Women’s Water Polo Presents Team Awards at Year-End Banquet
From left to right: Devan
Kennifer, Elise Molnar,
head coach Ted Minnis, Jelena Cyr, Ariel
Dukes, Monica
Zdrojewski (photo Harvard Athletic
Communications).
BOSTON – The Harvard women's water
polo team handed out its end-of-the-season awards at its annual
banquet Monday night at the Harvard Club of Boston. Devan Kennifer
and Monica Zdrojewski were named co-MVPs, Jelena Cyr earned the
Most Improved award, Ariel Dukes was honored as the Rookie of the
Year and Elise Molnar took home the Coaches Award.
The MVP, Most Improved and Rookie of the Year awards were voted on
by members of the team. The Coaches Award was selected by head
coach Ted Minnis and assistants Jessi Wood and Kristin
Stanford.
Kennifer and Zdrojewski led Harvard to its second straight season
with a winning record in 2012. Kennifer netted 67 goals and
contributed 48 assists and 95 steals, while Zdrojewski had 42
goals, 38 assists and 38 steals entering the CWPA Eastern
Championship tournament. A senior from Monterey, Calif., Kennifer
was named to the all-division team during all four of her years in
Cambridge. Zdrojewski, a senior from Laguna Niguel, Calif., was an
"excellent" student-athlete selection by the CWPA and contributed
eight hat tricks this season.
Cyr had four goals, two assists and 11 steals before last
weekend's CWPA Eastern Championship to be named the most improved
player for the Crimson. The sophomore 2-meter from Livermore,
Calif., had a season-high four steals during a win over Villanova,
14-3, Feb. 12 and scored twice in a 12-3 win over Mercyhurst in the
first round of the CWPA Southern Division Championship.
Dukes was Harvard's best rookie throughout 2012, as the Winter
Park, Fla., native made 193 saves in goal for the Crimson. The
freshman was named the CWPA Defensive Player of the Week twice and
earned two CWPA Rookie of the Week honors as well. She completed a
rare sweep of the CWPA weekly defensive and rookie awards March 27
after a 13-save performance in a 7-5 win over Brown.
Molnar earned the Coaches Award after playing 2-meter defense for
Harvard this season. She was named to the CWPA All-Southern
Division second team for her contribution of 19 goals, 15 assists
and 32 steals through the teams first 25 games. Her most impressive
performance of the season came against NCAA-qualifier Iona, when
she had three goals, an assist and three steals before Harvard
slipped in sudden-death overtime.
Cyr, Dukes and Molnar will all return to Cambridge next season,
where they will look to produce Harvard's first
back-to-back-to-back winning seasons in 11 years.
