LONG BEACH, Calif. – Princeton University alumna Ashleigh Johnson ’17 and current Tigers’ standout Jovana Sekulic (So., Belgrade, Serbia/The Episcopal Academy (Pa.)) helped the United States Women’s Water Polo Team win the 2023 World Aquatics World Cup Gold Medal this weekend.
On Friday, June 24, the United States took down Israel in the quarterfinals, 16-6. Sekulic scored a goal while Johnson had four saves in the cage. On Saturday, June 25, the United States dropped Hungary, 16-10, in the semifinal with 15 stops from Johnson leading the way. In the gold medal contest on Sunday, June 26, the United States earned a 12-11 decision over the Netherlands with Sekulic posting a goal in the contest.
An All-America selection every season she competed at Princeton, Johnson led the United States to the gold medal in women’s water polo at the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, becoming just the fifth Princeton athlete to ever win multiple gold medals.
The 2022 CWPA Rookie of the Year and 2023 Most Valuable Player, Sekulic just wrapped a sophomore season that saw her earn All-America status after she led the team with 76 goals and 93 drawn ejections, producing 14 hat tricks and 24 contests with at least two drawn ejections. She, along with 2023 CWPA Rookie of the Year/goalkeeper Lindsey Lucas (Fr., Orinda, Calif./Miramonte), were the first players in program history to be named to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship All-Tournament First-Team after scoring two goals and drawing six ejections in the Tigers’ two NCAA games.
Information courtesy Princeton University Athletics Communications
