May 27, 2008
WOODLAND, Calif. - Five San Diego State water polo players have been named to the 2008 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) all-academic team, announced Tuesday by the league office. Senior Becca Ur was recognized for the fourth consecutive season, while junior Jenna Schuster earned her second career academic honor. The pair was joined by senior Heather Fenske, junior Anna Gonzales and sophomore Ronni Gautschi, who were all first-time honorees. The selections marked the sixth time in the past eight years the Aztecs have placed at least four student-athletes on the MPSF all-academic squad.
Ur (Lompoc, Calif./Cabrillo HS) completed her studies at SDSU with a 3.69 grade point average in biology. She finished her four-year career ranked second in the school record book with 249 ejections drawn and eighth with 83 assists, while her 59 helpers in 2008 is second on the single-season charts. The two-time team co-captain made 111 consecutive starts, including 38 this past season, while posting a squad-best 59 assists and 54 steals. Ur, who will begin medical school in the fall, was also recently selected to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VIII women's at-large second team.
Fenske (Lompoc, Calif./Lompoc HS), meanwhile, was named to the MPSF all-academic team with a 3.59 GPA in business management. In her first year as a starter, Fenske turned away 332 shots, which was second in the MPSF and eighth in the nation. She notched 15 double-digit save games, including a career-high 16 blocks against Cal State Bakersfield (March 16). Fenske finished her career on The Mesa ranked fourth all-time with 407 career saves.
Schuster (Upland, Calif./Upland HS) was the third Aztec to receive academic all-league honors with a 3.13 GPA in graphic design. The 2008 co-captain garnered second-team all-MPSF accolades after compiling a squad-best 83 goals, which was also tops in the conference and 12th in the nation. Schuster, who posted 27 multiple-scoring games, is currently in fifth place on the SDSU all-time charts with 191 career goals.
Gautschi (Morgan Hill, Calif./Live Oak HS) was selected to the league's all-academic team after earning a 3.12 GPA in health science. She appeared in all 38 games in 2008, amassing a career-high 29 goals, 19 assists and 13 steals. Gautschi also finished the season fourth on the team with a .408 shooting percentage.
Rounding out the group is Gonzales (Fresno, Calif./Clovis West HS), who compiled a 3.05 GPA in kinesiology. She was named to the all-MPSF second team after collecting 77 goals, 52 steals and 39 assists. Gonzales finished the campaign with 22 multiple-scoring contests and currently ranks among the school's all-time top 10 in assists (fifth, 103), goals (sixth, 181), ejections drawn (eighth, 86) and steals (ninth, 131).
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 boasting a program-best 31-7 record and making its second consecutive appearance at the NCAA tournament.