ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Senior Allison Skaggs received the Offensive Most Valuable Player (MVP) and freshman Maddy Steere was awarded the Defensive MVP at the annual University of Michigan water polo banquet at the Junge Family Champions Center.
Skaggs, a sport management major, scored a team-leading 61 goals and led the team with 42 drawn exclusions. The senior captain finished the year with 77 points and was the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) MVP and CWPA Championship MVP. She scored three or more goals in nine games.
Steere was placed in the team’s center defender role in her first season in Ann Arbor. The freshman from Pascoe Vale, Australia, stepped up as the last line of defense in front of freshman goalkeeper Heidi Ritner. Steere was third on the team with 45 steals and had eight field blocks to go with her 100-point season (51 goals, 49 assists). She helped the defense hold opponents to just 6.4 goals per game. Only seven opponents scored in double digits against the Wolverines’ defense.
Senior captain Danielle Johnson received the Coaches Award. A utility player, Johnson was asked to play a lot of different roles for Team 17. An extension of the coach in the water, she was looked to a lot to guard the opposing team’s best offensive player and was used inside and outside on offense. A sport management graduate from U-M, Johnson tallied 48 goals, 32 assists, 80 points, 32 drawn exclusions, a team-high 56 steals and 23 field blocks and won 28 sprints on the year. She also led in the classroom with the team’s highest GPA.
The Wolverine Award went to junior Laura Jimenez. One of the team’s top bench performers, Jimenez exemplified the hunter mentality of a Wolverine. Her mental and physical toughness as well as her intelligence in the pool helped her give the team a go-to bench player. She led the “bench mob” with 19 goals and 20 steals.
Senior captain Heidi Moreland was given the Maize & Blue Award, which goes to someone who shows up in big moments. Moreland was a leader throughout the season and came off the bench to provide a defensive boost. She had 13 steals and four field blocks to go with 13 goals and five assists on the year.
The Most Improved Player Award went to sophomore Delaney Cleveland, who took a big step forward not only from her first to second year but also midseason. She played in eight of the team’s first 20 games with three assists. Then it clicked for the lefthanded attacker, as she grasped the system more and more and became a threat with 15 goals and 33 assists playing in 16 of the last 17 games.
Ritner, a freshman from Newport Beach, California, had a standout season in goal for the Wolverines. She set a freshman wins record with 28, the second most in school history. She was just the second freshman to record over 300 saves, finishing with 307 in 36 games. She had 10 or more saves in 13 games.
Michigan made the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship for the seventh time in school history and won its seventh CWPA championship. The Wolverines finished the season with a 28-9 overall record.
2017 Michigan Water Polo Awards
Most Valuable Offensive Player: Allison Skaggs
Most Valuable Defensive Player: Maddy Steere
Coaches Award: Danielle Johnson
Wolverine Award: Laura Jimenez
Maize & Blue Award: Heidi Moreland
Most Improved Player: Delaney Cleveland
Rookie of the Year: Heidi Ritner
Strength & Conditioning Award: Ali Thomason
Release courtesy University of Michigan Athletics Communications
