11 Lancers Grab GCC Academic Honors

MORENO VALLEY >> When it comes to California Baptist University's women's water polo team, it is evident the Lancers strive for excellence both in and out of the pool. It was clear from the Golden Coast Conference All-Academic team release, as CBU placed 11 student-athletes on the all-academic team for the second year in a row. It was the second-highest number of the eight conference teams, with Jessica Castellano, Annie Eubanks, Hannah Evans, Caroline Howard, Marnie Kavern, Laura Kocsis, Courtney Menard, Lizette Perez, Kaitlyn Persky, Meghan Rowland and Valerie Spezzaferri all grabbing the recognition. Castellano, Evans, Persky and Spezzaferri made it three-for-three after debuting on the list in CBU's first year in the conference in 2014. Eubanks, Howard, Kavern, Kocsis, Menard and Rowland picked up their second honor. In order to be selected, student-athletes had to carry a grade point average of 3.0 or higher, have played in at least 50 percent of their team's games and be classified as a full-time student who has completed a minimum of one semester at her institution. CBU had its finest finish since joining the GCC, claiming third place in the conference tournament this past season. The Lancers finished the year with a 23-11 record, their most wins since becoming a fully-fledged NCAA member in 2014.