TEMPE – Sun Devil Water Polo and head coach Petra Pardi announced the signing of six new faces among the class of 2024 as the program welcomes ten new faces this upcoming season and brings back six seniors ahead of the 2024 season.
The group of six is represented by Hannah McClaskey, Karly Frangieh, Itziar Almeda, Leila Meraz, Margot Chammas and Keri Glad.
After bringing in nine freshmen the year before, the coaching staff adds more youth to the program that can make an instant impact in the pool from day one.
Hannah McClaskey (Santa Margarita, California/Attacker)
Hannah McClaskey is a fierce attacker out of Santa Margarita High School where she was recently named 2023 Offensive Player of the Year along with being named Division 1 First Team ALL CIF in March as a junior where her team went 18-12 and became CIF Champions (Division 1). She added to her accolades by being named on the second-team All-League list, one of three teammates to earn the honor. The California native was a member of the 2022 Youth National Team and took part in Greece Training Camp. The versatile attacker also is a 2022 Junior Olympics Champion and is also a member of SET Water Polo Club, the same club that current freshman Gabby Gaetano competed at.
Karly Frangieh (Los Gatos, Calif./Attacker)
The sister of current sophomore Zoe Frangieh comes from Los Gato High School and played alongside her sister in the 2021-22 season, going 25-3. This past senior year she was named team captain of her varsity team, going 23-3 and becoming league champions in all four years of competing with the team. In her final two seasons, she compiled 174 goals, named to First-Team CCS, making the CIF Semi-Finals her junior year. While also competing in water polo, she was a multi-sport athlete competing in swim and dive for Los Gatos, earning MVP her junior year and holding two school records in the 100 and 200 free. She's a member of the West Valley Water Polo club and earned Rookie of the Year honors in her freshman year.
Itziar Almeda (Barcelona, Spain/Attacker)
Itziar Almeda has been a member of the Mediteranni Club the last two years and has also spent time competing for her country, earning silver at the European Championships as part of the U17 Spanish National Team earlier this year. Almeda also competed at the FINA World Women's U16 Water Polo Championships where Spain took bronze, netting a game-high four goals in the bronze medal match.
Keri Glad (West Lynn, Oregon/Goalie)
Standing strong as a goalkeeper out of Orange Lutheran, Keri Glad is part of 6-8 academy where shes part of the high performance water polo training program in preparation for collegiate water polo. Glad was recently a member of the U17 Youth National Team that achieved gold at the Pan-American games where she blocked four saves in the gold medal match. She is also part of SOCAL Water Polo, a club that's developed hundreds of water polo athletes over the last 20 years.
Margot Chammas (El Cajon. California./Attacker)
Coming out of Valhalla High School she's obtained many accolades including being her teams most valuable player this past 2023 season, leading her team to CIF Water Polo's D1 Runner Up. Including her excellence in the pool, she's a multi-sport athlete competing in Triathlon and golf, earning Valhalla's golf rookie of the year honor in 2023. This past year she was part of Team USA's Water Polo Academic All-American list who boasted a GPA of 3.5 or higher. In 2022 she earned her team's most improved award while also competing with the San Diego Shorts 18U Club team.
Leila Meraz (Davis,California/Attacker)
Leila Meraz comes out of Davis Senior High School being part of her school's water polo team since her sophomore year, recently she leads the team with 100 goals, 74 steals and is second on the team with 48 assists. She's currently ranked fifth in goals, and fifth in points in the section according to MaxPreps. In her junior year she won the CIF Sac Joaquin Section championship and led the team in steals, second in assists and third on the team in goals. She helped lead the team to 30 wins her sophomore season and was chosen as First-Team All Delta Valley Conference and CIF Sac Joaquin All-Section Team in 2021 and 2022. Meraz is part of Diablo Water Polo Club, a USA Water Polo Academic All-American and a multi-sport athlete playing basketball, competing in swimming and soccer.
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Continue following Sun Devil Water Polo on Twitter/X, Instagram and Facebook ahead of the 2024 season @SunDevilWP for coverage of the team.
