MPOLO12/17/2019 9:00 AM | By: Cal Athletics
All-American Bears
Cal Sees Four Bears Earn ACWPC All-America Honors
BRIDGEPORT, Pa. – California was represented by a mix of young and old as four Golden Bears were named 2019 All-Americans by the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) on Tuesday morning.
Seniors
Jordan Hoover and
Safak Simsek earned spots on the second and third teams, respectively, while freshmen
Nikolaos Papanikolaou and
Adrian Weinberg were tabbed with honorable mentions. Of the four Bears recognized, Simsek was the only Bear to have previously been named an All-American, having earned a third team selection in 2018 as well.
For a full list of 2019 ACWPC All-Americans,
click here.
In his final year of collegiate eligibility, Hoover put together his best statistical season with 54 points (43 goals, 11 assists) and 60 drawn exclusions while serving as Cal's team captain. He picked up All-MPSF First Team and MPSF All-Tournament Team accolades in November.
Simsek's second career All-American honor came after he led Cal with 74 points (52 goals, 22 assists) as a senior. Like Hoover, Simsek earned All-MPSF (Second Team) and MPSF All-Tournament Team selections after the conclusion of the season. The Istanbul, Turkey, native was held scoreless just twice in 24 matches played this fall and surpassed 150 career goals in early November.
Papanikolaou was tabbed as the MPSF Newcomer of the Year and an All-MPSF First Team selection during an impressive freshman season with the Bears. The Athens, Greece, product tallied 61 points (51 goals, 10 assists) and led the Bears with 72 drawn exclusions and 23 steals. Papanikolaou, a two-time MPSF Newcomer of the Week, was the only conference freshman named to either the All-MPSF first or second teams.
Weinberg established himself as one of the nation's top young goalkeepers by totaling 217 saves and a .503 save percentage this fall. He started 22 of 23 matches played and recorded double-digit save totals in 11 matches. A signature 13-save performance in an upset of top-seeded USC in the MPSF Championship semifinals on Nov. 23 proved that the future is bright for Weinberg and the Bears.
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