Well-deserved recognition for Men's Water Polo

Cal Maritime's Men's Water Polo Reagan Hesse, Ian Iverson, Steven Mori, Aldric Terral, and Brandon Kolorov were all named to the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Club All-Conference Teams for the 2019-2020 season. Hesse, Mori, and Iverson were named to the first team while Kolorov and Terral were named to the second team.

There were also CWPA Club All-Americans selected amongst these Keelhaulerswith Hesse making the second team, Terral making the third team, and Iverson receiving an honorable mention.

To go along with his already splashy resume, Reagan Hesse completed a trio of awards this seasonby also being named the Sierra Pacific Division Most Valuable Player. Hesse now has that feat to go along with two First Team All-Conference selections and a Second Team All-American selection in his collegiate career after being selected to First Team All-Conference last year in his sophomore campaign.

"Such an amazing honor," Hesse said. "League MVP was never really on my radar, being in such a competitive league. My career goal at Cal Maritime was to beat Berkeley and to bring home a championship."

"This is such an honor for me to receive this award and I appreciate the support of those who voted for me," Hesse added. "I believe I was successful because I had a tremendous team to play with. They put me in a position where I could play my best water polo."

The player-coach role turned out to be quite the fit for Aldric Terral as well, who was able to round out his collegiate career with the unique experience topping it off with his second All-Conference Second Team Selection and an All-American Third Team selection.

"We were all in it with the same end goal and pushing each other to do better, holding each accountable to attend practices," the France native said. "I did not take attendance, but apart from classes and watch conflicts, we had 80 or 90% of the players show up to every single practice, which was a first in my time at Maritime."

"We could not have done it without every single component of the team," he went on to add."We had a lot of talent coming in which showed on paper. By the end of the season, a third of the all-conference players were CMA students including the MVP (Reagan Hesse) and best goalie (Steven Mori). Those successes speak to the great effort that everyone has put into the team, and the amazing support we had from the athletics department. We were all very happy to offer this trophy to Marv in his last year here."

Terral, Hesse, and company helped lead the team to their first ever Sierra Pacific Division Championship defeating Cal 9-8, earning them a 4th seed in the National Tournament at the University of Pittsburgh. They were able to get past the first round which wasanotherfirstfortheprogrambeforelosingtoUCSanDiegointhesecondround.

"Cal Maritime athletes stand out because they have a certain amount of mettle to begin with, before they train and grow with their team," the MVP said. "Our team in particular jelled really well. Throughout the season, everyone filled their role, we had trust, teamwork and our communication improved.

After taking some losses in the beginning, we all clicked and worked together and were able to compete at our highest level as a team and as athletes," he added. "Our personalities fit well together in and out of the pool. We hung out often, had fun and felt a sense of brotherhood toward each other."

"I grew up playing water polo and the sport forged my personality. It brought me to a new country overseas and, in many ways, has shaped my life," said the player-coach Terral. "Water Polo is an extremely physically strenuous sport and any weak link in the chain breaks the entire momentum of the team. Cal Maritimeby itself is a true gem; I am very fortunate to have found it and be part of it.

Water Polo at Cal Maritime helped me to create connections I would not have otherwise had and allowed me to be part of a championship team and culture. Beating Cal twice in the final games is one of the most memorable events of my entire water polo career. It has helped me through difficult times and provided an outlet for shared experiences with others. I am honored to have been a player and coach for this championship program."

The Collegiate Water Polo Association selects All-Conference teams in each of its men's and women's club and varsity divisions.

Teams are selected by the coaches in each respective division. Representatives from each team rank their own players in order of ability and send their names to the CWPA office by the deadline noted on the Coaches' Calendar. The CWPA office compiles the rankings by division and releases the information to every team to serve as a guide when voting.

Teams then vote for the top 12 field players, two goalies, a Most Valuable Player, and a Coach of the Year, using the ballot available on the web site. The office compiles the votes and publishes the results at the conclusion of each season.