The group of six is represented by Hannah McClaskey, Karly Frangieh, Itziar Almeda, Leila Meraz, Margot Chammas and Keri Glad.
After bringing in nine freshmen the year before, the coaching staff adds more youth to the program that can make an instant impact in the pool from day one.
Signed and sealed ??
— Sun Devil Water Polo (@SunDevilWP) December 12, 2023
Welcoming the class of 2024 with our six signees! ??#ForksUp /// #O2V pic.twitter.com/UAIaqUPznH
Hannah McClaskey (Santa Margarita, California/Attacker)
Hannah McClaskey is a fierce attacker out of Santa Margarita High School where she was recently named 2023 Offensive Player of the Year along with being named Division 1 First Team ALL CIF in March as a junior where her team went 18-12 and became CIF Champions (Division 1). She added to her accolades by being named on the second-team All-League list, one of three teammates to earn the honor. The California native was a member of the 2022 Youth National Team and took part in Greece Training Camp. The versatile attacker also is a 2022 Junior Olympics Champion and is also a member of SET Water Polo Club, the same club that current freshman Gabby Gaetano competed at.
Karly Frangieh (Los Gatos, Calif./Attacker)
The sister of current sophomore Zoe Frangieh comes from Los Gato High School and played alongside her sister in the 2021-22 season, going 25-3. This past senior year she was named team captain of her varsity team, going 23-3 and becoming league champions in all four years of competing with the team. In her final two seasons, she compiled 174 goals, named to First-Team CCS, making the CIF Semi-Finals her junior year. While also competing in water polo, she was a multi-sport athlete competing in swim and dive for Los Gatos, earning MVP her junior year and holding two school records in the 100 and 200 free. She's a member of the West Valley Water Polo club and earned Rookie of the Year honors in her freshman year.
Itziar Almeda (Barcelona, Spain/Attacker)
Itziar Almeda has been a member of the Mediteranni Club the last two years and has also spent time competing for her country, earning silver at the European Championships as part of the U17 Spanish National Team earlier this year. Almeda also competed at the FINA World Women's U16 Water Polo Championships where Spain took bronze, netting a game-high four goals in the bronze medal match.
Keri Glad (West Lynn, Oregon/Goalie)
Standing strong as a goalkeeper out of Orange Lutheran, Keri Glad is part of 6-8 academy where shes part of the high performance water polo training program in preparation for collegiate water polo. Glad was recently a member of the U17 Youth National Team that achieved gold at the Pan-American games where she blocked four saves in the gold medal match. She is also part of SOCAL Water Polo, a club that's developed hundreds of water polo athletes over the last 20 years.
Margot Chammas (El Cajon. California./Attacker)
Coming out of Valhalla High School she's obtained many accolades including being her teams most valuable player this past 2023 season, leading her team to CIF Water Polo's D1 Runner Up. Including her excellence in the pool, she's a multi-sport athlete competing in Triathlon and golf, earning Valhalla's golf rookie of the year honor in 2023. This past year she was part of Team USA's Water Polo Academic All-American list who boasted a GPA of 3.5 or higher. In 2022 she earned her team's most improved award while also competing with the San Diego Shorts 18U Club team.
Leila Meraz (Davis,California/Attacker)
Leila Meraz comes out of Davis Senior High School being part of her school's water polo team since her sophomore year, recently she leads the team with 100 goals, 74 steals and is second on the team with 48 assists. She's currently ranked fifth in goals, and fifth in points in the section according to MaxPreps. In her junior year she won the CIF Sac Joaquin Section championship and led the team in steals, second in assists and third on the team in goals. She helped lead the team to 30 wins her sophomore season and was chosen as First-Team All Delta Valley Conference and CIF Sac Joaquin All-Section Team in 2021 and 2022. Meraz is part of Diablo Water Polo Club, a USA Water Polo Academic All-American and a multi-sport athlete playing basketball, competing in swimming and soccer.
FOLLOW ON SOCIALS:
Continue following Sun Devil Water Polo on Twitter/X, Instagram and Facebook ahead of the 2024 season @SunDevilWP for coverage of the team.