June 12, 2006

TEMPE, Ariz. - Rowie Webster, the standout rookie on the 2006 Arizona State University water polo team, was selected American Water Polo Coaches Association (AWPCA) Third Team All-American, the national office announced. The freshman from Melbourne, Australia, is just the second Sun Devil to earn All-America honors in the history of the program.

A selection to the All-MPSF Second Team, MPSF All-Freshman Team and MPSF All-Tournament Team, Webster led the Sun Devils to a 15-13 overall record (5-7 MPSF) and a final ranking of sixth in the nation following a rookie campaign that saw her post 63 goals. Her scoring total is a single-season school record and ranked fourth in the conference (first among freshmen). She also ranked fourth in the nation among rookie goal scorers and was 24th overall.

Webster impressed the league coaches as she poured in 15 goals over four games at the MPSF Championships to lead all scorers in the 19-game tournament in which the seventh-seeded Sun Devils placed sixth. Webster opened the weekend with two goals in an 8-6 defeat of No. 11 Long Beach State, the program's first defeat of the 49ers, before adding four in an 11-7 loss to No. 2 UCLA. She then tied a school record for goals in a game with five scored in a thrilling four overtime defeat of No. 7 UC Irvine, 13-12, before closing out the tournament with four goals in a 7-6 loss to No. 5 California.

All told, Webster, who accounted for 45 percent of the team's goals on the weekend, added four assists for 19 total points to help ASU record its best finish in the event after placing 10th each of the last two years. Her scoring also pushed her up the ranks at ASU as she became the single-season goal-scoring record holder with 63, becoming the first to reach 60 goals and just the second to reach 50 after surpassing former record holder Kim Yost, who scored 51 in 2002.

On the season, Webster scored in 25 of the team's 28 games played and scored two or more goals in 21 of those games. She also scored three or more goals in 11 games, including her last six of the season, with five of those games seeing her post four or more scores.

Webster, who was also selected to the Australian Women's Junior National Team for the summer, is the second Sun Devil to earn All-America honors following Katie Davis garnering honorable mention accolades in 2004.