BUDAPEST, Hungary – A pair of Sun Devils, one current and one former student-athlete, were selected to participate in the 17th Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) Water Polo Championships. Senior-to-be Lena Mihailovic and former Sun Devil All-American Rowie Webster (2006) are representing the Aussie Stingers (Team Australia) in the tournament taking place from July 16th-July 28th at the Margaret Island Alfréd Hajós Aquatics Complex in Budapest.
Coming off a breakout junior season where she garnered ACWPC All-American honors, Lena Mihailovic will compete in her first FINA World Championship for the Aussie Stingers. Mihailovic looks to build off a campaign where she scored 45 goals and netted a hat trick in eight games. Mihailovic also played with the Australian team for the Kunshan Cup in China as part of their preparation for the FINA World Championships.
Rowie Webster, two-time Olympian and long-time member of the Australian national team, was named the lone captain of the Aussie Stingers. This will be Webster's fourth FINA World Championship, finishing as high as second in the 2013 Championship in Barcelona. Webster was recently awarded with the Debbie Watson Medal which recognizes the most valuable player in the National Water Polo League. While at Arizona State, Webster scored 63 goals, the sixth highest single-season total in history and the most for a Sun Devil freshman. Webster also holds the freshman record for points in a season with 82 points recorded during the 2016 season.
"ASU and the water polo program is very proud to see Rowie and Lena represent their country on such a premier level," Sun Devil head water polo coach Todd Clapper stated. "Rowie was the first ASU water polo player to go on to make a senior national team for a world champs or Olympic Games. It is exciting that Lena made this team and will be returning to ASU with such valuable experience. In addition to Lena, there are several other returning players that just fell short of making their nation's World Championship squad. It really speaks to the commitment of these athletes and also shows an upward trend of the program at ASU."
Australia joins Russia, Kazakhstan and Greece in Group D. Australia began group play Sunday with a 16-4 victory over Kazakhstan in game one. Rowie Webster led the way for the Stingers with a five-goal performance. Australia moved to 2-0 in group play with an 8-5 victory over Russia in game two of the tournament. Webster tallied another multi-goal game, this time with two goals helping move Australia into first place in Group D. In their third and final game of group play the Aussie Stingers fell to Greece 11-8, finishing second in Group D with a 2-1 record. With the second place finish, Team Australia will move on to the quarter final round beginning July 24th.
The semi-final round starts July 26th while the final round will take place July 28th.
Coming off a breakout junior season where she garnered ACWPC All-American honors, Lena Mihailovic will compete in her first FINA World Championship for the Aussie Stingers. Mihailovic looks to build off a campaign where she scored 45 goals and netted a hat trick in eight games. Mihailovic also played with the Australian team for the Kunshan Cup in China as part of their preparation for the FINA World Championships.
Rowie Webster, two-time Olympian and long-time member of the Australian national team, was named the lone captain of the Aussie Stingers. This will be Webster's fourth FINA World Championship, finishing as high as second in the 2013 Championship in Barcelona. Webster was recently awarded with the Debbie Watson Medal which recognizes the most valuable player in the National Water Polo League. While at Arizona State, Webster scored 63 goals, the sixth highest single-season total in history and the most for a Sun Devil freshman. Webster also holds the freshman record for points in a season with 82 points recorded during the 2016 season.
"ASU and the water polo program is very proud to see Rowie and Lena represent their country on such a premier level," Sun Devil head water polo coach Todd Clapper stated. "Rowie was the first ASU water polo player to go on to make a senior national team for a world champs or Olympic Games. It is exciting that Lena made this team and will be returning to ASU with such valuable experience. In addition to Lena, there are several other returning players that just fell short of making their nation's World Championship squad. It really speaks to the commitment of these athletes and also shows an upward trend of the program at ASU."
Australia joins Russia, Kazakhstan and Greece in Group D. Australia began group play Sunday with a 16-4 victory over Kazakhstan in game one. Rowie Webster led the way for the Stingers with a five-goal performance. Australia moved to 2-0 in group play with an 8-5 victory over Russia in game two of the tournament. Webster tallied another multi-goal game, this time with two goals helping move Australia into first place in Group D. In their third and final game of group play the Aussie Stingers fell to Greece 11-8, finishing second in Group D with a 2-1 record. With the second place finish, Team Australia will move on to the quarter final round beginning July 24th.
The semi-final round starts July 26th while the final round will take place July 28th.