BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Hall of Fame member and former University of Michigan goalkeeper Betsey Armstrong is listed at No. 12 on the list of the Top American Women’s Water Polo Players of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Era compiled by Jeff Moulton and published on SwimmingWorldMagazine.com.
The Top 10 is expected to be released on SwimmingWorldMagazine.com within the next week with breakdowns of No. 25-to-21 (CLICK HERE) and No. 20-to-11 (CLICK HERE) available online. Armstrong is one of two athletes who did not compete in high school water polo in California and among a pair that competed on the collegiate level outside California. Overall, 10 of of the 25 played for Stanford University, seven played for the University of California-Los Angeles, four played for the University of Southern California, two played for the University of California, one played for Princeton University and Armstrong competed for Michigan.
Moulton’s list is based on the following criteria:
- To be eligible for the list, an individual must have played at least one year of college water polo from 2001 to the present.
- A consideration of how an individual’s teams performed. 18 of the 25 individuals on the list won at least one NCAA championship; nine won two or more NCAA championships. 18 won at least one Olympic gold medal. Twenty-three won at least one World Aquatics (FINA) World Championship.
- A consideration of whether (and at what level) an individual received All-America honors from the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) and whether an individual won the ACWPC’s Player-of-the-Year Award or the Cutino Award. Every individual on the list was an ACWPC All-America selection at least twice; 23 were First Team All-America picks at least once. Further, 17 won the ACWPC Player of the Year Award or the Cutino Award at least once.
- A consideration of how an individual performed for the United States in international competition, including the Olympics and World Championships. Every individual on the list was a member of at least one Olympic team and one World Championships team. Twenty were members of at least two Olympic teams.
- Where applicable, a consideration was made of how an individual performed in her professional career.
- A consideration of the extent to which opposing teams had to account for an individual in their game plans.
- The opinions of players, coaches, and other knowledgeable observers, including members of the Water Polo Hall of Fame, were weighed.
A 2008 inductee to the league’s Hall of Fame, Armstrong went from the a state named for the Ojibwe word mishigami (meaning “large water” or “large lake”) to the largest stages of water polo with the United States Olympic Team.
She spent four seasons tending the cage for the University of Michigan Wolverines, leading the team to four CWPA division titles and two NCAA (NCAA) tournament appearances, including a sixth-place finish at the 2005 NCAA Championship. The program’s first in-state recruit and a graduate of Ann Arbor (Mich.) High School, She wrapped up her U-M career as the program leader in blocks (1,267), minutes (3,329), goals against average (5.64) and save percentage (.654).
During her career with the Maize and Blue, Armstrong racked up a pair of divisional Most Valuable Player accolades (2003-04) and four CWPA All-Division First Team honors (2002-05). Armstrong excelled at the Eastern Championship, earning two MVP honors (2003, ’05) as part of three All-Eastern Championship first team nominations (2002, 2004-05). On the national level, she earned All-America recognition in each season, making the second team in 2004, third team in 2005 and honorable mention in her first two campaigns at Michigan.
“To be able to do it was just wonderful because you want the best for your players and you want them to follow their dream and that’s what Betsey (Armstrong) has done,” noted former Michigan head coach Matt Anderson.
In May 2006, she earned a spot on the USA National Team following an open tryout. In just under two years with the squad, Armstrong led Team USA to a gold medal at the XV Pan American Games — securing the country’s spot at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China — and gold medal victories in both the FINA World League and FINA World Championships. At the World Championships, Armstrong was recognized as the tournament’s Most Outstanding Goalkeeper.
She was a member of the U.S. women’s national team from 2006-12 and competed in two Olympic Games, earning a gold medal in London in 2012 and a silver medal in Beijing in 2008.
In addition, she competed in men’s collegiate club water polo with Arizona State University during the 2008 season helping the Sun Devils to the Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship tournament.
A 2019 inductee to the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame, Armstrong retired from the National Team in 2014 and served as an assistant coach at Michigan and Marist College since the conclusion of her playing career.
Top American Women’s Water Polo Players of the NCAA Era (No. 25-to-11)
