Mount St. Mary’s Water Polo Unveils Rosters for Inaugural Seasons

Mount St. Mary's water polo's inaugural women's roster Photo Courtesy: Mount St. Mary's

Head coach Alyssa Diacono Thursday announced the inaugural men’s and women’s rosters for Mount St. Mary’s water polo teams.

The university announced in January that it would add water polo to its athletic offerings. The inaugural rosters include 11 men and nine women, with 12 of the players being freshmen.

“I am so excited to welcome the first men’s and women’s water polo team to the Mount,” Diacono, who was hired in March, said in a university statement. “Each of these student-athletes bring unique experiences that will create a foundation and help establish a winning culture in and out of the pool. We look forward to getting to work and putting the Mount on the map for water polo!”

Mount St. Mary’s water polo coach Alyssa Diacono Photo Courtesy: Mount St. Mary’s Athletics

The Mount St. Mary’s water polo rosters include three graduate students, two of whom are in unique positions: Both Will Twizell and Brock Cudahy were members of the inaugural Mount St. Mary’s men’s swimming and diving team in 2016. Twizell is one of the Mount’s most decorated swimmers with seven individual school records and five relay marks. Cudahy has three individual and five relay records to his name.

The rosters include players from 12 states and three countries. Twizell is a native of Adelaide, Australian. Men’s players Kacper Cipelik and Jason O’Donnell hail from Canada. Marko Kruska, who transfers in from West Valley Junior College, is from Serbia. Junior Eli Thalos is a transfer from the University of the Pacific.

The women’s team includes USA Water Polo Academic All-American Madison Szczublewski and a pair of California Interscholastic Federation champions in Lauryn Thomas and Mara Davis. The full rosters are listed below.

When Mount St. Mary’s water polo will get in the water is a question. The men’s season, scheduled for the fall, has been delayed, with a season running from January to March currently on the table. The women’s season is slated for the spring, beginning in March.

Men’s Water Polo

Kacper Cieplik | Beaconsfield, Quebec | John Abbott College | Utility
Brock Cudahy | Manassas, Virginia | Osbourn Park | Driver
Ben Dable | St. Louis, Missouri | Parkway North | 2 Meter
Jason Fitch | Middle River, Maryland | Calvert Hall | Driver
Marko Kruska | Belgrade, Serbia | West Valley | Goalkeeper
Joseph Maxson | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | Westminster | Goalkeeper
Jason O’Donnell | Beaconsfield, Quebec | John Abbott College | 2 Meter Defender
Dejan Radic | Orland Park, Illinois | Victor J. Andrew | 2 Meter Defender
Matthew Schwanke | Glen Rock, Pennsylvania | Dr. Phillips | Utility
Eli Thalos | Salt Lake City, Utah | Pacific | Driver
Will Twizell | Adelaide, Australia | Scotch College | Driver

Women’s Water Polo

Ana Luisa Cotta | Orlando, Florida | Dr. Phillips | Driver
Mara Davis | Oceanside, California | El Camino | Utility
Toria Peterson | Alvin, Texas | Alvin | Driver
Madison Szczublewski | Henderson, Nevada | Green Valley | Utility
Lauryn Thomas | Simi Valley, California | Moorpark | Utility
Riley Thompson | Murray, Utah | Murray | 2 Meter
Emily Van Kerckhove | Montgomery, Ohio | Ursuline Academy | Utility
Rebekka Williams | Poway, California | Hawai’i Hilo | Goalkeeper
Mackenzie Zenk | Salinas, California | Notre Dame High School | 2 Meter Defender

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