Nov. 10, 2011
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State women's water polo head coach Carin Crawford announced Thursday the signing of Meghan Harder and Rachel Mitchell to National Letters of Intent. Both will be on campus in time for the 2013 campaign.
"I am extremely pleased to have Rachel Mitchell and Meghan Harder join our Aztec family," Crawford said. "Both Megan and Rachel have played for Monte Vista high school, defending CIF champions for four straight seasons, as well as a nationally competitive club team in Diablo Water Polo, coached by women's water polo legend, Maureen O'Toole Purcell."
A native of Danville, Calif., Harder inks with SDSU out of Monte Vista High School and Diablo Water Polo Club. At Monte Vista, Harder is a three-year varsity player, who has helped her squad to two undefeated seasons in the EBAL and two NCS championships. Even as a freshman in 2008, she led her JV team to an unblemished EBAL record and an NCS title. In 2010, Harder scored 22 goals on 45 shots, while adding 10 assists and 26 steals. This season in 2011, Harder is the team's co-captain.
As a member of the Diablo Water Polo Club, Harder played on a U16 club team that finished third in the United States. Two years later in 2011, Harder and her U18 squad finished in fifth place at the Junior Olympics before coming in fifth at the U.S. club championships. Harder also has three years of ODP experience (2009, 2010, 2011) while playing on the Pacific Coast Regional team.
"Meghan is smart and tenacious driver who also possesses a strong hard perimeter shot," Crawford said. "Megan also has a great work ethic and high expectations for herself and her team that have come from her championship experience at Monte Vista and Diablo Club."
Mitchell, meanwhile, is a teammate of Harder's at Monte Vista and Diablo Water Polo Club. Mitchell was one two goalkeepers selected for the U.S. youth national team, which attended a training camp in Hungary this past July.
A product of Danville, Calif., Mitchell is a four-year varsity player who has guided Monte Vista to three EBAL, NCS and Western State championships. As a freshman, Mitchell was named rookie of the year before claiming the starting role as a sophomore in 2009 en route to all-CIF third-team accolades. Last season as a junior, Mitchell was named the defensive player of the year and became the school's all-time leader in career save percentage (77.1 percent).
More recently, Mitchell, along with being named to the U.S. youth national team, was selected to the 2011 top-100 athlete list for the East Bay in Northern California and earned second-team All-America honors.
"Rachel has the maturity and composure, combined with high-level playing experience, to come in and compete right away," Crawford said. "She has size, solid fundamentals and strong leadership skills to bring to the goalie position. She plays with great composure and confidence, and she will be a strong asset to our program."