Valerie Wraith Named SCIAC Newcomer of the Year, Five Athenas Earn All-League

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Valerie Wraith of the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's water polo team earned the SCIAC Newcomer of the Year Award, and was joined by four of her teammates on the all-SCIAC teams, the conference office announced today.

Wraith was joined on the All-SCIAC first team by Cooper McKenna and Grace Clark, while Dara Schoolcraft and Isabel Del Villar earned spots on the second team. 

Wraith enters the SCIAC Tournament as the team leader for CMS In both goals (65) and points (84). She has scored her 65 goals on 105 shots, for a team-best .619 shooting percentage, while also drawing 19 exclusions. 

Clark was the SCIAC Newcomer of the Year last season, and repeats as a first-team all-league selection in 2024. Clark is second on the Athenas in points with 81, while ranking third in goals (52) and second in assists (29). 

McKenna also repeats as a first-team All-SCIAC performer, after earning All-America honors a year ago as well. She is one goal behind Wraith for the team lead this season with 64, and has also recorded 21 steals and has won 27 of her 34 sprints. 

Schoolcraft has had a key role as a central defender for the Athenas this season, and has also contributed on the offensive end, where she has 19 goals on the year. Del Villar missed some matches early in the season, but her return has made the Athenas even stronger, with 45 goals on the year, to go along with 17 steals. 

CMS heads into postseason play with an 18-9 overall record and a 10-2 mark in SCIAC, and will take on Chapman in the SCIAC Semifinals at Axelrood Pool tomorrow at 7 p.m. The winner will move on to Sunday's championship, against the winner between top-seeded Pomona-Pitzer and fourth-seeded Cal Lutheran, while the two semifinal winners will also receive bids to next weekend's USA Water Polo Division III Championship.