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Posted on Fri, May 13, 2011 : 8:35 a.m.

NCAA women's water polo championships a homecoming for Ann Arbor native/Dexter grad Kelsey Schultz

By Pete Cunningham

Kelsey Schultz left Ann Arbor for California in 2008 to play water polo at the highest level. Three years later, the junior utility player for the University of California San Diego is returning home to compete in the NCAA championships.

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Kelsey Schultz

After upsetting No. 8 ranked Loyola Marymount to win the Western Water Polo Association championship last weekend, Schultz and the unranked 17-18 Tritons earned an automatic berth in the three-day national tournament at the University of Michigan's Canham Natatorium that starts today.

“It’s pretty surreal winning our conference in general and being able to be in the championship tournament is pretty amazing in its own right,” Schultz said. “The fact that I get to come home is a bonus for me.”

Every player on the UCSD roster -- besides Schultz and a teammate from Hawaii -- is from California. This weekend, Schultz will play host for a change. She plans on taking her teammates to Zingerman’s Deli and - though she might do it with more of a West Coast accent now -- will be able to order a “pop” without getting funny looks from West Coasters accustomed to ordering soda.

Schultz is also looking forward to hosting a team dinner for the first time since high school.

“I’m looking forward to my dad’s food, and all the families getting to see where I grew up,” said Schultz.

Schultz grew up in Ann Arbor, but was in the Dexter Community Schools district. A 2008 graduate of Dexter High School, she always wanted to head west for school and sent her playing resume out to several California schools. When former UCSD coach Larry Sanders recruited her to play for the Tritons, it was love at first visit.

The water polo world is a California-centric sport -- six of the eight teams at this weekend’s tournament are from the golden state -- and Schultz said initially she felt like the outsider looking in.

“The water polo world in California is tight knit, everyone knows who everyone is, so I felt a little out of place at first,” Schultz said. “But everyone was so welcoming, and I got acclimated to it.”

Two major beneficiaries of the NCAA Tournament being in Ann Arbor this weekend are Schultz’s parents, Sheri and Robert, who try to make it out west for a game once or twice year. They’ll finally get to see their daughter play this weekend without having to spend hundreds on airfare.

“And they get to see three games which is pretty awesome for them,” Schultz said.

The No. 7 seeded Tritons take on No. 2 seeded California (26-4) on Friday at 3 p.m. Click here for a complete schedule.

RE-‘LAX’-ING

Huron alum David Monroe was named the Midwest Lacrosse Conference offensive player of the week last week after scoring six goals and dishing out four assists to help the Adrian College men’s lacrosse team to the MLC Tournament championship. The win put the Bulldogs into the Division III national tournament for the first time in program history.

Monroe, a junior, scored a goal and had an assist on Wednesday in Adrian’s opening-round game. Despite his efforts, the Bulldogs’ postseason appearance was short-lived as they lost to Wittenberg, 8-7, in overtime.

Monroe led the Bulldogs in goals (44) and points (75) and was second on the team in assists (31).

RESURFACING RHODES

After red-shirting his freshman year at Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti alum Jacob Rhodes decided to go the junior college route and enrolled at Wabash Valley College, a junior college in Illinois. Rhodes earned All-America status as a sophomore at Wabash and compiled 141 RBIs and 17 home runs while hitting .400 or better in each of his two seasons.

This year Rhodes -- the 2007 Ann Arbor News player of the year -- is giving the Division I ranks another go and is making the most of it, hitting .340 for Murray State of the Ohio Valley Conference.

Rhodes has the second most hits (53), home runs (3), and third most RBIs (29) on the team. The junior catcher also has the second best fielding percentage on the team with .987. The week of April 4th, Rhodes was the OVC player of the week after hitting .615 and driving in eight runs over four games.

LAKER LAURELS

Pioneer alum Katie Martin was named to the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference first team last week after having one of the best offensive seasons in Grand Valley State University history. Martin led the GLIAC in home runs (19), batting average (.488), hits (79), RBI (59), doubles (16), total bases (154), on-base percentage (.568), and slugging percentage (.951). During the regular season. She leads Division II in home runs with 20.

Martin will lead the Lakers (38-14) in their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2007 this weekend at the Midwest Region at Grand Valley.

MARCHILDON MARCHES ON

Lewis University freshman and 2010 Lincoln High School graduate Megan Marchildon won the heptathlon at the Great Lakes Valley Conference outdoor track and field championships last weekend.

STEADY EDDY

Pioneer alum Nate Eddy helped the Kalamazoo College men's tennis team win Michigan Independent Athletic Association championship and was named conference MVP. Eddy and the Hornets earned an automatic berth in the Division III NCAA Tournament this weekend with the win.

Know of a local athlete succeeding at the college level? Tell us about it by emailing petercunningham@annarbor.com.