Dec. 15, 2014
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State women's water polo head coach Carin Crawford announced the signing of five talented athletes to National Letters of Intent. Arriving on campus for 2015-16 will be Maura Cantoni, Hannah Carillo, Madison Kafka-Asper, Jasmine Miller and Angela Russo.
"We are thrilled to welcome this talented group of players to SDSU next fall," Crawford said. "They are excellent student-athletes who will help us continue our tradition of success at the highest level of NCAA competition."
Cantoni hails from San Jose where she plays at Archbishop Mitty High School. Entering her senior season, the goalkeeper was a junior varsity starter and MVP as a freshman before playing at the varsity level the last two years. As a sophomore, she earned second-team WCAL honors and was an honorable mention CCS choice. Last season as team co-captain, Cantoni was voted to the WCAL and CCS first team, while picking up honorable mention recognition from the San Jose Mercury News. Over her two varsity campaigns, she has 414 saves and has been excellent in the classroom as well, earning USA Water Polo Academic All-America honors in 2012-13 and working her way into the National Honor Society. On the club circuit, Cantoni competes for West Valley where she helped it to a seventh-place Gold finish at the Junior Olympics. She also played with Santa Clara Valley prior to her stint with West Valley.
"Maura Cantoni is an accomplished player who will give us depth and experience at the goalkeeper position," Crawford said. "Maura is a committed athlete, with a strong swimming background who brings good size and athleticism to the goalkeeper position."
A native of San Diego, Carillo is a three-time first-team all-CIF performer at The Bishop's School where she led the school to a trio of CIF Division III titles. In the 2012 and 2013 championship games, Carillo was the game's top goal scorer and was named the high school athlete of the week for her performance. On the club circuit, Carillo competes for San Diego Shores, a club in which she has garnered multiple individual awards and experienced much team success. Individually, Carillo was a 2010 Honorable Mention All-American at JOs, a first-team All-American at the 2011 Junior Olympics, a second-team JO All-American in 2012 and a 2014 Academic All-American. As a team, Carillo helped San Diego Shores to a third-place Platinum division finish at the 2011 Junior Olympics and guided them to the Platinum division gold at the 2012 JOs. More recently, Carillo and Shores took home second place at the 2014 Junior Olympics and finished in first place at the U.S. Club Championships.
"Hannah Carillo is a talented scorer who is creative and explosive, and can create offense in many different ways, making her tough to guard," Crawford said. "Hannah is a highly skilled and experienced player with championship experience at The Bishop's School and San Diego Shores. Hannah is coached by Doug Peabody, and she knows the commitment and hard work it takes to develop into a champion. We expect Hannah to be an impact player for us right away, and she continues our tradition of landing top local talent to stay home and play for the Aztecs."
A local product from San Diego, Kafka-Asper enters her senior year as a two-time all-CIF first-team performer, while helping The Bishop's School to the CIF playoffs in each of her seasons. Kafka-Asper also plays for San Diego Shores, a club which she has competed for since 2009. The goalkeeper was named a JO All-American in 2011, 2012 and 2013, and was recognized as one of the top water polo players in California and Hawaii in 2014. In addition to being a standout goalkeeper, Kafka-Asper has earned a black belt in Tae Kwan Do.
"Madison Kafka-Asper is a proven competitor with three CIF championships under her belt for perennial championship powerhouses, The Bishop's School and San Diego Shores Club, coached by Doug Peabody," Crawford said. "A long and athletic goalkeeper, Maddy knows what it takes to win at the highest level of high school and club competition."
Miller will stay close to home following her prep career at nearby Valhalla High School. In three years, she already owns the school record for most field saves and last season as a junior, she set the new single-season standard for most steals. A 2014 U-T San Diego honoree, Miller is climbing the Valhalla top-10 list for most attempts in a career that includes being named the school's offensive player of the year in 2012. As a member of the swim team, Miller competes in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle, and is a two-time CIF finalist and school-record holder.
"Jasmine Miller is a strong, fast and physical player who is a great all-around utility player," Crawford said. "She has been absolutely dominant in high school at Valhalla, and has gained valuable club experience, more recently playing for San Diego Shores. Jasmine's strong swimming background gives her a great foundation for continued development at the college level. It's a family tradition, as Jasmine's father, Mark, competed for SDSU in water polo in the early 80s, making them the very first father-daughter Aztec water polo duo in program history."
A native of Tustin, Russo plays her high school water polo at Foothill High School in Santa Ana. The center defender helped Foothill to multiple Century League championships and CIF Southern Section Division I playoff berths. The three-year varsity water polo player and swimmer also competes for Socal Water Polo Club. At the club level, Russo was a part of the 2009 Champions Cup 14U national champion team and has won two JO 14U silver medals (2010, 2011) and a bronze at the 16U Junior Olympics in 2013. In 2011, she garnered JO 14U All-America first-team accolades. For her work in the classroom, Russo was named the 2011 National Junior Olympic Water Polo All-America Outstanding Achiever.
"Angela Russo is a hard working defender who has played for a perennial powerhouse program in Foothill High School, and who will add depth at the defender position for us next season," Crawford said. "Her work ethic combined with high-level club and high school experience will prepare her well for continued success as an Aztec water polo player."