Retired #4- Annie was a Miami student from 1994 - 1998. She graduated at the top of her class in Secondary Education and attend George Washington University for her gradate studies. Currently living in Texas, with her husband Jason, she is the happy mother of 2 future Miami Water Polo superstars. In 1995, Annie approached coach Doug Reisenfeld and asked him if he would consider coaching a women's team if she was able to get enough women to play. A team was formed with 10 players and won the CWPA Midwest Championships in their first season with a victory over Notre Dame. Annie, with all brand new players, except Kelly Mervar- O'Shaughnessey in the goal, accomplished the impossible and got a club team together that far exceeded any expectations. She was 3 time MVP of the CWPA Midwest Division and selected 3 times to the All Star -First Team at the Midwest Regional tournament. She was the club president from 1996 - 1998 and through her guidance and organizational abilities she put the e ntire team, both men's and women's, on the road to success with her presentations to ASG. Without her work, Water Polo would never have begun the climb to a level of respectability amongst University clubs and Student Government. We retired her number in 1998 at our Spring Classic Tournament. She was injured during the event and sustained a broken hand. Jessica Silva, a freshman that season, and had to set the 2 meter against MSU in the tournament championship. That game was only game she ever missed. Because the next weekend, she taped up her broken hand and played the entire tournament at the Midwest Regionals and led the team to a fourth place finish in 1998. According to Coach Reisenfeld, "She came to me as a sophomore and asked if I would coach a Women's' team....... she played for the men her freshman year. I agreed if she got enough girls.....So we threw a team together and the rest is history." Anne Hofmann always deserves a special place in the history of Miami Wat! er Polo.

1998 - 2001 - A past President of our program, Jamie was completely dedicated to the team and her teammates. In 1998, she came to a team meeting that consisted of 7 women. Ann Hoffman was the team president at the time and Jamie had never played water polo in her life. In fact, she wasn't really sure what the game was all about, except that she could use her vast swimming skills to do well in the sport. Not only did she do well, but can be stated as an exception to any player that is new to this sport. Jamie became one of the most dominating players in the Midwest during her years at Miami. She was described as a scoring machine and a defensive nightmare for any opponent. Seldom does any player in any sport learn a new game that quickly and become one of the best in such a short period of time. This transition is directly attributed to her athleticism, dedication, commitment, and hard work that Jamie always displayed while wearing Miami colors. Not only did she show that des ire to win in the pool, but she also worked very hard to gain positive feedback for the club on campus. She worked diligently as club President for 2 years and brought the team positive recognition of the Club organizational committees at Miami, including ASG, Rec. Sports, and the Rec. Staff. A complete player and leader, Jamie will always be remembered for her commitment to her team and our sport.

1998 - 2001 - The team Treasurer from 1999 - 2001, Sarah was the most coach able and dedicated player in Miami women's team history. Always wanting to do better and understand the game, Sarah always demanded more of herself and her teammates. A true team leader and friend, the women always knew that a soft word would come from Sarah on deck and away from the pool. However, just as calm as she was away from the pool her demeanor was completely opposite in the pool. A very physical player, Sarah would deal out serious punishment to opponents and take just as much back in return. This was exemplified by the countless bruises she always took home after every tournament. Water polo was always very important to Sarah and it would be very hard pressed to find any player that had more dedication for our sport. On May 6, 2001, Sarah Churchill graduated from Miami University. However, she did not do so in a Commencement ceremony that was going on across campus at Millet Hall that same day. Sarah, along with fellow seniors Jamie VanderMass and Jessica Silva, wore her cap and gown onto the pool deck to face arch rival Notre Dame in the National Championships for 5th place in the nation. Sarah and her teammates won a decisive victory that day and ended a career that any athlete would cherish.

