BRIDGEPORT, Pa. - Four scholar-athletes from the UC San Diego Tritons women's water polo team earned 2022 All-America Team selections, as announced by the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches.
Ciara Franke earned her third-straight Third Team All-American designation and her fourth All-America team selection overall, while
Taylor Onstott,
Bennett Bugelli, and
Kendall Thomas all were named Honorable Mentions.
For Onstott, this is her fourth All-American team honors and her first since 2020. This is the second All-American designation for Bugelli, who last earned the honors back in 2019. In being named an Honorable Mention, Thomas becomes the first Triton to earn All-American honors as a freshman in the Big West era for UC San Diego since Onstott earned an Honorable Mention in 2018.
CIARA FRANKE
Graduate Student / Center
San Diego, Calif. / La Jolla High School
- Fourth career All-American selection
- Second career All-Big West First Team selection (2021 Big West Player of the Year)
- Big West Player of the Week (3/16)
- Two-time UCSDTritons.com Athlete of the Week (3/28, 4/18)
- Led team with 53 goals, second in steals with 24
- Became the sixth-highest goal scorer in UC San Diego history (207)
- Finished tied for eighth all-time at UC San Diego in steals (163)
- Fifth in the Big West in goals, tenth in steals
- Netted goals in 16-straight matches to begin the season
- Named Harper Cup MVP with four goals and three steals against San Diego State (4/16)
BENNETT BUGELLI
Graduate Student / Goalkeeper
San Diego, Calif. / La Jolla High School
- Second career All-American selection and first since 2019
- Second career All-Big West selection (2021 All-Big West First Team)
- Big West Player of the Week (2/24)
- Two-time UCSDTritons.com Athlete of the Week (1/24, 4/11)
- Finished second in the Big West with 181 saves, sixth in BWC in save percentage (.645)
- Had six matches with 10-plus saves this season
- Finished collegiate career with third-most saves in UC San Diego history (812)
TAYLOR ONSTOTT
Graduate Student / Utility
Carlsbad, Calif. / Carlsbad High School
- Fourth career All-American selection and first since 2020
- All-Big West Honorable Mention
- Led team with 26 steals, contributed 29 goals, and 21 assists
- Scored two goals in OT win against UC Davis in Big West Conference Championship quarterfinal
- Led team with five points (three goals and two assists) against Hawai'i in Big West Conference Championship semifinal
- Finished seventh in Big West in steals, tied for 10th in BWC in assists
KENDALL THOMAS
Freshman / Center
Merced, Calif. / El Capitan High School
- First career All-American selection and first freshman selection for UC San Diego since 2018 (Taylor Onstott)
- Big West All-Freshman Team
- Third on team with 42 goals
- Scored four goals against Hawai'i in Big West Conference Championship semifinal match
- Netted hat-tricks in seven matches this season, including two five-goal performances
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About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.
