Chatham College Announces 2009 Women's Water Polo Athlete Awards

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Chatham College, which fielded a varsity women's water polo team for the first time in the Collegiate Water Polo Association's Western Division during the 2009 season, announced the program's student-athlete award recipients at the end of April. Head coach Mike Meyers spoke about his team's season during the ceremony regarding his team's season and outlook for the future.

Two members of the team were honored with recognition at the Chatham Athletic Appreciation Event held on April 21.

First-year Selina Breiner (Moon Twp., Pa./Moon) earned Most Valuable Player honors. Breiner, led the team with 25 goals, and played in every quarter of the team’s 13 games.

“It is not often you ask someone to take charge of a game and win it, but Selina did just that in a victory against Penn State Behrend,” head coach Michael Meyers said. “She scored four goals and played extraordinary defense to stop Behrend in our 9-8 victory at the conference tournament.”

Junior Jenna Luek (Harmony, PA/Seneca Valley) earned the team’s Coach’s Award. Luek registered four goals on the season, including the team’s first in its initial season of intercollegiate competition.

“Jenna came to water polo late, as a sophomore on our club team and worked hard to earn a starting position and score the first varsity goal in Chatham history,” Meyers said. “She is disciplined and intensely competitive, and is quickly developing a “rocket arm”.”

The team finished seventh in the eight-team Western Division during the regular and post-season this year, recording its first varsity victory over Penn State University-Erie, The Behrend College on March 21 in an 11-8 win at home, as the program finished 3-10 on the year.  In addition, the team earned its first conference win on March 28 against PSU-Behrend in Erie (8-7 W) and its first postseason victory on April 19 in a 9-8 win over Penn State in the seventh place game at the Western Championship hosted by Indiana University.

Video courtesy Mark Rauterkus