Arizona State Water Polo Adds Four More Student-Athletes to 2005 Roster

TEMPE, Ariz., July 4 – VICKI Gorman, head coach of the Arizona State water polo program, has announced the addition of four student-athletes to the 2005 team roster.

Along with Caylinn Wallace, who signed in November, the Class of 2005 is comprised of Traci Aparicio (Downey, Calif.), Kimberly Doll (Irvine, Calif.), Elena Escalona (Miami, Fla.) and Katy Lawlor (El Segundo, Calif.). All five signees will suit up for the Sun Devils when the 2005 season opens in early February.

Doll, the lone transfer in the group and a driver/utility player, comes to Tempe by way of Orange Coast College where she was a two year starter for the water polo team and member of the swimming and diving team. Doll earned All-America, All-Orange Empire Conference and All-Southern California honors while co-captain of the polo team and was also was a member of the OCC 2003 California state champion swimming team. At Irvine High School she earned two varsity letters in both water polo and swimming.

"I expect Doll to use her speed to create offensive opportunities for herself and the team," Gorman said. "She also will fit right into our team defense which relies on agility and quick thinking."

Aparicio, a 2-meter and utility player, competed for Downey High School in both water polo and swimming and diving for three years each while captaining the water polo squad all three seasons. In her senior campaign, she established school records by scoring 76 goals, recording 53 steals and also drawing 57 ejections. She was twice selected to the Division 6 All-CIF First team, twice named the San Gabriel Valley League Most Valuable Player and earned DHS MVP honors all three years. She capped that by being named the DHS Athlete of the Year in 2004.

"I look forward to coaching Traci," Gorman said. "She has an energetic spirit and competitive drive that will enable her to develop into an effective and versatile player for Arizona State."

Escalona, the first ASU player ever to hail from the East Coast, comes to the Valley of the Sun following a much decorated career as a 2-meter defender. A four year member of the water polo and swimming and diving teams at Gulliver Preparatory, Escalona helped the team to a record of 122-1, including a 33-0 mark in 2004, on its way to four-consecutive state championships. She finished the 2004 season with a school record 85 steals to earn All-Miami/Dade First Team honors, all-state honors and was named the state championship's top defender. A three-time All-Miami/Dade honoree, Escalona also earned third-team All-America honors in 2003 and was second team all-state. Recently, she added to her list of accomplishments by attaining the highest honor bestowed at DHS, the Hap Collins Award.

"Katy has the physical presence and the necessary work ethic to be an impact player," Gorman said. "As she works with the coaching staff and her teammates to improve, she also will raise the level of play around her."

Lawlor, a 2-meter player, set several records in her time competing for El Segundo High School, including tallying 91 goals in her senior season while adding 33 steals. The team's MVP in 2004, Lawlor also garnered recognition as a second-team All-CIF selection, first-team All-Bay League and was chosen as an all-star and MVP of the Alberta (Canada) Open. She also was selected first-team all-conference following her junior campaign (2003) while being selected as the squad's captain and most outstanding offensive player. A four-year member of the swimming and diving team, she also is a member of three school record relay teams.

"Elena's long arms and speed are assets that make her a natural at the 2-meter defense position," Gorman said. "But she also has so much untapped potential. It will be fun to see what other talents she can develop once exposed to the rigors of collegiate water polo."

2005 Arizona State Water Polo Signees

Name Position Hometown (Last School)
Traci Aparicio 2M/Utility Downey, Calif. (Downey HS)
Kimberly Doll Driver/Utility Irvine, Calif. (Orange Coast
College/Irvine HS)
Elena Escalona 2-Meter Def. Miami, Fla. (Gulliver Prep HS)
Katy Lawlor 2-Meter Off. El Segundo, CA (El Segundo HS)
Caylinn Wallace Goalie Laguna Hills, CA (Laguna Hills HS)

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use