Six Pioneers collect ACWPC All-Academic honors
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Freshman Claire Pierce garnered "Outstanding" All-Academic honors after finishing her rookie year with a 4.0 GPA. (Photo: David McMurdie)
- June 30, 2010
Following a season that saw it record the program's best-ever finish at Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) Tournament, the honors have begun to roll in for the ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ women's water polo team as six players earned All-Academic honors and the team was recognized for its overall academic performance by the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC).
The Pioneers saw freshmen Claire Pierce, Alex Gudenau and Chelsie Bryan, juniors Danielle Comforti and Liz Warren and senior Jenna Casady garner All-Academic selections while the team's combined 3.10 grade point average brought in the team honors.
Pierce, the 2009-10 Pioneer Female Athlete of the Year, capped a stellar rookie season with "Outstanding" All-Academic honors after notching a 4.0 GPA in her first year at ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥. The Perth, Australia native led the NCAA in scoring, notching 90 goals, was named WWPA Newcomer of the Year and was a second-team All-WWPA and All-Freshman Team pick. Pierce was among just 58 student-athletes to earn the "Outstanding" distinction, reserved for those with GPAs ranging from 4.0 to 3.71, and her GPA was the highest on the team.
Gudenau earned "Superior" honors, which are awarded to individuals with grade point averages between 3.7 and 3.41. The Rancho Cucamonga native posted seven goals and 14 assists as a freshman. Casady joined Gudenau with a "Superior" distinction. The program's single-season and all-time assists leader, Casady notched 95 helpers this season and added 51 goals to move into sixth on the Pioneers' all-time leading scorers list. The El Sobrante native also took over third place in career steals with 177 in just two seasons as a Pioneer. Her 77 steals in 2010 ranked among the top 10 in the NCAA.
Bryan, Comforti and Warren each collected "Excellent" All-Academic honors, handed out to individuals who have earned GPAs between 3.4 and 3.2 during the year. As a junior, Warren became the Pioneers' all-time leading scorer, adding 79 goals this season to finish second on the team in 2010. Comforti kicked off her ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ career with 41 goals and 33 assists, finishing fourth and fifth on the team, respectively. Bryan had a successful rookie season, notching 29 goals and 16 assists.
As a team, the Pioneers earned the No. 3 seed and finished fifth at the WWPA Tournament, both program bests, while collecting 24 wins on the year. Head Coach Lisa Cooper was named WWPA Coach of the Year after CSUEB posted its first victory in program history over a nationally ranked opponent and notched five wins over Division I programs, all while getting things done in the classroom to post a combined 3.1 GPA. The Pioneers are one of just 25 teams from across all three divisions who recorded a combined team GPA above 3.0. The honor is the eighth straight Team All-Academic for ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥, while the Pioneers counted six or more All-Academic individual winners among their ranks for the fifth consecutive season.