Sept. 8, 2010

STANFORD, Calif. - As Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer, Stanford women's water polo wrapped up a busy summer of its own as many players competed on the club and international scenes while head coach John Tanner and assistant coach Susan Ortwein were also busy coaching on the international scene.

A large group of Cardinal returners as well as incoming freshmen helped the Stanford Water Polo Club team to a runner-up finish at the USA Water Polo Open Nationals, and a fifth-place effort at 20/Under Nationals.

Ortwein served as head coach for both squads, while starring for the 20/U squad were goalie Kate Baldoni along with field players Cassie Churnside, Monica Coughlan, Vee Dunlevie, Jillian Garton, Victoria Kennedy, Alexis Lee, Alyssa Lo, Pallavi Menon and incoming freshman Kaitlyn Lo.

Recent Stanford graduate Kim Krueger joined the team for the Open Nationals competition.

Also competing at the competitions for different clubs were incoing freshmen Kaley Dodson, whose Socal teams placed second in the 20/Us and fourth at the Open, and Kelsey Suggs, whose SET teamtook third at the 20/Us.

On the international scene, Baldoni and Dodson spent time with the U.S. Junior National Team in July at the Four Nations Tournament in Los Alamitos, Calif., where they helped Team USA go undefeated in double round-robin competition against Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

All-MPSF performers Annika Dries and Melissa Seidemann served with the Senior National Team over the summer, helping the U.S. to a pair of gold medals at the FINA World League Finals in La Jolla, Calif. in early July and the FINA World Cup in New Zealand. The pair were joined on the U.S. team by alumnae Brenda Villa '03 and Lolo Silver '09.

Head coach John Tanner served on the coaching staff of the Puerto Rico National Team during the summer, helping the Puerto Rican side to its first-ever Central American Games title.

Assistant coach Susan Ortwein was named to the USA National "B" Team in the same capacity and will serve on the staff at next summer's World University Games in China.