Harvard University Announces Class of 2014 Women's Recruits

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- The Harvard University women’s water polo team will welcome five freshmen this fall. The class of 2014 is made up of three student-athletes from California, one from Hawaii and another from Pennsylvania.

The newcomers consist of three attackers, a center and a utility player.  Two members have family ties with older siblings also competing for the Crimson.

The rookies join 13 returners playing for first-year head coach Ted Minnis in 2010.

Jelena Cyr (Livermore, Calif./Granada) Center
Four-year letterwinner in swimming and water polo…Three-year starter on water polo team…Earned all-league honorable mention honors in 2007 and second-team all-league honors in 2008 and 2009…Received North Coast Section honorable mention as a senior…Named most valuable offensive player as a junior and senior…Three-time North Coast Section participant for the swim team…Scored 94 goals as a senior on the first Granada team to advance to the second round of the North Coast Sections…Two-time All-Academic Outstanding Achiever…Valedictorian…AP Scholar with Honors...Student of the Month… Volunteered as a science fair judge for two years…Coaches water polo and a recreational swim team as well as lifeguarded…Sister, Ana, plays lacrosse at California-Berkley.

Christy DiSilvestro (Philadelphia, Pa./Episcopal Academy) Attacker
Four-year letterwinner in swimming and water polo…All-Academic and two-time USA Water Polo Outstanding Achiever…Four-time All-Main Line honoree…Named to the All-Women’s Eastern team three times…Received the Water Polo Excellence Award in 2006, 2007 and 2009…Awarded Mind, Body and Spirit Prize on Episcopal team for demonstrating excellence in the classroom, exemplified by diligence and effort, athletic prowess and admirable spirit and sportsmanship…Played on the Northeast Zone team for three years as part of the Water Polo Olympic Development program…MVP of the Pennsylvania vs. New Jersey game in the East Coast All-Star Game…Named Most Improved Swimmer in 2008 … Highest goal soccer on Episcopal team all four years…High  scorer for team that won Eastern Championship Tournament in 2008 … Holds the school record in the 400 freestyle relay…Two-time National Winner on the National French Exam…Given the Pittsburgh alumni of RPI Gold Medal for proficiency in science and mathematics in 2009…Received Yale Club Book Prize for scholarship, character and school spirit, influence and all-around ability in 2009…Member of the Cum Laude Society…National Merit Finalist…AP Scholar with Distinction...Member of the Student Vestry…Elected Senior Warden of the Student Vestry…Participated in Child Life Volunteering program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in 2008 and 2009…Tutored under-privileged athletes and financial aid student for the SA through the MJ Test Prep program...Also tutored children in the Calvin Presbyterian Church after school…Brother, Kevin ’12, plays on Harvard’s men’s water polo team…Father, Anthony, won an Ivy League championship in gymnastics at Dartmouth before graduating in 1981.

Riley Kessler (La Canada, Calif./La Canada) Attacker
Four-year starter for the water polo team and four-year letterwinner for the swim team…Captained water polo team as a junior and senior…Two-time team MVP…Earned all-area player of the year as a junior…A two-time first-team all-area selection for Pasadena…A two-time first-team all-area selection for Glendale…First-team Rio Hondo League as a junior and senior…First-team All-CIF as a junior…Won a silver medal at the 2007 Junior Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2008 Junior Olympics…Won gold at the 2008 U.S. Championships…Team was two-time Rio Hondo league champions…A black belt in Tae Kwon Do … Won gold medal at National Junior Olympics in 2001…National Merit Finalist …Gold Seal Bearer in 2010…Won a silver medal in the Regional Occupational Program  ROP) Competition in 2009…ROP student ambassador...Two-time All-Academic.

Shayna Price (Honolulu, Hawaii/Punahou School) Attacker
Played water polo and swam for four years at Punahou School…Captained water polo team as a senior…Named Most Outstanding Player at State Championship Tournament in 2009 and 2010…Named Interscholastic League of Honolulu Player of the Year as a senior…Three-time first-team all-league...Member of the Hawaii Junior Olympic team from 2007-10…Participated on three Hawaii State Championships teams…Received the HMSA Kaimana Scholarship Award…Won the Social Studies Excellence Award, the Multi-Lingual Award and the Student-Athlete Achievement Award…Member of the National Honor Society and Key Club…Graduated with Honors…Participated in summer mission trips to help orphans in Mexico and Swaziland, Africa…Also volunteered at the Salvation Army Preschool and Palolo Chinese home…Sister, Aisha '13, plays soccer and water polo for the Crimson.

Jamie Williams (Long Beach, Calif./Woodrow Wilson) Utility
Four-year starter in water polo and four-year letterwinner in swimming…Captained water polo team as a junior and senior…CIF All-Southern Section first team selection in 2010…Two-time CIF Division I first team selection and third team selection in 2008…Received the Scholar-Athlete Award four times for swimming and water polo…Team MVP in 2010…Named More League Player of the Year in 2009…Three-time Moore League first-team all-league recipient after earning second-team honors as a freshman…Named Offensive Player of the Year in 2009…Earned most improved in 2007 and the coaches award in 2008…A two-time Long Beach Press-Telegram Dream Team first team recipient…Named USA Water Polo All-Academic twice…Named ot the USA Water Polo Junior Olympic All-America team and the USA Water Polo ODP Junior Zone team in 2009…A three-time first-team All-Moore League…Two-time High School All-America…A three-time Long Beach Press-Telegram Dream Team first team recipient…Received the coaches award in 2007…Won four water polo and four swimming team league titles…Three-time quarterfinals and semifinalist at CIF for water polo…Member of the National Honor Society…AP Scholar with Distinction...California Scholarship Federation member…Intern for non-profit We Love Beach from 2008-10.

Release courtesy Harvard Athletic Communications