June 7, 2006

Los Alamitos, CA (June 6) - The women's water polo national team coaching staff announced the Junior and Senior National Teams this week in preparation for the summer season. For the first time in Loyola Marymount history, a Lions will be on that squad. Junior Katie Hicks was selected to this year's Senior National Team as she is one of a number of new faces on the rosters.

Hicks was one of 11 players selected based on their performance at the Women's National Team open tryouts and training camp held over the last several weeks in Los Alamitos, Calif. Also among those 11 is freshman Nicole Hughes, who was selected to the Junior National Team.

"Our team is going in a new direction," said Women's National Team Head Coach Guy Baker. "We are definitely pointing toward 2008. Our team is a lot younger this year, which I think is good. It puts us in a good position for Beijing. We have a lot of work to do, but it is really exciting."

Hicks led the Lions in 2006 to a 25-5 record with a team-best 56 goals. In three seasons she has scored 161 career goals, tied for second all-time in LMU history.

In 2006, Hughes turned heads instantly in her first season of collegiate water polo. She finished third on the team with 35 goals, leading the team with six goals in the WWPA Championships.

Hughes and Hicks give the Lions five players currently participating with national teams. Junior Rachel Riddell, sophomore Rosanna Tomiuk and sophomore Christine Robinson all play for the Canadian National Team.

UNITED STATES SENIOR NATIONAL TEAM:
Twenty athletes were chosen to the U.S. Senior National Team including 13 players who will make up the core `A' Team and seven who will join the Senior `B' Team at the FINA World League preliminary round in Quebec City, Canada on July 7-9, 2006.

Following the prelims, the Senior `A' Team will compete in the FINA World League Semifinals in Los Alamitos, Calif., on July 12-19, 2006, and the FINA World League Super Final in Athens, Greece on July 26-30, 2006. When the Super Final concludes, Coach Baker and his staff will announce the 13 athletes who will represent Team USA at the World Cup in Tanjing, China on Aug. 8-13, 2006.

The World Cup is the team's focus for 2006. If the U.S. team finishes in fifth place or higher, it will qualify for the 2007 FINA World Championships, which is one of the two last major events prior to the Olympic Games. The Pan American Games is the women's Olympic Qualifier and it will take place July 16-29, 2007.

"By the World Championships in 2007, we will have a pretty good idea of who our Olympic Team will be," said Baker.

2006 WOMEN'S SENIOR NATIONAL TEAM:
Betsey Armstrong (Ann Arbor, MI/Michigan)
Patricia Cardenas (Commerce, CA/USC)
Kameryn Craig (Camarillo, CA/USC)
Emily Feher (Santa Ana, CA/UCLA)
Erika Figge (Dove Canyon, CA/USC)
Natalie Golda (Fullerton, CA/UCLA)
Alison Gregorka (Ann Arbor, MI/Stanford)
Katie Hansen (Coronado, CA/Stanford)
Brittany Hayes (Santa Ana, CA/USC)
Christina Hewko (Newport Beach, CA/Stanford)
Katie Hicks (San Luis Obispo, CA/LMU)
Jaime Hipp (Seal Beach (Fresno), CA/UCLA)
Jillian Kraus (Santa Ana, CA/UCLA)
Ericka Lorenz (San Diego, CA/CAL)
Heather Petri (Orinda, CA/CAL)
Brittany Rowe (San Diego, CA/UCLA)
Stephanie Schnugg (Alamo, CA/CAL)
Jessica Steffens (Danville, CA/Stanford)
Heather Stuart (Moraga, CA/CAL)
Moriah van Norman (San Diego, CA/USC)
Brenda Villa (Commerce, CA/Stanford)
Lauren Wenger (Long Beach, CA/USC)
Elsie Windes (Portland, OR/CAL)

WOMEN'S SENIOR NATIONAL TEAM SCHEDULE:
FINA World League Semi-Finals - July 12-16, 2006 Los Alamitos, CA USA
Common Training/Games - July 18-23, 2006 Hungary
FINA World League Super Final - July 26-30, 2006 Athens, GREECE
FINA World Cup - August 8-13, 2006 Tanjing, CHINA
Speedo Top 40 Festival - November 3-5, 2006 Los Alamitos, CA USA
Holiday Cup - December 6-10, 2006 Los Alamitos, CA USA

2006 WOMEN'S JUNIOR NATIONAL TEAM:
The U.S. Women's Junior National Team is also a younger group of athletes, eight of whom were chosen at open tryouts. This summer, the Junior National Team's primary event will be the Pythia Cup in Athens, Greece on July 18-24.

WOMEN'S JUNIOR NATIONAL TEAM SCHEDULE:
Training Camp - June 2-4, 2006 Los Alamitos, CA USA
Training Camp - June 23 - 26, 2006 Los Alamitos, CA USA
Training Camp - July 16-17, 2006 Los Alamitos, CA USA
Pythia Cup - July 18-24, 2006 GREECE

2006 WOMEN'S JUNIOR NATIONAL TEAM:
Darby Anderson (Coto de Caza, CA/Santa Margarita/CAL)
Daisy Carillo (Commerce, CA/Montebello)
Phoebe Champion (Palo Alto, CA)
Forel Davies (Carlsbad, CA)
Addison Doud (Laguna Beach, CA/ASU)
Kelly Eaton (Menlo Park, CA/Menlo/Stanford)
Carrie Frost (Saline, MI/Michigan)
Brittany Fullen (San Clemente, CA/UCLA)
Tanya Gandy (San Diego, CA/UCLA)
Kelsey Holshouser (Santa Ana, CA/Foothill)
Nicole Hughes (Lafayette, CA/LMU)
Alison Mantel (Miami, FL)
Amber Oland (Santa Ana, CA/Foothill)
Priscilla Orozco (Commerce, CA/Montebello)
Stephanie Peckham (Coto de Caza, CA)
Grace Reynolds (Tustin, CA)
Lauren Silver (Seal Beach, CA/Stanford)
Jill Stapf (Hudsonville, MI)
Michelle Stein (Palm Desert, CA/USC)
Amanda Tipton (Sunnyvale, CA/UCSB)
Melissa Wheeler (Newport Beach, CA)

USA Water Polo, Inc. is a non-profit corporation organized for the purpose to serve as the national governing body for the sport of water polo in the United States under the auspices of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).