AUSTIN, Texas — United States Naval Academy water polo players Peter Hillen (Sr., Orinda, Calif./Miramonte) and Graham Lindner (Sr., Bel Air, Md./Loyola Blakefield) earned Academic All-America honors from the College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA). Hillen garnered first team recognition, while Lindner was noted on the second team.
The only men’s water polo athletes recognized from all National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I, II and III, as well as the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and community colleges, the pair of standout athletes were placed on the national ballot after they earned all-district recognition in May. The at-large sports program consists of fencing, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, volleyball, water polo and wrestling.
To be eligible for the Academic All-District and All-America ballots, student-athletes must have attained a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.50 through the end of the 2022 fall semester, be a sophomore or higher academically and compete as a starter or key reserve on their respective team.
Among Division I institutions, Navy was one of seven schools (Navy, Stanford University, Arizona State University, Harvard University, Iowa State University, University of Utah) to put multiple athletes on the first and second teams. .
Peter Hillen
For the second-consecutive year, Hillen has been named a CSC Academic All-America honoree. The senior, who posted a 4.00 GPA in physics, was a Third-Team Academic All-America selection as a junior in 2022 and completed his final semester at the Academy ranked No. 1 in Overall and Academic Order of Merit. Hillen is a four-time Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) All-Academic honoree, while also being named to the Superintendent’s (7x), Commandant’s (8x) and Dean’s Lists. This season, the California native played in 29 of 31 games on defense, finishing with 10 goals, five assists, 14 steals, and 11 ejections drawn.
The Valedictorian for the United States Naval Academy’s Class of 2023, Hillen is one of eight 2023 Academic All-American honorees that are now multi-year performers as he joins Nathan Burke (Hockey – Bowling Green University); Ford Clegg (Golf – Mississippi State University); Jared Franek (Wrestling – North Dakota State University); Shane Griffith (Wrestling – Stanford); Jakob Thelle (Volleyball – University of Hawai’i); Sean Westley (Lacrosse – St. Bonaventure University) and Jacob Wright (Wrestling – University of Wyoming)
Graham Lindner
Lindner claimed CSC Academic All-America distinction for the first time in his career. The honors robotics and control engineering major boasted a 4.00 GPA and completed his final semester at Navy third in Overall Order of Merit, while ranking first in Academic and Military Order of Merit. Lindner is a four-time ACWPC All-Academic honoree, who has also been named to the Superintendent’s (8x) and Commandant’s Lists (8x). This season, he played in 30 of 31 games, finishing with eight goals, seven assists, 13 steals, and 10 ejections drawn.
All-time in the history of Navy Water Polo, Hillen is the second multi-year honoree as he joins Barry Shaw, who claimed national recognition in 2001 (First Team) and 2002 (Second Team). Hillen and Lindner increase the program’s list of Academic All-Americans to eight.
Navy Water Polo CSC/CoSIDA Academic All-Americans
- 2001: Andrew Sause (1st) / Barry Shaw (1st)
- 2002: Barry Shaw (2nd)
- 2008: Eric Gardiner (1st)
- 2013: Jackson Hummeldorf (1st)
- 2022: Peter Hillen (3rd)
- 2023: Peter Hillen (1st) / Graham Lindner (2nd)
In the history of the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA)/Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC)/Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC), the duo rate as the 35th and 36th men’s selections since 1983.
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