The Harvard women's water polo team will welcome five
freshmen this fall. The class of 2014 is made up of three
student-athletes from California, one from Hawaii and another from
Pennsylvania.
The newcomers consist of three attackers, a center and a utility
player and two members have family ties with older siblings also
competing for the Crimson.
The rookies join 13 returners playing for first-year head coach
Ted Minnis in 2010.
Jelena Cyr/Livermore, Calif./Granada/Center
Four-year letterwinner in swimming and water polo …
Three-year starter on water polo team … Earned all-league
honorable mention honors in 2007 and second-team all-league honors
in 2008 and 2009 … Received North Coast Section honorable
mention as a senior … Named most valuable offensive player
as a junior and senior … Three-time North Coast Section
participant for the swim team … Scored 94 goals as a senior
on the first Granada team to advance to the second round of the
North Coast Sections … Two-time Academic All-American
Outstanding Achiever … Valedictorian … AP Scholar
with Honors .. Student of the Month … Volunteered as a
science fair judge for two years … Coaches water polo and a
recreational swim team as well as lifeguarded … Sister, Ana,
plays lacrosse at California-Berkley.
Christy DiSilvestro/Philadelphia, Pa./Episcopal
Academy/Attacker
Four-year letterwinner in swimming and water polo …
Academic All-American and two-time USA Water Polo Outstanding
Achiever … Four-time All-Main Line honoree … Named to
the All-Women's Eastern team three times … Received
the Water Polo Excellence Award in 2006, 2007 and 2009 …
Awarded Mind, Body and Spirit Prize on Episcopal team for
demonstrating excellence in the classroom, exemplified by diligence
and effort, athletic prowess and admirable spirit and sportsmanship
… Played on the Northeast Zone team for three years as part
of the Water Polo Olympic Development program … MVP of the
Pennsylvania vs. New Jersey game in the East Coast All-Star Game
… Named Most Improved Swimmer in 2008 … Highest goal
soccer on Episcopal team all four years … High soccer
for team that won Eastern Championship Tournament in 2008 …
Holds the school record in the 400 freestyle relay …
Two-time National Winner on the National French Exam … Given
the Pittsburgh alumni of RPI Gold Medal for proficiency in science
and mathematics in 2009 … Received Yale Club Book Prize for
scholarship, character and school spirit, influence and all-around
ability in 2009 … Member of the Cum Laude Society …
National Merit Finalist … AP Scholar with Distinction ..
Member of the Student Vestry … Elected Senior Warden of the
Student Vestry … Participated in Child Life Volunteering
program at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in 2008 and
2009 … Tutored under-privileged athletes and financial aid
student for the SA through the MJ Test Prep program .. Also tutored
children in the Calvin Presbyterian Church after school …
Brother, Kevin '12, plays on Harvard's men's
water polo team … Father, Anthony, won an Ivy League
championship in gymnastics at Dartmouth before graduating in
1981.
Riley Kessler/La Canada, Calif./La
Canada/Attacker
Four-year starter for the water polo team and four-year
letterwinner for the swim team … Captained water polo team
as a junior and senior … Two-time team MVP … Earned
all-area player of the year as a junior … A two-time
first-team all-area selection for Pasadena … A two-time
first-team all-area selection for Glendale … First-team Rio
Hondo League as a junior and senior … First-team All-CIF as
a junior … Won a silver medal at the 2007 Junior Olympics
and a bronze medal at the 2008 Junior Olympics … Won gold at
the 2008 U.S. Championships … Team was two-time Rio Hondo
league champions … A black belt in Tae Kwon Do … Won
gold medal at National Junior Olympics in 2001 … National
Merit Finalist … Gold Seal Bearer in 2010 … Won a
silver medal in the Regional Occupational Program (ROP)
Competition in 2009 … ROP student ambassador .. Two-time
Academic All-American.
Shayna Price/Honolulu, Hawaii/Punahou
School/Attacker
Played water polo and swam for four years at Punahou School
… Captained water polo team as a senior … Named Most
Outstanding Player at State Championship Tournament in 2009 and
2010 … Named Interscholastic League of Honolulu Player of
the Year as a senior … Three-time first-team all-league ..
Member of the Hawaii Junior Olympic team from 2007-10 …
Participated on three Hawaii State Championships teams …
Received the HMSA Kaimana Scholarship Award … Won the Social
Studies Excellence Award, the Multi-Lingual Award and the
Student-Athlete Achievement Award … Member of the National
Honor Society and Key Club … Graduated with Honors …
Participated in summer mission trips to help orphans in Mexico and
Swaziland, Africa … Also volunteered at the Salvation Army
Preschool and Palolo Chinese home … Sister, Aisha '13,
plays soccer and water polo for the Crimson.
Jamie Williams/Long Beach, Calif./Woodrow
Wilson/Utility
Four-year starter in water polo and four-year letterwinner in
swimming … Captained water polo team as a junior and senior
… CIF All-Southern Section first team selection in 2010
… Two-time CIF Division I first team selection and third
team selection in 2008 … Receive the Scholar-Athlete Award
four times for swimming and water polo … Team MVP in 2010
… Named More League Player of the Year in 2009 …
Three-time Moore League first-team all-league recipient after
earning second-team honors as a freshman … Named Offensive
Player of the Year in 2009 … Earned most improved in 2007
and the coaches award in 2008 … A two-time Long Beach
Press-Telegram Dream Team first team recipient … Named
USA Water Polo Academic All-American twice … Named ot the
USA Water Polo Junior Olympic All-American team and the USA Water
Polo ODP Junior Zone team in 2009 … A three-time first-team
All-Moore League … Two-time High School American … A
three-time Long Beach Press-Telegram Dream Team first team
recipient … Received the coaches award in 2007 … Won
four water polo and four swimming team league titles …
Three-time quarterfinals and semifinalist at CIF for water polo
… Member of the National Honor Society … AP Scholar
with Distinction ... California Scholarship Federation member
… Intern for non-profit We Love Beach from 2008-10.
