College Update: Crescenta Valley water polo products excelling at next level

The following are updates on local athletes at the collegiate level.

Sabrina Hatzer (Crescenta Valley High, 2012) Cal State East Bay water polo senior: Having racked up honors at Crescenta Valley as a former News-Press Girls’ Athlete of the Year and then at L.A. Valley College, Hatzer is well on her way to another terrific season at Cal State East Bay.

Heading into Friday night’s match at UC San Diego, Hatzer led CSUEB with 10 assists and nine steals. She also had two goals.

Hatzer had a match-high four steals to go along with one assist in East Bay’s last action, which was a 14-10 loss to Santa Clara on Feb. 6.

The Pioneers were 2-2 heading into Friday.

Shannon Hovanesian (Crescenta Valley High, 2014) Cal State Northridge water polo sophomore: A valuable contributor as a freshman, Hovanesian is again one of CSUN’s key players.

Through six games, the Matadors are 3-3 with Hovanesian having scored five goals (tied for third on the team), while tying for the team lead in assists (nine) and steals (12). Hovanesian’s 15 drawn ejections are also tops on the team.

The Matadors’ last action was Jan. 30 at the Cal Baptist Tournament in which they defeated Pomona-Pitzer, 13-5, and Concordia, 16-7. Hovanesian, who helped Crescenta Valley win its only CIF championship in 2013, had a goal in the Concordia win.

CSUN returns to action Saturday at UC San Diego for the Triton Invitational with games against UC Davis and then Long Beach State or UC Irvine. The tournament concludes Sunday.

Katie Benson (Crescenta Valley High, 2013) Cal State Bakersfield water polo junior: Another member of the Falcons’ 2013 CIF Southern Section Division V championship squad, Benson is leading CSUB with 10 steals through 10 games.

Benson, who also has two goals and an assist on the season, and the Roadrunners own a 3-7 record as they resume play Saturday in the UC Davis Shoot-Out against host UC Davis. Bakersfield’s been off since Jan. 30, when it went 1-1 in the Cal Baptist Tournament.

Kyle Leufroy (St. Francis High) Lehigh basketball freshman: The 2014 All-Area Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year is making his mark at Lehigh from the get-go.

Leufroy, who led St. Francis to a CIF championship appearance before transferring to Benicia High, is getting more than 28 minutes a game over 24 games played with 10.7 points per contest to go along with four rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 steals. He’s shooting 81% from the free throw line (44 for 54), 47% from the field (91 for 193) and 43% from the three-point line (31 of 73).

Leufroy, who’s started 15 games, is the team’s most accurate three-point shooter, with his 31 makes the third-most on the team.

In Lehigh’s latest game, an 80-65 Patriot League win at Bucknell on Wednesday, Leufroy had 12 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Bucknell was also the recipient of Leufroy’s season-high 23 points on Jan. 11. He added a season-high four steals in that game, which served as the fourth of five straight games in which Leufroy scored in double-digits (20 points, 10, 14, 23 and 13).

Lehigh is currently 10-14 with an 8-5 mark inside the Patriot League and has won four consecutive games heading into Monday’s home game against Holy Cross.

Kareem Ismail (Flintridge Prep, 2013) Macalester College basketball junior: As has been the case each season at Macalester for Ismail, he’s a big contributor scoring and rebounding for the Scots.

The only Scot to have started all 23 of the team’s games, Ismail is leading the team with 14.3 points per game and 5.6 rebounds. His 27 blocks are also a team-high and he’s averaging 1.7 assists and has 16 steals.

The 6-foot-5 junior center had arguably his best game of the season in a 79-74 loss on Jan. 16 against Concordia M’head with 21 points, a season-high 14 rebounds, three blocks and three steals. Ismail turned in a season-high 25 points on Jan. 30 against Gustavus Adolphus as one of the five times this season in which he’s eclipsed the 20-point mark.

The Scots are just 3-20 on the season, however, with a 1-17 tally inside the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Two games remain in the season as Macalester looks to end its 14-game losing skid on Wednesday in its home finale against Augsburg College.