STANFORD, Calif. – Four-time Olympic medalist Brenda Villa was named the Pac-12 Player of the Century, as announced Monday night when the Pac-12 Networks revealed the Pac-12 All-Century Women’s Water Polo roster on ‘Pac-12 Sports Report’.
The Cardinal is well-represented on the all-century list with a conference-best seven players named to the 16-member squad.
Stanford's all-century representatives are: Annika Dries (2010-11, 2013-14), Ellen Estes (1997-98, 2001-02), Jackie Frank (2000-03), Kiley Neushul (2012-15), Melissa Seidemann (2009-11, 2013), Maggie Steffens (2013-15) and Brenda Villa (2001-03).
The team was voted on by a panel of 24 consisting of coaches, players, administrators and members of the media. Out of 51 nominees, the All-Century Team consists of 16 players – eight drivers/attackers, six field/utility/center/2M and two goalkeepers.
Stanford leads all schools with seven players, followed by UCLA (6), USC (2) and California (1). Fifteen of the sixteen members of the team are Olympians, with a total of 26 Olympic medals won. Representing three different decades, team members have taken home thirty-three NCAA Championships.
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Pac-12 Player of the Century
Brenda Villa • Attacker • 2001-03 2012 Olympic gold medalist
Two-time Olympic silver medalist (2008 and 2000)
2004 Olympic bronze medalist
Two-time Olympic team captain (2008 and 2012)
Three-time FINA World Championships gold medalist (2003, 2007, 2009)
2005 FINA World Championships silver medalist
Member of the USA Water Polo 2011, 2001 and 1998 FINA World Championships teams
2010 FINA World Cup gold medalist
2002 FINA World Cup silver medalist
Member of the USA Water Polo 1999 and 1998 FINA World Cup teams
Three-time Pan American Championships gold medalist (2003, 2007, 2011)
1999 Pan American Championships silver medalist
2002 Peter J. Cutino Award winner
2001 AWPCA Player of the Year
2003 Peter J. Cutino Award finalist
2002 NCAA champion
Three-time first team All-American (2001, 2002, 2003)
Two-time MPSF Player of the Year (2001 [co] and 2003)
Three-time All-MPSF first team (2001, 2002, 2003)
Two-time NCAA All-Tournament first team (2002 and 2003)
2003 MPSF All-Tournament team
2002 MPSF All-Tournament first team
Eighth in Stanford history in career goals with 173
Career-high 69 goals in 2001 is fourth in Stanford single-season history
Also scored 60 in 2002 and 44 in 2003Pac-12 All-Century Team
Annika Dries • Center • 2010-11, 2013-14 2012 Olympic gold medalist
Member of the 2011 and 2013 USA Water Polo FINA World Championships teams
2010 and 2014 FINA World Cup gold medalist
2011 Pan American Championships gold medalist
2011 and 2014 NCAA champion
2011 and 2014 Peter J. Cutino Award winner
2011 and 2014 ACWPC Player of the Year
2013 Peter J. Cutino Award finalist
2010 third team All-American
2011 first team All-American
2013 second team All-American
2014 first team All-American
Four-time academic All-American (2010-11, 2013-14)
2010 All-MPSF honorable mention and MPSF All-Freshman team
2011 MPSF Player of the Year and All-MPSF first team
2013 All-MPSF Second Team
2014 All-MPSF first team
Three-time MPSF All-Academic (2011, 2013-14)
2010 NCAA All-Tournament second team
2011 NCAA Tournament MVP and All-Tournament first team
2013 NCAA All-Tournament second team
2014 NCAA Tournament MVP and All-Tournament first team
2011 MPSF All-Tournament team
2014 MPSF Tournament MVP and All-Tournament team
Sixth in Stanford history in career goals (183)
Fifth in single-season goals in Stanford history with 65 in 2011
Tied for third on the team with 35 goals in 2010
Scored 35 goals in 2013 despite missing the first month of the season due to injury
Fourth on the team with 48 goals in 2014
Ellen Estes • Center • 1997-98, 2001-02 2000 Olympic silver medalist
2004 Olympic bronze medalist
2012 USA Water Polo Hall of Fame inductee
2003 FINA World Championships gold medalist
2002 FINA World Cup silver medalist
Member of the 1999 USA Water Polo FINA World Cup team
2003 Pan American Championships gold medalist
1999 Pan American Championships silver medalist
2002 NCAA champion
2002 Pac-10 Postgraduate Scholarship recipient
1997 second team All-American
1998 first team All-American
2001 second team All-American
2002 first team All-American
Four-time All-MPSF first team selection (1997-98, 2001-02)
1998 MPSF Player of the Year
2002 MPSF All-Academic
1997 All-Collegiate Nationals first team
1998 All-Collegiate Nationals first team
2002 All-Collegiate Nationals first team
2002 MPSF All-Tournament second team
Fourth at Stanford and 25th in MPSF history with 214 career goals
Owns the Cardinal’s single-season goals record with 93 in 1998, a total also ninth in conference history
Second on the team with 49 goals in 1997
Third on the team with 37 goals in 2001 upon returning from two years of training and Olympic competition with USA water polo
