May 29, 2007
WOODLAND, Calif. - The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation has named four San Diego State players to its women's water polo 2007 all-academic team. Senior Sarah Kilgore and junior Becca Ur were both recognized for the third consecutive season, joining junior Tiphanie Elliott and sophomore Jenna Schuster, who were first-time honorees. The selections marked the fifth time in the past seven years the Aztecs have placed at least four student-athletes on the MPSF all-academic squad.
One of the most prolific goalkeepers to ever don the Scarlet and Black, Kilgore (Rossmoor, Calif./Los Alamitos HS) completed her studies at SDSU with a 3.18 grade point average in history and Spanish. In 2007, she compiled her finest season on Montezuma Mesa by turning away a career-high 364 shots, which was second in the nation and tops in the MPSF. Kilgore also set a personal best with double-digit saves in 21 games, while her 17 blocks at Hawai'i (Feb. 16) and vs. UC Santa Barbara (April 26) tied a career high. With her performance, Kilgore finished her playing career in second place on the school's all-time list with 900 saves.
Ur (Lompoc, Calif.), meanwhile, received academic all-league honors with a 3.67 GPA in biology. The Cabrillo High graduate has made 73 consecutive starts in the 2-meter position and netted a career-high 28 goals in 2007. She was also second on the squad with 71 ejections drawn and ranked second among starters with a .438 shooting percentage. Last season, Ur served as the team's co-captain and will continue that role as a senior in 2008.
Elliott (Porterville, Calif./Monache HS) was the third Aztec to be selected to the league's all-academic team after earning a 3.34 GPA in child and family development. A three-year competitor on the SDSU women's soccer team, Elliott tallied four goals, 19 assists and 13 steals in her first season of collegiate water polo.
Rounding out the group is Schuster (Upland, Calif.), who compiled a 3.05 GPA in graphic design. The Upland High alumnus received honorable mention all-MPSF accolades after a breakthrough 2007 campaign in which she tallied a team-high 84 goals, good for third place on the school's single-season list. Schuster was also tops among Aztec starters with a .467 shooting percentage and ranked 11th in the nation and fifth in the MPSF with a 2.21 goals-per-game average.
The academic all-MPSF award is designed to recognize the outstanding academic accomplishments of women's water polo student-athletes during the current season. Candidates must be a sophomore academically, have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, have completed one full academic year at the member institution and have participated in at least half of the team's games.
San Diego State capped off its most successful season earlier this month after posting a fourth-place finish in its first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament.