Fresno State Athletics
Benson adds five for 2018 season
4/26/2017 4:49:00 PM | Water Polo
The 2018 class currently sits at 14 with the latest group of signees.
FRESNO, Calif. – Fresno State head water polo coach Natalie Benson announced on Wednesday the signing of five student-athletes for the spring period. With nine during the fall, Benson's first-year class is now up 14 as the program prepares for its inaugural season in 2018.Â
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Claire Schade – Attacker (Fullerton, Calif./Troy/Commerce Aquatics)
NLI received: April 12, 2:19 p.m.
Prep accolades: Division 2 First Team All-CIF (2017)…Division 3 First Team All-CIF (2016)…Team and league MVP in 2017…Three-time Freeway League selection (2015, 2016, 2017)…Four-time Freeway League champions after going 36-0 in her career…Recorded 123 goals, 59 steals, and 51 assists as a senior at Troy, and 101 goals, 64 steals and 68 assists as a junior…Helped Commerce Aquatics place fifth at the 2016 under-18 Junior Olympics.
Benson's comments:Â "Claire plays for Commerce which is a very successful, well-coached and disciplined club. As a left-handed attacker, Claire can play the 4-5 side, balance our attack, help with shooting and distributing on 6x5, and give us a little more creativity in set plays. She's long, quick and great on defense so she's a great pickup for us and I can see her making an immediate contribution to the program."
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Isabella Magno – Attacker (El Segundo, Calif./Mira Costa/Golden West College/Huntington Beach Water Polo Club)
NLI received: April 12, 2:37 p.m.
Accolades: First Team All-Orange Empire Conference (2016)…Three-time First Team All-CIF (2013-15)…Captained Mira Costa to Bay League championship in 2015…Competed for Huntington Beach Water Polo Club at Junior Olympics.
Benson's comments:Â "Isabella is a transfer from Golden West College who will come in as a junior. It's exciting to get some upperclassmen leadership coming into a new program so that's an area where she will be very helpful. She's an active attacker, moves the ball well, and has good vision in open water. She will help facilitate our attack and create for us offensively."
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Mackenzie Richards – Goalie (Simi Valley, Calif./Royal/Santa Barbara City College/VCP-Simi)
NLI received: April 13, 9:02 a.m.
Accolades: Two-time junior college All-American (2015, 2016)…Two-time All-Southern California team (2015, 2016)…First Team WSC (2016)…WSC MVP as a freshman in 2015…Led SBCC to back-to-back WSC championship games…2015 All-CIF…Led Royal to CIF championship in 2015…Three-year MVP for Royal…Goalie of the Year in 2015…set Royal school record for career saves with 919…totaled 485 saves in two seasons at SBCC.
Benson's comments:Â "I've really enjoyed getting to know Mackenzie through the recruiting process, and her personality and experience will be very valuable for our young team. Mackenzie has a tremendous amount of experience in big games, and has proven to be a tough goalkeeper to beat with her quickness and athleticism."Â
Madelynn Garcia – Goalie (Whittier, Calif./La Habra/Fullerton College)
NLI received: April 13, 11:33 a.m.
Accolades: First Team All-Orange Empire selection (2016)…Helped Fullerton College win the 2016 OEC championship…Ranked second in saves in the California Community College Athletic Association with 295…Three-time first team all-league selection…Four-time team MVP at La Habra…Averaged 10.1 saves per game, recording 1,032 in her career…Set school record for most blocks in a game in with 22.
Benson's comments: "Maddie has just started to scratch the surface with her abilities as a goalkeeper. Her ability to adjust to difficult shots demonstrates her athleticism and her ability to learn quickly. She has grown exponentially in recent years, and will continue to develop within our program. Maddie performs well in the classroom and is a fantastic teammate."
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Trystyn Vuori – Attacker (Fowler, Calif./Clovis/Royal 559)
NLI received: April 25, 9:23 a.m.
Accolades: Named first team all-league during final year at Clovis…All-TRAC team selection as a junior and senior…Three-time TRAC champion…Two-time Valley champion...Named team's Most Valuable Offensive Player as a senior…Participated in the Junior Olympics from 2014-2016.
Benson's comments:Â "Trystyn is a fearless, competitive player that exemplifies the grit of the Central Valley. Having another local athlete on the team is important to the growth of our program, and she is exciting to watch. She's extremely athletic, has strong legs vertically, is a consistent scorer and sees the field well."
"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – The Bulldog Scholarship Fund gives Bulldog alumni, fans and friends the opportunity to support Fresno State Athletics and the student-athletes who inspire them. For information about how you can support the Bulldog Scholarship Fund, please visit www.bulldogschoarshipfund.com or call 559-278-7160.
Follow us on:
Twitter:Â @FresnoStateWP
Instagram:Â fresnostatewp
Facebook:Â FresnoStateAthletics
Snap Chat:Â FSAthletics
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Claire Schade – Attacker (Fullerton, Calif./Troy/Commerce Aquatics)
NLI received: April 12, 2:19 p.m.
Prep accolades: Division 2 First Team All-CIF (2017)…Division 3 First Team All-CIF (2016)…Team and league MVP in 2017…Three-time Freeway League selection (2015, 2016, 2017)…Four-time Freeway League champions after going 36-0 in her career…Recorded 123 goals, 59 steals, and 51 assists as a senior at Troy, and 101 goals, 64 steals and 68 assists as a junior…Helped Commerce Aquatics place fifth at the 2016 under-18 Junior Olympics.
Benson's comments:Â "Claire plays for Commerce which is a very successful, well-coached and disciplined club. As a left-handed attacker, Claire can play the 4-5 side, balance our attack, help with shooting and distributing on 6x5, and give us a little more creativity in set plays. She's long, quick and great on defense so she's a great pickup for us and I can see her making an immediate contribution to the program."
Â
Isabella Magno – Attacker (El Segundo, Calif./Mira Costa/Golden West College/Huntington Beach Water Polo Club)
NLI received: April 12, 2:37 p.m.
Accolades: First Team All-Orange Empire Conference (2016)…Three-time First Team All-CIF (2013-15)…Captained Mira Costa to Bay League championship in 2015…Competed for Huntington Beach Water Polo Club at Junior Olympics.
Benson's comments:Â "Isabella is a transfer from Golden West College who will come in as a junior. It's exciting to get some upperclassmen leadership coming into a new program so that's an area where she will be very helpful. She's an active attacker, moves the ball well, and has good vision in open water. She will help facilitate our attack and create for us offensively."
Â
Mackenzie Richards – Goalie (Simi Valley, Calif./Royal/Santa Barbara City College/VCP-Simi)
NLI received: April 13, 9:02 a.m.
Accolades: Two-time junior college All-American (2015, 2016)…Two-time All-Southern California team (2015, 2016)…First Team WSC (2016)…WSC MVP as a freshman in 2015…Led SBCC to back-to-back WSC championship games…2015 All-CIF…Led Royal to CIF championship in 2015…Three-year MVP for Royal…Goalie of the Year in 2015…set Royal school record for career saves with 919…totaled 485 saves in two seasons at SBCC.
Benson's comments:Â "I've really enjoyed getting to know Mackenzie through the recruiting process, and her personality and experience will be very valuable for our young team. Mackenzie has a tremendous amount of experience in big games, and has proven to be a tough goalkeeper to beat with her quickness and athleticism."Â
Madelynn Garcia – Goalie (Whittier, Calif./La Habra/Fullerton College)
NLI received: April 13, 11:33 a.m.
Accolades: First Team All-Orange Empire selection (2016)…Helped Fullerton College win the 2016 OEC championship…Ranked second in saves in the California Community College Athletic Association with 295…Three-time first team all-league selection…Four-time team MVP at La Habra…Averaged 10.1 saves per game, recording 1,032 in her career…Set school record for most blocks in a game in with 22.
Benson's comments: "Maddie has just started to scratch the surface with her abilities as a goalkeeper. Her ability to adjust to difficult shots demonstrates her athleticism and her ability to learn quickly. She has grown exponentially in recent years, and will continue to develop within our program. Maddie performs well in the classroom and is a fantastic teammate."
Â
Trystyn Vuori – Attacker (Fowler, Calif./Clovis/Royal 559)
NLI received: April 25, 9:23 a.m.
Accolades: Named first team all-league during final year at Clovis…All-TRAC team selection as a junior and senior…Three-time TRAC champion…Two-time Valley champion...Named team's Most Valuable Offensive Player as a senior…Participated in the Junior Olympics from 2014-2016.
Benson's comments:Â "Trystyn is a fearless, competitive player that exemplifies the grit of the Central Valley. Having another local athlete on the team is important to the growth of our program, and she is exciting to watch. She's extremely athletic, has strong legs vertically, is a consistent scorer and sees the field well."
"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – The Bulldog Scholarship Fund gives Bulldog alumni, fans and friends the opportunity to support Fresno State Athletics and the student-athletes who inspire them. For information about how you can support the Bulldog Scholarship Fund, please visit www.bulldogschoarshipfund.com or call 559-278-7160.
Follow us on:
Twitter:Â @FresnoStateWP
Instagram:Â fresnostatewp
Facebook:Â FresnoStateAthletics
Snap Chat:Â FSAthletics
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