Oct. 14, 2009
SAN DIEGO - When looking at the landscape of the 2009 Speedo Top 40, former Aztecs can be found both in and out of the pool. Former three-time All-American Anna Gonzales is one of the participants, while three of the event's four officials have ties to San Diego State.
The Speedo Top 40 is an annual event that features 40 of the best women's water polo athletes from across the United States. The players will be split into four teams and square off to showcase their talent. The event, which is slated for Oct. 23-25 in Los Alamitos, Calif., will be complimented by a 16-team tournament featuring some of the nation's top club teams.
Gonzales, who played her final season on Montezuma Mesa last year, was one of 12 players from around the country to be selected by USA Water Polo to compete at the Speedo Top 40. Gonzales was selected from a pool of 110 athletes who participated in an open tryout held in late September at several locations across the nation by the U.S. Women's National Team.
The pool deck, meanwhile, will have a Scarlet and Black feel to it with Larisa Rotsart, Danielle Dabbaghian and Amber Drury all set to officiate at the national event.
As the former Larisa Baltgalvis, Rotsart earned four varsity letters from 1997-2000 and received All-America recognition on three occasions, including first-team honors in 1999. The two-time first-team all-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation selection currently owns the school record for goals in a season with 106 in 1999 and is third all-time in career goals with 235.
Dabbaghian played one season at SDSU with Rotsart in 1998 and garnered third-team All-America accolades. In addition, she earned honorable mention all-MPSF honors and helped the Aztecs to 23 victories and a seventh-place national finish.
Drury, meanwhile, was an assistant coach in 1997-98 under then head coach Deena Schmidt. In her two seasons, Drury guided San Diego State to 40 total wins and a No. 3 final ranking in 1997 and No. 7 national finish in 1998. Prior to her arrival on Montezuma Mesa, Drury was a standout national team player during the 1980s and early 1990s.
With four former Aztecs slated to be at the national event, San Diego State is making its presence felt at the highest level in women's water polo.