April 29, 2003
Woodland, Calif. - Al Beaird, executive director of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, has announced the 2003 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Women's Water Players and Coaches of the Year and the All-MPSF Teams as selected by the Federation's head coaches. After posting a 9-1 regular season record in the conference and a 3-0 record in the MPSF Tournament en route to the 2003 league title, John Tanner was named MPSF Coach of the Year, Brenda Villa was named Player of the Year and Jackie Frank was named Goalie of the Year. Also earning First Team All-MPSF honors is senior Julie Gardner, while junior Wendy Watkins was named to the Second Team.
Villa has led the Cardinal in scoring in each of her three seasons on The Farm after sitting out her first two seasons to train with the U.S. Senior National Team. With 42 goals in 2003 and 172 in her career, Villa has helped lead Stanford to the NCAA Championship match in her two previous campaigns. Stanford won the crown in 2002, as Villa was also the recipient of the Pete Cutino Award for the outstanding collegiate women's player. In 2001, Villa was named the NCAA Division I Player of the Year as well as MPSF Co-Player of the Year. Last December, she was named the US Olympic Committee Player of the Month after helping the United States to a second place finish at the 2002 World Cup. Villa has been a fixture on the First-Team All-American and All-MPSF squads her first two years and also has earned recognition as a member of the First-Team NCAA Championship and MPSF Championship All-Tournament teams as a freshman and sophomore. Villa has played at an elite international level since high school and has garnered numerous international honors including a silver medal at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, and MVP at the International Water Polo Tournament in Kirishi, Russian and the Holiday Cup at Stanford last July.
Frank has been selected 2003 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Women's Water Polo Goalie of the Year for the second-consecutive season by MPSF head coaches. Along with Villa, she is a current member of the U.S. Senior National team. Frank has tended the Cardinal goal for the past four seasons and led Stanford to its first NCAA Championship in 2002. Named the 2002 National Player of the Year and NCAA MVP, this Long Beach native is a three-time All-American, averaging 8.52 saves per game and only 2.76 goals allowed per game (58 in 21 games) this season while also posting 179 saves, bringing her career total to 667 - her previous high was 176 in her freshman season. In the 2003 MPSF Championship game win over UCLA, Frank recorded 22 saves en route to the Cardinal's 3-2 victory in the fifth sudden-victory overtime period. Frank was MVP of the 2002 NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship and was also named to the 2002 NCAA and MPSF Championship All-Tournament First Teams. Named First-Team All-America in 2001 and 2002 by the American Water Polo Coaches Association, Frank also garnered All-Tournament Team honors at the NCAA and the MPSF Championships, while earning MVP at the MPSF Championships. In 2000, as a redshirt freshman, she earned Second-Team All-American honors after sitting out the 1999 season to train with the U.S. National Team.
Tanner, in his sixth season at the helm of the Stanford women's water polo program, earns his third MPSF Coach of the Year award after leading the Cardinal to the 2003 MPSF Women's Water Polo Championship last Sunday - their second conference title in three years. Tanner also was bestowed MPSF Coach of the Year by his peers in 1999 and 2001. In 2002, Tanner directed the Cardinal to their first NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship with a 23-2 record after reaching the NCAA title game in 2001 as well. Coach Tanner holds a 152-22 record at Sanford. Tanner is a former Stanford All-American helping lead his Cardinal team to three NCAA Championships, including a perfect 31-0 season in 1982. Tanner was assistant coach on the U.S. National Team that placed sixth in 2000 Olympics in Sydney and helped guide the U.S. Team capture the World Cup title in Athens, Greece. Tanner was also assistant coach of the 1992 Olympic Team that took fourth in Barcelona.
Gardner, a co-captain of this year's squad, has contributed 22 goals for the Cardinal this season and is one of the toughest two-meter players in the nation. Watkins has added 16 goals in 2003 and will be one of the most experience leaders as a senior in 2004.
The Cardinal will be back in action on Saturday, May 10th as the first-seeded Cardinal take on fourth-seeded Indiana in the NCAA Semifinals in San Diego.