Third on the team with 35 goals in 2002
Jackie Frank • Goalkeeper • 2000-03 2004 Olympic bronze medalist
2003 FINA World Championships gold medalist
Member of the 1998 USA Water Polo FINA World Championships team
2002 FINA World Cup silver medalist
Member of the 1998 and 1999 USA Water Polo FINA World Cup teams
2003 Pan American Championships gold medalist
2002 NCAA champion
2003 Peter J. Cutino Award winner
2002 and 2003 AWPCA Player of the Year
2003 Pac-10 Conference Medal Winner
Three-time first team All-American (2001-03)
2000 second team All-American
Three-time academic All-American (2001-03)
Two-time MPSF Goalie of the Year (2002 and 2003)
Three-time All-MPSF first team (2001-03)
2000 All-MPSF second team
Three-time MPSF All-Academic (2001-03)
2002 NCAA Tournament MVP and All-Tournament first team
2003 NCAA All-Tournament first team
2003 MPSF Tournament MVP
2002 MPSF All-Tournament first team
Made 523 saves in her sophomore, junior and senior seasons (records from 2000 not available)
3.16 goals against average in 2001 is eighth in MPSF history and second in Stanford history
3.92 goals against average from 2002 is 14th in MPSF history and fourth in Stanford history
Kiley Neushul • Attacker • 2012-15 Currently training with USA Water Polo for the 2016 Olympics
2015 FINA World Championships gold medalist
Member of the 2013 USA Water Polo FINA World Championships team
2014 FINA World Cup gold medalist
2015 Pan American Championships gold medalist
2012 and 2015 Peter J. Cutino Award winner
2012 ACWPC Player of the Year
Three-time NCAA champion (2012, 2014, 2015)
Stanford went 105-8 during her career
Three-time first team All-American (2012, 2014, 2015)
2013 second team All-American
Three-time All-MPSF first team (2012, 2014, 2015)
2012 MPSF Newcomer of the Year and All-Newcomer team
Two-time NCAA All-Tournament first team (2014 and 2015)
Three-time MPSF All-Tournament team (2012, 2014, 2015)
Third in Stanford history and tied for 20th in MPSF history in career goals (222)
Career-high 63 goals in 2015 is tied for eighth in Stanford single-season history
Added a team-high 51 goals as a junior (2014), 50 as a sophomore (2013) and a team-high 58 as a freshman (2012)
Capped her collegiate career by converting a game-winning penalty shot with 11 seconds remaining to lift Stanford to the 2015 NCAA Championship
Scored five of Stanford’s seven goals in the title game
Melissa Seidemann • Center/2MD • 2009-11, 2013 2012 Olympic gold medalist
Tied for second on the team with seven goals at the London Olympics
Currently training with USA Water Polo for the 2016 Olympics
2015 FINA World Championships gold medalist
Member of the 2013 and 2011 USA Water Polo FINA World Championships teams
2014 and 2010 FINA World Cup gold medalist
2015 and 2011 Pan American Championships gold medalist
2013 Peter J. Cutino Award winner
2013 ACWPC Player of the Year
2011 Peter J. Cutino Award finalist
2011 NCAA champion
Two-time first team All-American (2011 and 2013)
2010 second team All-American
2009 third team All-American
2009 academic All-American
Two-time All-MPSF first team (2011 and 2013)
2010 All-MPSF honorable mention
2009 MPSF Newcomer of the Year, All-Freshman team and All-MPSF second team
2013 and 2010 MPSF All-Academic
Three-time NCAA All-Tournament first team (2010, 2011, 2013)
2013 MPSF All-Tournament team
239 career goals are tied for the most in Stanford history and ninth in MPSF history
Scored a career-high 75 goals in 2013, the second-most in Stanford single-season history
Posted four straight 50-goal seasons
Also scored 51 as a junior (2011), 54 as a sophomore (2010) and 59 as a freshman (2009)
Maggie Steffens • Attacker • 2013-15 Two-time FINA Women’s Water Polo Athlete of the Year (2012 and 2014)
2012 Olympic gold medalist
2012 Olympic MVP
Scored 21 goals at the London Olympics
Currently training with USA Water Polo for the 2016 Olympics
2015 FINA World Championships gold medalist
Member of the USA Water Polo 2013 and 2011 FINA World Championships teams
2014 and 2010 FINA World Cup gold medalist
2015 and 2011 Pan American Championships gold medalist
2015 ACWPC Player of the Year
Three-time Peter J. Cutino Award finalist (2013, 2014, 2015)
Two-time NCAA champion (2014 and 2015)
Three-time first team All-American (2013, 2014, 2015)
Three-time academic All-American (2013, 2014, 2015)
2015 MPSF Player of the Year
Three-time All-MPSF first team (2013, 2014, 2015)
2013 MPSF All-Newcomer team
Two-time MPSF All-Academic (2014 and 2015)
2015 NCAA Tournament MVP
Three-time NCAA All-Tournament first team (2013, 2014, 2015)
Three-time All-MPSF Tournament team (2013, 2014, 2015)
In three seasons is 11th at Stanford in career goals with 164
Career-high 60 goals in 2013 are tied for 10th in Stanford single-season history
Tied for the team lead with 51 goals as a sophomore in 2014 and added 53 as a junior in 2015