1998 - 2001 - On a Florida pool deck in 1996, at the Florida HS State Championships, Coach Doug Reisenfeld had gone on a recruiting trip to find potential future Miami Water Polo stars. Not easy without any scholarship money to invest, but Jessica immediately caught the Coach's attention. Jessica was dynamic, strong and intelligent: Attributes that were definitely apparent as Jessica led her HS team through the Championships as a junior. For the next year, with constant contact, Jessica finally chose Miami as the school for her to receive her education and to continue her passion for her sport. In her freshman year at Miami, Jess was called to lead the team when Senior and fellow Hall of Fame inductee, Ann Hoffman, suffered a broken finger in a game during a home tournament. Miami had made it to the final four in that event and with the balance of the season ahead, Jess had to control the flow of the team from the 2-meter set. Nervous at first, Jess led the team that day and nearly caught an over confident MSU off guard. This was the beginning of a great four-year career at Miami. We could never describe Jess as the best "practice player", but her passion was playing the games and she knew that the team had to build chemistry to win. She definitely created more steals than any player in Miami history and was always one of our top scorers. Through her career, along with her Water Polo "sisters" Jamie VanderMass and Sarah Churchill, Miami won 2 CWPA Midwest Championships, finished 4th in the Regionals from 1998 - 2000 and placed Fifth in the Nation her senior year. The team carried a record of 88 - 17 over the 4 years she played; an impressive 84% winning ratio. As her "sisters" had done with her, Jessica made her Commencement statement by wearing her cap and gown onto the pool deck and defeating rival Notre Dame for Fifth place in the National Championships in 2001.

1997 - 1999 - During the summer of 1997, Coach Reisenfeld received a call from a young woman that was leaving the Varsity swimming program at Ohio State and wanted to attend Miami her sophomore year. After playing for Sycamore High School for 4 seasons and receiving All American awards while there, Julie was very excited about playing water polo once again and joining the club. It was immediately obvious that a new team leader was playing at Miami and her dedication and the professional way that she always carried herself was clearly exemplary for the team. Julie mainly played 2 meter defense, but she was very fast an usually won the swim off in most games. She could play any position and became very effective with her drive and her ability to turn her opponents. Her long reach played havoc with the opposition and she was a very effective shooter. Julie was able to place the ball in the goal with deadly accuracy and lead the team to many victories. During her tenure, Miami w on the Midwest Championship twice and placed 4th in the Regional Championships every season. She was a leader in every sense and was thought of by many of the women as the "Mother" of our team. This is very appropriate, because Julie was the team's pillar of strength, a highly dedicated athlete, and always gave 100% in all of our games. She was the "calm intensity" that lead Miami to many victories during her career. With great pride, Miami Water Polo places Julie into our Hall of Fame

#15 1999 - 2003 In 1999, the Miami Women's team was set to have a great season. With 4 current Hall of Fame members on the team, the squad was set to have the best season in the history of the program. Winning the Midwest Championship was only part of the plan, but at that time, having a great Final Four appearance at the Midwest Regional was the team's goal. That same season, a very talented freshman arrived on the scene. She was forced to play for both the "A" and "B" teams by Coach Reisenfeld, to get as much experience as possible heading into the Regional. So, Erin basically played every minute for both teams and started for both teams throughout the course of the season. The only exception was when the team had breakfast at the Cracker Barrel in Kalamazoo, Michigan for an event at WMU. Needless to say, the team has never returned to the Cracker Barrel and eggs were never again part of Erin's diet, before a game. Throughout her 4 years at Miami, dedication, hard work, te am compassion and pride were all that encompassed this fine player and teammate. She was the one player to always stand firm on team decisions and traditions. She made certain that all new players and other teammates held those values close to heart as well. Erin was always the first to sternly tell her teammates to listen as the Coach was giving instructions, and she demanded that everyone give 100%. She led by example and the value of this leadership was quite evident as the team progressed while she played for 4 seasons. During these seasons, Miami won the Midwest Championship in 1999, finished 5th in the Nation at Nationals in 2000, and 6th at Nationals in 2003. She was on the Midwest All-Conference teams every year she played and made Academic All-American her Senior year. To Erin Klare, a great player, teammate, friend, and inductee into the MWPC Hall of Fame.

