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Cooper McKenna (l) and Grace Clark (r) were first-team All-America selections
Cooper McKenna (l) and Grace Clark (r) were first-team All-America selections
Posted: Jun 05, 2023

CMS Women's Water Polo Has Four Honored on All-America Teams

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Cooper McKenna and Grace Clark earned first-team All-America honors from the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches, Christina Kulick earned a spot on the second team, and Caitlin Muñoz earned honorable mention distinction, the organization announced today.

McKenna earns her second straight first-team All-America honor after a season which saw her lead the Athenas in both goals (59) and points (78). She had nine of her goals in the two-game USA Water Polo Division III Championship, scoring four in the semifinals against Augustana and then five in the national championship match against Pomona-Pitzer, including the tying goal with three seconds left to force overtime before CMS finished as a close runner-up.  

Clark was named the SCIAC Newcomer of the Year after a season which saw her tally 51 goals and 23 assists for 74 points, putting her just behind McKenna for the team lead. She had a seven-point performance (five goals, two assists) in a win over La Verne, and also had five goals in a narrow home win over Cal Lutheran, accounting for almost half of the CMS goals in an 11-8 victory. 

Kulick earned a spot on the All-America second team for the second straight season after finishing the year with 30 goals, despite missing some action in the middle of the year (including all four games at the Claremont Convergence). She had a hat trick against Augustana in the USA Water Polo Division III Semifinals, and had a season-high four goals against Biola at the Fresno State Invitational. 

Muñoz joined Clark in helping the Class of 2026 provide an immediate impact for the Athenas, finishing the year with 30 goals, a team-high 27 assists and 32 steals. She had three goals against Pomona-Pitzer in the national championship game, and had a season-high four goals during the regular season against Augustana. 

CMS finished the year 19-11 overall and 11-1 in the SCIAC, the program's best ever conference record, surpassing the 7-1 mark held by the 1997 team. The Athenas also qualified for the new USA Water Polo Division III Championship for the first time, marking its first postseason appearance since the 2006 team played in the NCAA Championships.