Dec. 2, 2008

All-MPSF Awards and Teams in PDF Format

STANFORD, Calif. - Goalkeeper Jimmie Sandman highlighted five Stanford athletes being selected to the All-MPSF men's water polo teams by being named MPSF Co-Player of the Year, the conference announced Tuesday. The honor makes Sandman, a redshirt junior, Stanford's first player to earn at least a share of the award since Tony Azevedo earned it from 2001-04.

Sandman, who shared the honor with USC's J.W. Krumpholz, was also named to the conference's first team, along with junior driver Sage Wright. Utilities Drac Wigo and Janson Wigo earned second-team recognition and senior utility Will Hindle-Katel was named to the third team.

The play of this quintet has been pivotal to Stanford's 24-5 overall record in 2008 and second-place MPSF regular-season finish with a 6-2 mark. With a third-place finish in the MPSF Tournament and many quality wins underneath its belt, Stanford claimed the at-large berth into this weekend's 2008 National Collegiate Championship, to be held from Dec. 6-7 at Stanford's Avery Aquatic Center.

After redshirting the 2007 season, Sandman returned to the Cardinal cage this year and anchored one of the nation's best defenses. The Los Altos Hills native allowed just 121 goals on the year for a goals-against average of 4.84, tops in the MPSF, and his 196 saves made for an average of 7.84 saves a game. He earned MPSF Mikasa Player of the Week honors following an 11-save effort in Stanford's 12-2 victory at UCLA on Oct. 18, and made a total of 35 saves in Stanford's three-game MPSF Tournament run.

Wright earns his second straight first-team honor after scoring a career-high 37 goals thus far in 2008. Through 29 contests, he has also posted four hat tricks.

Stanford's 1-2 scoring punch, brothers Drac and Janson Wigo, earned second-team honors after pacing the Cardinal scoring assault, with Janson leading the squad with 54 goals and Drac right behind him with 52. The brothers have combined for 19 hat tricks this season, with Janson posting 10 and Drac nine. This year's honor is the third All-MPSF selection for each of the Wigos, as they each were named honorable mention as freshmen in 2006 and to the third team last year.

Hindle-Katel, Stanford's third-team selection, enters this weekend with his own career-high in goals scored with 34. Tuesday's announcement marked the fourth straight year that Hindle-Katel has been recognized by the MPSF, earning Newcomer of the Year and honorable mention recognition in 2005, first-team honors in 2006, and being named to the third team in 2007.

Stanford will aim for its 11th national title this weekend, taking part in the National Collegiate Men's Water Polo Championship at Avery Aquatic Center. The Cardinal, seeded second in the draw, will open things up Saturday, Dec. 6 against No. 3 Loyola Marymount at 6:45 p.m.