BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) alumni, officials and coaches are among those selected for 2023 USA Water Polo Zone awards. The winners, representing zones from all across the country, honor contributions in variety of areas including coaching, officiating, volunteering, masters water polo, and more.
Brenda Villa Award (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion)
- Southeast Zone: Ashleigh Johnson (Princeton University alumna/United States National Team goalkeeper)
Monte Nitzkowski Award (Elite Men’s Coach)
- Midwest Zone: Ryan Pryor (Augustana College men’s & women’s water polo coach)
- Mountain Zone: Alan Huckins (CWPA Official/former Hartwick College women’s water polo head coach)
- Northeast Zone: Dusty Litvak (Princeton University men’s water polo coach)
- Southeast Zone: Carroll Vaughn (former Florida International University men’s collegiate club coach)
- Southwest Zone: Trent Calder (former Brown University assistant coach)
Sandy Nitta Award (Elite Women’s Coach)
- Central Zone: Kandice Waldthaler (Indiana University alumna/University of California-Davis women’s water polo coach)
- Midwest Zone: Cassandra Churnside (University of Michigan women’s water polo coach)
- Northeast Zone: Derek Ellingson (Queens College alumnus/Princeton University women’s water polo coach, assistant coach men’s water polo)
- Southwest Zone: Mark Lawrence (Austin College men’s & women’s water polo coach/former United States Naval Academy men’s water polo assistant coach/former Massachusetts Institute of Technology men’s water polo coach/former Brown University men’s & women’s water polo assistant coach/Queens College alumnus)
Bill Barnett Award (Scholastic Men’s Coach)
- Southeast Zone: Michael Goldenberg (retired CWPA official)
Doc Hunkler Award (Scholastic Women’s Coach)
- Northeast Zone: Ali Templin (Utica College alumna)
- Southern Pacific: Christina O’Beck (University of Michigan alumna)
Brent Bohlender Award (Development Women’s Coach)
- Northeast Zone: Gabriel Maldonado (CWPA official)
Bret Bernard Award (Elite Referee)
- Central Zone: Brandon Skiba (CWPA official)
- Midwest Zone: Aleks Mitrevski (CWPA official)
- Mountain Zone: Victor Nguyen (Penn State Behrend alumnus/former University of Arizona club coach/CWPA official)
- Northeast Zone: Alex Stankevitch (CWPA official)
- Southeast Zone: Stephanie Villalobos (CWPA official)
Tom Hermstad Award (Scholastic Referee)
- Mountain Zone: Matt Langford (CWPA official)
- Northeast Zone: Kyle Rekedal (CWPA official)
- Pacific Northwest Zone: Courtney Bird (CWPA official)
- Southeast Zone: Vito Dioguardi (CWPA official)
Aaron Chaney Award (Development Referee)
- Northeast Zone: Irakli Sanadze (CWPA official)
Barbara Kalbus Award (Volunteer of the Year)
- Midwest Zone: Ryan Castle (former Carthage College women’s water polo coach/former Indiana University women’s water polo coach/former Hartwick College women’s water polo assistant coach/former University of Michigan women’s water polo assistant coach/former Arizona State University men’s collegiate club coach)
Dion Gray Award (Female Masters Athlete of the Year)
- Northeast Zone: Kim Tierney Wang (Bucknell University alumna/Columbia University alumna)
Missed One?: Contact the CWPA office at office@collegiatewaterpolo.org for additions.
