May 16, 2007
Bronx, N.Y. - Fordham Water Polo Coach Bill Harris announced next year's freshmen class for the 2007 Fordham Water Polo team today. The newest Fordham Rams are Mark Connor (San Juan Capistrano, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic), Martin de Jong (Long Beach, Calif./Long Beach Poly), Niko Filipi (St. Louis, Mo./Lindbergh), Ryan Hultman (Newport Beach, Calif./Corona del Mar), Jakob Muller (Weston, Fla./Cypress Bay), Daniel Muñoz (Orlando, Fla./Bishop Moore Catholic), Scott Nemecek (Western Springs, Ill./Lyons Township), and Alex Powell (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif./Palos Verdes).
"The addition of these quality student-athletes will give us the added depth we needed and will bring a high level of intensity to training sessions as well as competition for playing time, " said Harris.
Connor, a 5-11 driver from San Juan Capistrano, Calif., is a four-year varsity water polo player from Santa Margarita Catholic High School, earning All-Trinity League honors twice. He set the single season school record for assists with 56, while receiving the team's Most Inspirational Award twice. A team captain of both the water polo and swimming teams, Connor was a four-time Scholar-Athlete for water polo, a three-time Scholar-Athlete for swimming, and an Academic All-American for swimming. Away from the pool, he is a member of the National Society of High School Scholars and the National Honor Society and has received the Bank of America Achievement Award.
de Jong, a 5-11 utility player from Long Beach, Calif., is a three-year varsity water polo player at Long Beach Polytechnic High School and a two-year varsity swimmer. A team captain for both squads, he was a two-time First Team All-Moore League selection in water polo. He also received Third Team All-CIF Division I honors, and was named to the Press Telegram Dream Team. Away from the pool, de Jong has received "Pursuit of Excellence" awards in mathematics and chemistry.
Filipi, a 6-0 two-meter offense from St. Louis, Mo., is a member of the varsity water polo and swimming teams at Lindbergh High School. A three-time team MVP for water polo, he has received All-District honors twice, as well as First Team All-Conference accolades. A member of the honor roll at Lindbergh, Filipi also plays for the Gators, a club water polo team in the St. Louis area.
Hultman, a 6-1 utility player from Newport Beach, Calif., played varsity water polo and swimming at Corona Del Mar High School. A two-year captain, he helped Corona Del Mar to the 2007 Pacific Coast League Championship, earning First Team All-League and Third Team All-CIF honors. Aside from his work in the pool, Hultman received Scholar-Athlete honors all four years of high school.
Muller, a 6-3 two-meter defender from Weston, Fla., competed for both the water polo and swimming teams at Cypress Bay High School. A two-year captain of the water polo squad, he received team MVP honors all four years of high school. He was also recognized as an All-Broward selection for water polo his final three seasons.
Muñoz, a 6-1 driver from Orlando, Fla., brings high accolades to Rose Hill as a varsity water polo player. After garnering Rookie of the Year honors as a freshman, he was named water polo team captain and MVP his final three seasons at Bishop Moore Catholic High School, leading all of Central Florida with 106 goals in 2007. He added 103 steals as a senior, earning First Team All-District honors. Besides his work in the pool, Muñoz is a member of the National Honor Society and has earned high honors in each of his four years of high school.
Nemecek, a 6-1 driver from Western Springs, Ill., was a four-year member of the water polo and swimming teams at Lyons Township High School, serving as water polo team captain as a senior. As a junior, he had an outstanding campaign, earning First Team All-State, All-Sectional, and All-Conference, while receiving Second Team All-Sectional as a sophomore. A member of the Math and Spanish Honor Societies, Nemecek is an Illinois State Scholar and recipient of the Gold L Award for seven consecutive semesters on the honor roll at Lyons Township.
Powell, a 6-1 driver from Palos Verdes Estates, Calif., was a four-year varsity water polo player at Palos Verdes High School. Serving as team captain as a senior, he received team MVP honors, as well as the Bay League Most Outstanding Player Award. He was recognized as a two-time First Team All-Bay League and First Team All-CIF during his junior and senior campaigns. Powell was also a two-time All-Area selection by the Daily Breeze newspaper, and MVP of the L.A. Watts Summer Games.
The Fordham Water Polo team is coming off an 11-win season, the most for the team in recent memory, while also having a player named to the All-Conference First Team (Todd Conway) for the first time since the early 1990s.
