Bucknell University Athletics
Nine Recruits Welcomed to Bucknell Women's Water Polo Program
5/22/2008 8:00:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
May 22, 2008
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Coming off the best season in the 10-year history of the program, Bucknell interim head women's water polo coach John Abdou on Thursday announced the team's latest recruiting class, which is comprised of nine players, including a pair from Pennsylvania. Four more hail from water polo-rich California.
"I think this is a very balanced class," remarked Abdou, who was named the interim head coach in January. "We hit every position of need and it is as deep of a class as we have ever had at Bucknell. Despite our success last year, we were a little short on numbers and this class is going to bring a lot of depth. I have high expectations for it.
"I am really excited that we have a number of players from really good programs. When players come from winning teams, they get used to winning and don't settle for anything less. That is something I like about our recent classes. They are used to winning and will do anything to continue that tradition."
Bucknell lost just two seniors to graduation and will return 12 letterwinners from this past spring's team that went 26-10 and was ranked as high as No. 19 nationally.
Following is an alphabetical list of the nine Bucknell women's water polo recruits that comprise the Class of 2012:
Brittany Connell - Montebello, Calif./Montebello
Ariel Frankeny - Fountain Valley, Calif./Fountain Valley
Jordan Heide - Bellevue, Wash./Newport
Chevonne Horvath - Jacksonville, Fla./The Loomis Chaffee School
Hallie Kennan - Palo Alto, Calif./Palo Alto
Rebecca Shopiro - Buffalo Grove, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson
Amanda Skonezney - Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley
Allison Vreeland - Los Angeles, Calif./Harvard-Westlake
Christina Wagner - Huntingdon Valley, Pa./William Penn Charter
Class of 2012 Bios:
Brittany Connell (Montebello, Calif./Montebello) - Earned letters in water polo and swimming at Montebello High School ... three-time all-league selection in water polo ... named all-area twice ... named J.O. First Team All-America in 2002 and 2007 ... San Diego County Cup MVP in 2004 ... San Gabriel Valley All-Star ... San Gabriel Valley John Hale Sportsmanship Award winner in 2008 ... earned team's Most Inspirational and Hardest Worker awards ... named a Distinguished Student-Athlete.
Abdou on Connell: "Brittany is the starting goalie for the Commerce 18-and-under squad, which is one of the best club teams in the country. She has the innate ability to throw a great outlet pass and was one of the best goalies in the CIF Division I this past year. Her passing ability and her leadership is going to bring competition to an already competitive goalie position."
Ariel Frankeny (Fountain Valley, Calif./Fountain Valley) - Three-year water polo letterwinner at Fountain Valley High School ... team co-captain in 2007-08 ... two-time Second Team All-Sunset League selection ... All-Tournament Team at the Bishop High School Invitational ... earned Mike Eich Team Superstar Award in 2005-06 ... Honorable Mention All-Sunset League (JV) in 2004-05 ... February 2008 Fountain Valley High School Athlete of the Month ... one of five siblings ... has a twin brother, Tim ... uncle, Dave Frankeny, played football at Occidental College ... uncle, Andy Herbold, played baseball at Cal State Los Angeles and Long Beach State ... aunt, Melody Flinn, was a member of the track & field team at Humboldt State.
Abdou on Frankeny: "Ariel is a strong utility player who comes from the hotbed of water polo (Orange County). She is going to be hungry to leave her mark at this level. We are looking for multiple things from Ariel next year, including the ability to post up and shoot outside."
Jordan Heide (Bellevue, Wash./Newport) - Four-year water polo letterwinner at Newport High School ... also earned three letters in swimming ... First Team All-America selection in water polo in 2007 ... selected as Washington State MVP in 2007 after leading team to state title ... First Team All-State in 2006 and 2007 ... First Team All-District in 2005, 2006 and 2007 ... two-time team MVP ... scored school-record 112 goals in a season ... team captain as a senior in 2008 ... selected for King 5 High School Game in 2008 ... named Bellevue Reporter Athlete of the Week in 2008 ... member of 2007 Youth National Training Team, which is a feeder program for the U.S. Olympic Team ... Pacific Northwest Zone and Pacific Northwest United Junior Olympic Team member in 2007 ... member of Pacific Northwest United and Washington Water Polo Clubs from 2005 to 2007 ... three-year league, district and state finalist in swimming ... King County League Scholar-Athlete for having a GPA above 3.75 ... SeaKing District Scholar-Athlete for being a district qualifier and a GPA above 3.75 ... swimming Coaches Award recipient ... two-year member of National Honor Society ... two-year member of French National Honor Society ... member of National Society of High School Scholars ... member of French Club ... member of school newspaper staff as a columnist ... volunteer youth water polo and swim coach ... named a Knight Valor for performing more than 100 hours of community service during high school.
