BRIDGEPORT, Pa. – Despite a shortened season with numerous obstacles to academic success, for the second consecutive year a record eight San Diego State water polo players, as well as the team, earned academic recognition from the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) for the 2019-20 school. The ACWPC announced its 2020 Women's All-Academic team on Tuesday.
Junior Emily Bennett, sophomores Haley Hagerty and Jessica Leckich and redshirt freshman Katie Verdugo are members of the Superior Team, whose grade-point average (GPA) fall between 3.41 and 3.70.
Senior Shelby Kraft, junior Lucia Carballo and sophomores Delaney Binette and Spencer Samuel were recognized with inclusion on the Excellent Team, with GPAs between 3.20 and 3.40.
Carballo and Kraft have been recognized by the ACWPC for the third time in their collegiate academic careers. Bennett, Binette, Hagerty and Leckich received the honor for the second time and Samuel and Verdugo are first-time honorees.
Overall, the 2020 Aztecs had a cumulative GPA of 3.05. For its performance in the classroom, the program was one of 62 across all NCAA divisions recognized with Team All-Academic honors by the ACWPC.
Last month, San Diego State players earned nine Golden Coast Conference All-Academic honors. The GCC recognized seniors Isabelle Hastings and Kraft; juniors Bennett, Carballo and Jordann Heimback and sophomores Binette, Hagerty, Leckich and Samuel for having a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 and playing in 50 percent of SDSU's games.
When the season was halted on March 12, the Aztecs had played 18 of their 29 scheduled regular-season games and were ranked No. 16 in the nation. San Diego State had a 9-9 overall record, including a 3-0 mark in GCC play which included an 11-9 victory at three-time reigning conference champion Pacific, which would turn out to be the final game of the season.
2020 Association of College Water Polo Coaches All-Academic team – San Diego State honorees
# Emily Bennett
# Delaney Binette
@# Lucia Carballo
# Haley Hagerty
@# Shelby Kraft
# Jessica Leckich
Spencer Samuel
Kaitlyn Verdugo
# - 2019 honoree
@ - 2018 honoree
-SDSU-