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April 8, 2008

Los Angeles, CA - The Loyola Marymount University men's water polo team, who won their fifth Western Water Polo Association championship in seven years this past December, continues to add to their success, this time in academics as they have earned Team All-Academic Honors by the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC). As a team the Lions were one of 19 teams honored for their overall success in the classroom.

The Lions earned the honor for having a GPA over 2.70 and placed three players on the individual All-Academic teams. The ACWPC honors players in collegiate water polo who are major contributors to their team and earn better than a 3.2 GPA. Three teams are honored, first-team being named "Outstanding," second-team behind "Superior" and third-team behind "Excellent." Outstanding is a GPA of 3.70 and higher, Superior is 3.50 to 3.69 and Excellent is 3.2 to 3.49.

Earning first-team ACWPC All-Academic honors was junior Tim Heafner. Sophomore Derek Milligan earned second-team honors while junior John Prunckle claimed third-team honors.

Heafner, who earned the honor in 2006-07, finished fifth on the team in goals despite missing nine games due to a knee injury. The Lions went just 3-6 without him in the line-up and then when he returned finished the regular season winning six of their last seven games, including three straight in the WWPA tournament to win the title. In the championship game against UC Davis, he scored the game winner in the final minute to clinch the title. He finished the season in the top-five in goals, steals, field blocks, assists and kickouts drawn. He did all this while earning a 3.69 GPA as Business Law major and English minor.

As for Milligan, a Political Science major with a 3.38 GPA, he had solid second season with the Lions, playing in 20 games and scoring six goals. He had career highs in all categories, including 11 steals and eight assists.

For Prunckle, this is also his second year on the All-Academic team as he has a 3.28 GPA as a Mechanical Engineering major. While taking one of the harder class loads of his career, Prunckle came up big in goal for the Lions. Helping first-year starter Andy Stevens, the WWPA Newcomer of the Year, gain experience, Prunckle had a career-high 44 saves, including 10 in a 9-4 win over then defending WWPA champion UC San Diego on the road.

- GO LIONS -