Nine members of the Stanford Women’s Water Polo team were recognized by the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) on Tuesday, earning All-American Academic Awards for their achievements in the classroom for the 2007-08 year.

Four of the nine achieved “Outstanding” status, the highest honor given by the ACWPC. Rising senior driver Heather West led the foursome with a 3.80 cumulative grade-point average, and was closely followed by rising sophomore drivers Jenna Gunderson (3.76) and Kim Krueger (3.71), and rising redshirt senior driver Megan May (3.72).

Driver/two-meter Jacquelyn Gauthier ‘08, who earned second-team All-American honors for her performance in the pool this past season, was among four Cardinal student-athletes to earn the “Superior” title. Gauthier, who possessed a 3.56 cumulative grade-point average, was joined by rising senior Koree Blyleven (3.54), and rising sophomore goalkeeper Kim Hall (3.46).

Chelsea Smith-Carmichael was the final member of the Cardinal to be recognized, and was honored with the “Excellent” classification for her 3.25 GPA.

Stanford succeeded in the pool as well as in the classroom last season, finishing the season with a 25-7 mark and third-place finish at the 2008 National Collegiate Women’s Water Polo Championship. The team also boasted an 11-1 mark in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) play, good for second place in the conference.