Region IX
- Men’s Sport: Eric Kinkaid, Loras College (Wrestling) | American Rivers Conference
- Women’s Sport: Jess Palmer-Sammons, Macalester College (Water Polo) | Collegiate Water Polo Association & Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Region X
- Men’s Sport: Rabbit Barnes, Colorado College (Cross Country and Track and Field) | Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference
- Women’s Sport: Alison Mueller-Hickler, Colorado College (Cross Country and Track and Field) | Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference
About the DIII Commissioners Association (DIIICA)
The DIIICA was established in 1992 to provide a collaborative network for Division III commissioners to share knowledge, resources, and best practices. Working alongside key organizations such as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), the association is committed to enhancing the student-athlete experience through innovation and collective leadership.
Release courtesy Macalester College Athletics Communications