2002 - 2005 - In 2000, Coach Reisenfeld received a call from Bob Younger, the father of 2 aspiring student/athletes that played water polo from East Kentwood High School in western Michigan, expressing interest in a visit at Miami University. The girls were just finishing their sophomore year, but before the conversation even began, they had already made their decision to attend Miami. Casey Younger was one of those sisters committing to be a Miami student, without hesitation, before her junior year even began at East Kentwood. Never has there been a harder, more dedicated player at Miami than Casey. Always the first one in the pool with a constant devotion to become a better player, Casey’s dedication was admired by her teammates. She was not the biggest player (she claimed that Coach Reisenfeld said she was “too small” to play on the “A” team and the Coach denies it to this day), but she was certainly among the toughest. She was a great defender and had excellent ball skills. She was a great passer and decision maker. During her freshman year, Casey had to be helped out of the pool as Miami played a Championship game against Notre Dame for the CWPA Midwest Championship. The woman she was continuing to try to defend was very big and powerful. Miami was beaten by 1 goal that day, but Casey was determined to never lose to Notre Dame again during her time at Miami. She helped make it happen by leading her team to 3 consecutive Midwest Division Championships. Casey was also instrumental in the 7th place finishes in 2003 and 2004 at the National Collegiate Club Championships as well as a 4th place finish in 2005. She was recognized as the All Tournament Defensive player at the 2005 Florida State Tournament and received 1st Team All Conference awards in 2003 – 2005. No matter what adversity or challenges Casey faced in her 4 years at Miami, one thing was always certain; she was always smiling. The larger the smile, the more determined she was to win. Even if it meant choking back a tear from being injured during a game or in anger at something said, her smile let everyone know that she was coming back 100%. Casey Younger was a highly dedicated, devoted, and positive player. As a student, she received Academic All American status every year she competed. Her love of the sport and Miami University Water Polo from the time she was a sophomore in High School will never be forgotten as Casey Younger is welcomed into our Hall of Fame.

2002 - 2005 - In 2001, Hillary was graduating from Talawanda High School in Oxford, Ohio. She was a local swimmer who had never played water polo. Coach Reisenfeld watched her grow up through high school on the local club teams. After one swimming practice, Coach asked her brother, Steve, if his sister might be interested in trying water polo. Not only did Hillary try, she became the one of the most dedicated and hard working players in team history. She played in the field her freshman year and enjoyed really it, but there was a huge void to be filled at the goalie position. Hillary took the spot and much more. She not only accepted the challenge of learning to be a goalie, but became one of the best goalies in the country at the club level by her graduation in 2005. Without question, Hillary was the best women’s goalie to date for Miami, and was granted First Team All Conference awards in 2004 and 2005. She was recognized as the best goalie at the 2005 Florida State Invitational and as an All American the same year. Hillary also earned Academic All American honors from 2002 – 2005. It is rare that a player can come into this sport and achieve such great honors in such a short period of time. With only 4 years of play, Hillary’s accomplishments can be only viewed as outstanding. It did not come easily, but with her passion for the sport, dedication, commitment, and hard work she was able to accomplish many of her goals. All Miami opponents knew that scoring was not going to be easy. In her 3 years in the goal, her goals-against statistic was under 5 per game and she averaged 8 saves per game. Hillary never blamed her teammates when goals were scored; she took it personally if one went by, even if she was alone against 3 offensive attackers. She played with pride and set a wonderful example to follow for her teammates and opponents. An obvious inductee into the Hall of Fame, Miami Water Polo can only hope to have more players follow the examples set by Hillary Robnick.

