Amelia Ayala Earns Second-Team All-America Honors for CMS Women's Water Polo

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Sophomore Amelia Ayala was one of 16 players honored with NCAA Division III All-America honors from the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches, the organization announced today.

Ayala earned Second-Team ACWPC All-America distinction after leading the Athenas in both goals and points, finishing with 32 goals and 13 assists on the season for 45 points. In addtion, junior Aracelia Aldrete was named to the honorable mention All-America team for CMS as well. 

Over the course of the season, Ayala had five hat tricks, four of which came in league play, and contributed 30 steals on the defensive end of the pool as well. Her season highlights also included the game-winning goal in the sixth extra session of a 7-6 overtime win over Toronto and a huge game in a 10-9 comeback win over Chapman on March 30. Ayala had five goals in that contest, including four in the fourth quarter when CMS came back from 8-5 down to win it in the closing minutes.

Aldrete had 25 goals on the year, including multi-goal efforts in eight of the 14 league matches for CMS, culminating in a two-goal effort against league champion Pomona-Pitzer on April 20. She also reached the 100-goal mark for her career in an April 13 match against La Verne and will head into her senior season with 102 goals next year.

CMS finished the 2019 campaign at 7-7 in SCIAC, just missing out on the conference tournament in the season's final week. Ayala and Aldrete will be two of the leaders expected to help get the Athenas back into the postseason next year, when the team returns its top seven goal-scorers and all three of its goalkeepers.