MAAC Announces 2018 Water Polo All-MAAC Teams & Major Award Recipients
POUGHKEEPSIE, NY – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) announced the 2018 Water Polo All-MAAC Teams and major award winners. Award recipients were honored this evening at the leagues’ annual awards show, which was held on the campus of Marist College.
Wagner College senior Kimberly Watson takes home the Offensive Player of the Year honor for the second year in a row and is the first MAAC student-athlete to win back-to-back Offensive Player of the Year awards since Wagner’s Jessica Lundgren. The senior led the conference in points (147), ranked third in goals (99), third in assists (48), and first in sprints won (68). She scored a season-high eight goals on March 25 and tallied five or more points in a game 14 times this season.
Senior Diana Carballo is the first student-athlete from Marist College to claim the MAAC Water Polo Defensive Player of the Year award since Rebecca Thomas in 2013. It also marks the sixth time that a Red Fox has taken home the accolade. The senior defender anchored Marist’s defense as she was tied for sixth in the MAAC in steals (47).
Kelsey Snelgar becomes the first student-athlete from St. Francis Brooklyn to win the MAAC Water Polo Rookie of the Year. The utility finished her freshman campaign with a league-high 103 goals. She is the first student-athlete from St. Francis Brooklyn to ever score 100 or more goals in a single-season. Snelgar also led the MAAC in steals (103) and ranked third in points (130).
Wagner College head coach Chris Radmonovich guided the Seahawks to their third consecutive MAAC Regular Season Championship and fifth in the last six years. Wagner finished its conference portion of the schedule 14-0, which marked the third-straight season that the Seahawks have posted a perfect record in MAAC play. Radmonovich earns the MAAC Coach of the year honor for the third time.
The All-MAAC First Team consists of Iona’s duo of Hannah Schultz and Britten Vilander, Marist’s Diana Carballo, as well as VMI’s Shelby Barkley and Natalie Rivas. Wagner’s pair of Erica Hardy and Kimberly Watson were unanimous selections to the All-MAAC First Team.
The Second Team is made up of Iona’s Kayla Allen, Marist’s trio of Justine Castro, Jessica Hermosillo, and Katherine Tijerina. Siena’s Diana Fernandez, St. Francis Brooklyn’s Kelsey Snelgar, Villanova’s Dominique Clark, VMI’s Isabel French, and Wagner’s Elise Begg.
The 2018 MAAC Water Polo Championship takes place April 28-29, in
McCann Natatorium on the campus of Marist. Marist serves as the championship host for the 16
th year in a row.
Saturday features a pair of semifinal matchups. The first game of the day is between No. 1 seed Wagner and No. 4 seed VMI at noon, followed by No. 2 seed Marist and No. 3 seed Iona at 2 p.m. The consolation and championship games will be played the following day on Sunday, April 29, at noon and 2 p.m. respectively. The entire championship is set to air on ESPN3.
For more information on the 2018 MAAC Water Polo Championship, visit
MAACSports.com/wp. Championship tickets can be purchased at
maac.ticketleap.com, and will also be sold on-site during the event.
| Major Award Winners |
| Name |
Award |
Institution |
| Kelsey Snelgar |
Rookie of the Year |
St. Francis Brooklyn |
| Diana Carballo |
Defensive Player of the Year |
Marist |
| Kimberly Watson |
Offensive Player of the Year |
Wagner |
| Chris Radmonovich |
BSN Sports MAAC Coach of the Year |
Wagner |
| All-MAAC First Team |
| Name |
Institution |
| Hannah Schultz |
Iona |
| Britten Vilander |
Iona |
| Diana Carballo |
Marist |
| Shelby Barkley |
VMI |
| Natalie Rivas |
VMI |
| Erica Hardy* |
Wagner |
| Kimberly Watson* |
Wagner |
| All-MAAC Second Team |
| Name |
Institution |
| Kayla Allen |
Iona |
| Justine Castro |
Marist |
| Jessica Hermosillo |
Marist |
| Katherine Tijerina |
Marist |
| Diana Fernandez |
Siena |
| Kelsey Snelgar |
St. Francis Brooklyn |
| Dominique Clark |
Villanova |
| Isabel French |
VMI |
| Elise Begg |
Wagner |
*denotes unanimous selection
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 37
th year of competition during the 2017-18 academic year. Current Conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.