Robertson Third Team Selection Leads Wolverine Triumvirate of All-Americans
7/29/2010 12:00:00 AM | Water Polo
July 29, 2010
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Senior Leah Robertson (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor), junior Alison Mantel (Miami, Fla./Gulliver) and freshman Kiki Golden (Danville, Calif./Monte Vista) of the University of Michigan water polo team were selected for All-America honors by the American Water Polo Coaches Association on Thursday (July 29). Robertson earned a spot on the third team, while Mantel and Golden garnered honorable mention status.
Robertson collected the third All-America selection of her career, adding her latest honor to a third team pick in 2009 and an honorable mention in 2008. Despite an injury that kept her out of the line-up during the middle of the season, Robertson earned Most Valuable Player accolades for the CWPA Western Division and at the CWPA Eastern Championship. Robertson dented the twine a career high 45 times as she strung together her third straight 50-point season. She is the only Wolverine to earn a repeat selection to an NCAA All-Tournament team, picking up a nomination for the third-straight season at the 2010 championship.
Mantel was named an honorable mention All-American for the second time in her career, pacing the Wolverines with 56 goals and a program record 50 assists during her junior campaign. The CWPA All-Western Division first team selection's 106-point performance is the third highest total in program history. A star in the pool and the classroom, Mantel was also named to the CWPA Scholar-Athlete team and earned AWCPA All-Academic and Academic All-Big Ten honors.
Golden becomes the second Wolverine rookie to earn All-America status in program history. She made an immediate impact at Michigan, bagging the CWPA Western Division Rookie of the Week award in her first week at the college level. Golden ranked third on the team with 29 assists and 68 points while pacing all U-M rookies with 39 goals. The CWPA Eastern All-Tournament Rookie of the Year excelled in the postseason, tallying 14 points and 14 steals in eight games en route to the division and conference crown.
The AWPCA selects first, second and third teams for its Division I All-America awards. For voting, players receive three points for a first team nomination, two points for a second team nomination, and one point for a third team nomination. A player may earn honorable mention if she receives votes from two schools, excluding her own. U-M claimed its ninth CWPA division crown and third straight conference title en route to its fifth NCAA tournament appearance during the 2010 campaign.N O T E S
• U-M collected a trio of All-America honors for the fourth time in program history and second in as many seasons. Leah Robertson, Alison Mantel and Julie Hyrne (2006-09) picked up honors for the 2009 season; Betsey Armstrong (2002-05), Shana Welch (2004-07) and Sheetal Narsai (2002-05) each earned All-America recognition during the 2005 campaign and Armstrong, Jen Crisman (2001-02) and Julie Nisbet (2001-04) were nominated in 2002.
• Robertson became just the second Wolverine to earn two selections above honorable mention, joining Armstrong who was a 2004 second team pick and 2005 third team honoree. Robertson is the first U-M field player to do so.
• Robertson is the fourth Wolverine to earn three All-America distinctions. Armstrong earned four while Welch and Nisbet both collected three.
• Kiki Golden joined Armstrong as the only freshman to earn the All-America distinction. Armstrong was an honorable mention All-American as a rookie in 2002. Golden is the first U-M rookie field player to do so.
Q U O T E S
Michigan Head Coach Matt Anderson
On the Michigan selections ... "It is exciting that from our team performance we were able to recognize some individual performances. Leah (Robertson), despite missing a major part of season with an injury, was able to make it back on the third team and be the first field player to go above honorable mention twice. Alison (Mantel) stepped up huge when Leah was out and deserved the national recognition for a second year in a row. It was a mild surprise but also well deserved to see Kiki Golden make it as a freshman -- a first for a Michigan field player. It was her defensive abilities that were recognized by coaches and it says a lot that she was able to step into that role as a freshman. These are tributes to the individual, but also to the team when you get three players recognized. It is always exciting when you can get the Michigan brand recognized at a national level."
AWPCA Division I All-America Teams
First Team
Tumua Anae, USC
Kami Craig, USC
Emily Csikos, California
Jessica Steffens, Stanford
Kelly Eaton, Stanford
Joelle Bekhazi, USC
Priscilla Orozco, UCLA
Coach of the Year: Jovan Vavic, USC
Player of the Year: Kami Craig, USC
Second Team
Melissa Seidemann, Stanford
Monika Eggens, Hawaii
Kristen Dronberger, USC
Anne Scott, Loyola Marymount
Mary Ann Campos, Loyola Marymount
Grace Reynolds, UCLA
Amber Oland, Stanford
Third Team
Leah Robertson, U-M
Camille Hewko, California
Annika Dries, Stanford
Forel Davies, USC
Kirsten Hudson, Hartwick
Adriana Vogt, San Jose State
Kristine Cato, Loyola Marymount
Honorable Mention
Amber Pezzolla, San Diego State
Leonie Van Der Molen, Hawaii
Stephanie Peckham, California
Sarah Harris, ASU
Jillian Stapf, CSU Northridge
Alison Mantel, U-M
Caitlin Dement, UCLA
Alexandra Kiss, USC
Jakie Kohli, Indiana
Patricia Jancso, USC
Cortney Collyer, UC Irvine
Kat Plummer, UC Irvine
Whitney Delgado, CSU Northridge
Sydney Sonoda, CSU Northridge
Kandis Canonica, Bucknell
Lauren Presant, Brown
Megan Corso, California
Casey Flacks, Loyola Marymount
Kelly Easterday, UCLA
Dani Curran, San Jose State
Valentina Rozas, Bucknell
Stephanie Schnugg, California
Kimberly Benedetti, Loyola Marymount
Phoebe Champion, Princeton
Stephanie Laing, Brown
Sarah Glick, Brown
Kelsey Rodgers, Wagner
Samantha Swartz, Marist
Jessica McKee, Hartwick
Dara Tawarahara, Pacific
Kelly Campoli, San Diego State
Alyson Moss, CSU Bakersfield
Lynlee Smith, ASU
Devan Kennifer, Harvard
Lizzie Rouleau, UC Santa Barbara
Kally Lucas, USC
Kiki Golden, U-M
KK Clark, UCLA
Jessy Cardey, UC Irvine
Contact: Ryan Sosin (734) 763-4423
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