2002 - 2005 - In the fall of September, 2002, Morgan Kautz visited a men’s practice to meet Coach Reisenfeld. She expressed her intent and desire to play water polo, but had a small problem. She was a varsity swimmer at Miami and could not effectively join the team each season until mid to late February. Miami accepts all players and would certainly allow Morgan to finish up with her swimming commitment before coming to the team. Although she swam varsity, Morgan Kautz became one of the most rewarded players in Miami history. She received First Team All Conference awards in all 4 years she played and was selected to the 2nd All Tournament team at the National Championships in 2003 and the 1st All Tournament team in 2004 and 2005. Morgan also received the MVP award for the Midwest Division in 2003. Another of her achievements occurred in 2002 when the team visited Miami, Florida for Spring Break. Determined to win a $100 prize, Morgan entered and won the 2002 Jell-O Wrestling Championship in Ft. Lauderdale. That stated, Morgan was without question one of the most dominant 2 meter defenders in the entire CWPA (Collegiate Water Polo Association). Her speed and strength was extraordinary and her denial of allowing the ball to go to the player she defended was equally outstanding. Morgan was also the team’s swim off specialist and won over 90% of these over her career. Her power and play will certainly be missed by Miami and the competition will be relieved to see that she is not there to contend with after 4 years of watching her deny and steal passes. A proud member of Miami Water Polo and a deserving member of the Hall of Fame, Morgan Kautz can be considered one of the best players to have worn the red “M” in team history.

2002 - 2006 - Carmen decidied to wait an extra year before she took her place in the Miami Water Polo Hall of Fame. She stayed to complete her degree with a Master's Degree in Finance. Her wonderful disposition, kindness, and attitude towards the sport, her team, and the way she always finds the positive outlook in all aspects of her life, made the Miami program grow and maintain the level of competitiveness and dedication established since the beginning years in 1996. Carmen already had the most goals scored in Miami's history after her Senior year in 2005, but with the 5th season added, she finished with 568 total goals. Not only was Carmen an offensive standout, but her teammates would describe any good defensive play by another player as that person having "Carmen arms." Along with the 568 goals in her career, Carmen had 436 steals, which also is a club record. She was elected to the Midwest All-Conference team in all 5 seasons she competed and was awarded honors on the first team All- Tourament at Nationals in 2006. She was also recognized as an Academic All - American every season at Miami and as a First Team All - American in the CWPA in 2006. In recognition of all of her personal and team accomplshments, Carmen was recognized as the 2006 CWPA Player of the Year. Joining the team and attending Miami with her twin sister and fellow Hall of Famer, Casey, the Younger family will be hopefully someday be imitated, but will never be duplicated. Mary and Bob Younger made sure that at least one of them attended every tournament. Mary would be the first parent to introduce herself to all new Miami families, and Youngers genuinely cared about all of the Miami families. Thankfully the wonderfull brownie recipes were handed down, but they will never be the same. All of the Miami family can certainly understand how both Younger girls were inducted into the Hall of Fame, and it is a testiment to family's devotion, dedication, talent and hard work. Carmen missed practices on such a seldom basis, and her sister was right there with her for the first 4 seasons. It was a very difficult situation for Carmen to not see Casey across the pool or passing the ball in practices and during games, but she clearly was so happy to be able to play a 5th season, that she did not faulter in her commitment to the club and the sport. It is not all of her accomplishments in the games that puts Carmen Younger in a special place in the Miami club's history. The simple fact that Carmen was the teammate that brought the level of play of every player around her up to a higher level. To ever see her without a smile on her face and a positive outlook, no matter what circumstances confronted her or the team, would be considered a very bad day. That day never came for all 5 of her seasons. Carmen loved the team, her teammates, and has a true devotion to the sport and Miami Water Polo. From the spring breaks on the beach in Florida, to winning 4 consecutive Midwest Championships, to a 6th place at Nationals in 2003 and 2004, to a 4th place finish at Nationals in 2005 and 2006, to a private team graduation on the shore of Lake Michigan with all of our Miami family, Carmen Younger personifies the Miami program and sets an example to follow for all Miami players for years to come. For those that coached and played along side this great player, teammate, and friend, Carmen Younger defines the kind of person and player that belongs in the Miami Water Polo Hall of Fame.