June 7, 2006

DAVIS, Calif. - Junior Katherine O'Rourke has received third-team All-American honors, it was announced Wednesday by the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches. O'Rourke, who led the Aggies in goals with 51 on the season, is only the second UC Davis women's water polo player to earn Division I All-American honors.

O'Rourke played in all 34 of the Aggies' games this year and was second on the team for minutes in the water with 691. O'Rourke's 51 goals marked the highest number of goals scored in a season since Tiffany Hodgens' four-year reign (2000-04). Fittingly, Hodgens is the only other Division I All-American in Aggie water polo history.

O'Rourke scored in 27 games and had 13 multiple-goal games including seven hat tricks. Two of those hat tricks came against top-10 programs Cal and Loyola Marymount.

O'Rourke was also accountable for the game winning goal against Loyola Marymount in the Western Water Polo Association championship game. The win gave the Aggies an automatic berth into their first-ever NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship. For her leadership, O'Rourke earned All-WWPA first-team accolades along with the All-WWPA tournament MVP award.

After assisting UC Davis to a fifth-place finish at the NCAA tournament, O'Rourke earned a place on the All-NCAA tournament second-team.

Not just a leader in scoring, O'Rourke also led the team in exclusions drawn and four-meters drawn for a total of 63 kick-outs drawn on the season, which set a school record for a season.

UC Davis ended the 2006 season with a 22-12 record marking its tenth straight winning season and the eighth consecutive season the Aggies have had 20 or more wins.