BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The trio of Macalester College’s Jess Palmer-Sammons (Sr., Half Moon Bay, Calif./Half Moon Bay), Augustana College’s Braelyn Hill (Fr., Chula Vista, Calif./San Diego Mesa) and Augustana’s Ryan Pryor 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 2026 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 and 2025 selections, the 2026 squad encompasses the current nine CWPA Division III institutions (Augustana, Austin College, Carthage College, Connecticut College, Grove City College, Macalester, Penn State Behrend, Washington & Jefferson College, Wheaton College (Mass.)).
Pryor earns his second CWPA Division III Coach of the Year prize after notching 2023 West Region laurels, while Hill becomes the third Augustana Rookie of the Year following Casey Barragan (2023 West Region) and Alyssa Fricker (2022 West Region).
On the First Team, 2023 CWPA Division III-West Region First Team, 2024 First Team, 2025 First Team selection Palmer-Sammons garners her fourth All-Conference nod to lead the way. A two-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) selection with 2025 and 2026 honors to equal fellow two-time pick (2017, 2018) Lucille Moran of Macalester, she becomes the third athlete to garner multiple MVP selections as Palmer-Sammons and Moran are one honor shy of three-time (2014, 2015, 2016) recipient Nicolle Jasbon of Connecticut College.
2023 CWPA Division III-East Region, 2024 First Team and 2025 First Team awardee Emma Luna (Sr., Wahiawa, Hawaii/Punahou School) of Connecticut College joins Palmer-Sammons in earning her four All-Conference First Team nod, while Washington & Jefferson’s Emmie Ratcliff (So., Friendswood, Texas/Friendswood) notches her second FIrst Team All-Conference accolade after taking the Rookie of the Year award and First Team status in 2025.
2025 Honorable Mention recipient Waiahuli Akau (Jr., Pana’ewa, Hawaii/Kamehameha) of Augustana and Second Team honoree Joslyn Dimitri (Jr., Couer d’Alene, Idaho/Couer d’Alene) post their inaugural First Team notices with Carthage’s Brenna Carstens (Sr., Coronado, Calif./Coronado) and Augustana goalkeeper Susan Palmentera-Reid (Jr., Chicago, Ill./Lane Tech) joining them on the league’s highest All-Conference team with their initial All-Conference nods.
2024 Honorable Mention and 2025 First Team goalkeeper Jayden Kratt (Sr., Palo Alto, Calif./Henry M. Gunn) of Macalester, 2025 Second Team pick Kiera Crawley (So., Chelsea, Mich./Chelsea) of Carthage along with 2025 Honorable Mention picks Frances Baksa (So., Longwood, Fla./Lake Mary) of Grove City and Hallie Ratcliff (Jr., Friendswood, Texas/Friendswood) are joined by Reese Winegar (Fr., Hoffman Estates, Ill./William Fremd) of Macalester, Anais Jones (So., Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia/Chancellor State College) of Augustana and Makenzie Rickerd (Jr., Rockford, Mich./Rockford) on the 2026 Second Team.
2025 Honorable Mention picks Ryanna Ritting (So., Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) of Wheaton and Mikhaela Torres (Jr., Cypress, Texas/Bridgeland) of Austin, 2025 Second Team selection Anna Gaisser (So., Seattle, Wash./Ingraham) of Macalester, Emma Blezien (So., Des Plaines, Ill./Maine West) of Augustana, Melia Lorch (Sr., Encinitas, Calif./San Dieguito Academy) of Connecticut along with Mackenzie Caron (Fr., Reading, Pa./Governor Mifflin) and goalkeeper Lani Weaver (Fr., Conroe, Texas/Conroe) of Washington & Jefferson complete the All-Conference Team with Honorable Mention recognition.
Coach of the Year
- 2026 – Ryan Pryor (Augustana College)
- 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
- 2026 – Jess Palmer-Sammons (Macalester College)
- 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 – Braelyn Hill (Augustana College)
- 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)
| 2026 Collegiate Water Polo Association Division III All-Conference Team | |
| Most Valuable Player: | Jess Palmer-Sammons (Macalester College) |
| Rookie of the Year: | Braelyn Hill (Augustana College) |
| Coach of the Year: | Ryan Pryor (Augustana College) |
| First Team | |
| Susan Palmentera-Reid (Goalie) | Augustana College |
| Waiahuli Akau | Augustana College |
| Jess Palmer Sammons | Macalester College |
| Joslyn Dimitri | Austin College |
| Emmie Ratcliff | Washington & Jefferson College |
| Emma Luna | Connecticut College |
| Brenna Carstens | Carthage College |
| Second Team | |
| Jayden Kratt (Goalie) | Macalester College |
| Reese Winegar | Macalester College |
| Anais Jones | Augustana College |
| Kiera Crawley | Carthage College |
| Frances Baksa | Grove City College |
| Makenzie Rickerd | Penn State Behrend |
| Hallie Ratcliff | Washington & Jefferson College |
| Honorable Mention | |
| Lani Weaver (Goalie) | Washington & Jefferson College |
| Mackenzie Caron | Washington & Jefferson College |
| Emma Blezien | Augustana College |
| Mikhaela Torres | Austin College |
| Melia Lorch | Connecticut College |
| Anna Gaisser | Macalester College |
| Ryanna Ritting | Wheaton College |
