12/30/2003 - Men's Water Polo
Navy Water Polo's Joe Donahue Named Third-Team All-America

Senior Joe Donahue was named Third-Team All-America.

NORRISTOWN, Pa. - Navy water polo senior Joe Donahue (Annapolis, Md.) was named Third-Team All-America by the American Water Polo Coaches Association last week to become the 11th All-American in school history.

"Joe is very deserving of this award, and I'm sure he'd be the first to say it is a reflection of what all his teammates worked so hard to accomplish this season," Navy head coach Mike Schofield said. "Joe and his senior classmates Paul Kepner (Newport Beach, Calif.), Bill Miante (Annapolis, Md.) and Tim Fox (La Jolla, Calif.) did a great job leading our team this year, and will leave here as the only players in our program's history to play in two NCAA Final Fours. I think that speaks for itself."

This is the fifth-straight season a member of the Navy water polo team has earned All-America honors. Jason Pace was honored in 1999 followed by Sean Foster in 2000 and then standout goalie Nick Hill from 2000-02.

Donahue, who was named the Most Valuable Player at the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Eastern Championship and First-Team All-Southern Division, helped lead Navy to its first appearance in the NCAA Final Four since 2000 with an 8-6 win over Princeton in the Eastern Championship game. At the NCAA Final Four, he was voted Second-Team All-Tournament after netting three goals with an assist against Loyola Marymount.

Donahue scored a team-high 56 goals this season to go along with 20 assists and 37 steals. The two-time First-Team All-East selection finishes his stellar career with 218 goals, 83 assists and 176 steals.

Other players from the CWPA to earn All-America honors were Chris Przekota (Iona) and Peter Sabbatini (Princeton), who were third-team selections, while Gergely Fabian (St. Francis), Mikhail Klochkov (Queens) and John Stover (Princeton) all garnered honorable-mention honors.