STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford's Dunlevie Family Director of Women's Water Polo John Tanner announced the signings of three decorated prep stars to National Letters of Intent on Wednesday. Aria Fischer (Laguna Beach High School/Laguna Beach, Calif.), Sarah Klass (San Ramon Valley High School/Danville, Calif.) and Katrina Sturm (Davis Senior High School/Davis, Calif.) will enroll at Stanford for the 2017-18 academic year and join the Cardinal for the 2018 season.
"This is a group of winners," Tanner said of the class. "They have won championships at the league, section, state, national and world level, and are excited about bringing that mentality and track record to our comprehensively world-class institution."
The 17-year old Fischer is the youngest U.S. woman to win gold on a team sport in the Summer Olympic Games, helping Team USA to its second consecutive Olympic title in Rio in August. She won gold alongside four current and former Cardinal, including her older sister Makenzie.
Fischer was a two-time All-CIF player during her first two years at Laguna Beach High School and was home schooled last year while training full-time for the Rio Games. A longtime fixture on USA Water Polo teams, Fischer logged four goals in the 2016 FINA World League Super Final, 11 during qualification for the 2016 Olympic Games, five at the 2016 FINA Intercontinental Tournament and eight at the 2015 FINA Intercontinental Tournament.
"Aria is an explosive, tough-minded, goal-oriented player who thrives everywhere in the pool," Tanner said of Fischer. "She made the Olympic Team as a center but is equally brilliant on the perimeter and in transition."
At the youth level, she led the team in scoring with 18 goals at the 2014 FINA Youth World Championships, including four in a win over Canada in the gold medal match. Fischer poured in 16 goals and was named MVP of the 2014 UANA Junior Pan American Championships, was a 2014 Junior Olympic 16U champion and named the 16U Junior Olympic MVP. Fischer also led in scoring for Team USA with 20 goals at the 2013 UANA Youth Pan American Championships.
Fischer is the daughter of a pair of Stanford alums. Her father Erich '88 was a two-time men's water polo All-American and 1992 Olympian while her mother Leslie, a 1987 Stanford graduate, played for the Cardinal women's water polo team when it was a club sport.
Sarah Klass, a driver from San Ramon Valley High School, was a 2015 Cal Hi Sports Bay Area NCS Female Scholar-Athlete and is the younger sister of Stanford sophomore and 2016 MPSF Newcomer of the Year Kat Klass.
Sarah is a three-time NISCA/Speedo Water Polo All-American and three-time member of the California Scholastic Federation.
Another USA Water Polo veteran, Klass was captain of the USA Women's Cadet National Team that won gold at the 2015 UANA Youth Pan American Championship in Kingston, Jamaica last September. She scored 21 goals and had a pair of five-score outings against Puerto Rico and Mexico in pool play.
Klass is also member of the U.S. squad for next month's FINA Youth World Championships in New Zealand.
"Sarah is a great goal scorer with the speed and balance to impact the game in all phases," Tanner commented. "She has raised her game substantially at both ends of the pool in the past year."
Her father, Craig Klass '87, was a three-time men's water polo All-American for the Cardinal (1984-86), was the country's player of the year as a senior in 1986 and a two-time Olympian for the US at both the 1988 Seoul Games and the 1992 Barcelona Games.
Sturm is a 2015 All-Sac Joaquin First Team goalie from Davis and a fourth-team NISCA/Speedo Water Polo All-American in 2015-16. A 2017 National Merit commended student, Sturm is a member of the 2016 USA Water Polo Youth National Team and was selected to the National Team Selection Camp following the ODP Girl's National Championship in March.
"Katrina is a powerful, determined athlete who relishes her role as the last line of defense," Tanner added. "She has proven herself in a program known for producing courageous polo players."
Strum, who also has a black belt in karate, led Davis to a CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I tournament semifinal victory this afternoon over Lincoln of Stockton, Calif., 12-2, to advance to Saturday's championship.