Abdou on Heide: "Jordan is by far the best player coming out of the Northwest this year and she brings a real strong outside shot and a knack for playing water polo. She possesses great size, athleticism and the ability to do a number of things in the pool and expectations for her are very high."
Chevonne Horvath (Jacksonville, Fla./The Loomis Chaffee School (Conn.)) - In addition to three letters in water polo, earned four in swimming and one in basketball ... water polo and swimming team captain as a senior ... two-time All-America selection in water polo ... fifth-team All-America as a sophomore and second team as a junior ... named to All-Tournament Team at New England Water Polo Championships as a sophomore and junior ... earned Coaches Award for swimming in 2008 ... named All-America in 200 medley relay (freestyle leg) as a sophomore ... 2007 New England champion in 50 freestlye ... born in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
Abdou on Horvath: "We first saw Chevonne with the Navy Water Polo Club and she is someone who is going to bring a lot of speed to the table and is arguably one of the best players out of the Northeast this year. She is very strong in transition and will be able to do multiple things for us, including post up and shoot from the outside."
Hallie Kennan (Palo Alto, Calif./Palo Alto) - Three-year member of both water polo and swimming teams at Palo Alto High School ... water polo co-captain as a senior ... three-time all-league selection, earning first-team plaudits as a junior and senior and second-team honors as a sophomore ... All-CCS as a senior ... Honorable Mention All-CCS as a junior ... participated in Senior All-Star game ... team's Most Valuable Offensive Player as a senior ... three-year starter ... helped team to league title as a sophomore and junior ... has a twin sister, Emily.
Abdou on Kennan: "Hallie is the sole left-hander in this class. She is our third left-hander in the last five years from the Stanford Water Polo Club, following Elizabeth Jensen and Kandis Canonica. Hallie is very athletic, has the ability to score goals and make plays for her teammates and that will help her contribute to the program immediately. She will help alleviate some of the pressure on Kandis (Canonica) on the left side of the pool."
Rebecca Shopiro (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson) - Earned three varsity letters in water polo and four JV letters in swimming ... water polo team captain ... Honorable Mention All-State as a junior ... three-time first-team all-sectional ... named team's best defensive player ... voted best defensive player at Miami Dade Holiday Camp ... sister, Jessica, was a sophomore on the Carthage College women's water polo team in 2008.
Abdou on Shopiro: "Rebecca lives in Chicago, but has spent her summers in Florida training with the Florida Coast Water Polo team. She brings good strength and experience at her position to be a good utility player for us. She is going to be able to post up and shoot outside. She was the first member of the class to commit and is going to bring a lot of enthusiasm to the program as well."
Amanda Skonezney (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) - Three-sport participant at Cumberland Valley High School ... was a member of the water polo, swimming and softball teams ... led water polo team to state title as a senior ... team captain and First Team All-State selection as a senior ... Fourth Team All-America choice as a senior ... Second Team All-State selection as a junior ... Pennsylvania All-Freshman Team selection in 2004 ... swimming team captain as a senior ... district champion in the 200 individual medley as a senior ... eighth place in state in 100 free as a sophomore ... attended same high school as current Bison Aubrey Rowe and former Bucknell head coach John Zeigler.
Abdou on Skonezney: "Amanda is an incredible athlete who brings size, speed, athleticism and the ability to hit big shots. She had two huge goals in this year's state championship game, guiding Cumberland Valley to the title. She is going to have the ability to contribute to this team very early with her speed and shooting ability."
Allison Vreeland (Los Angeles, Calif./Harvard-Westlake) - Three-year water polo letterwinner ... earned on letter in swimming ... two-time First Team All-Mission League (2007, 2008) ... 2008 First Team All-California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) ... 2007 Second Team All-CIF Division IV ... brother, Eric, played water polo at Princeton.
Abdou on Vreeland: "Alison comes from a powerful Harvard-Westlake program and she was a vocal leader for that team from her two-meter defensive position. Her enthusiasm and ability to be a good teammate will help her contribute heavily to this program."
Christina Wagner (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./William Penn Charter) - Member of varsity swimming team for four years ... member of girls varsity water polo program as a junior and senior ... member of boys junior varsity squad as well ... team captain of swimming and water polo squads ... two-time water polo team MVP ... All-Tournament Team at Easterns Water Polo Tournament ... earned swimming team's most improved award ... 11-year member of Huntingdon Valley CC and Abington Dolphins swim teams ... three-year member of Greater Philadelphia Water Polo Club ... regularly sings national anthem at events such as 2008 Easterns Swim Championships ... attended same high school as recent Bucknell men's water polo graduates Brad Roslyn, Kyle Roslyn and Peter O'Keefe ... has five aunts and uncles who participated in collegiate swimming and water polo.
Abdou on Wagner: "Christina comes to us out of Penn Charter and we have a strong tradition with that school, particularly on the men's side. She played both goalie and in the field in high school, but at this level we are going to focus more on her field play and her ability to contribute as an attacker."
