Aniko Pelle
Encyclopedia
Anikó Pelle is an international water polo
player from Hungary
, who played for the University of Southern California
from 1999 to 2002, and on the Hungarian National Team in the 2004 Summer Olympics
in Athens, Greece. In 2000, Pelle received the Peter J. Cutino Award
as the nation's top women's collegiate water polo player.
Aniko Pelle was USC
's top offensive threat as a 1999 freshman, scoring a team-high 52 goals, leading to All-America
honors. With a 3.44 GPA, Pelle made the 1999 American Water Polo Coaches Association All-Academic team. After recording a team-leading 64 goals as a sophomore in 2000, she earned the Peter J. Cutino Award as the nation's top female water polo player. In her 2001 junior season, she was second on the team with 81 goals and again earned All-America honors. Pelle set a school record at USC as a 2002 senior with 254 career goals. Pelle graduated from USC with a degree in business.
Pelle has played with the Hungarian National Team since 1995, with various club teams in Europe, and participated in several FINA
World and European Championships. She has placed second twice and third three times at the Hungarian Championships, and was the top scorer in 1998. Pelle's 13 tournament goals, 3 in the final game, led her Hungarian National Team to the gold medal
at the women's 2005 World Water Polo Championship in Montreal, Canada.
Aniko Pelle was among the first of an increasing number of international players competing in U.S. collegiate women's water polo. Because of water polo's increased popularity globally, the influence of international coaches like USC's Jovan Vavic (of the former Yugoslavia) and Canadian Michel Roy at Hawaii
, and the perks of attending an American college, international players are attracted to the premier US colleges. She is friends with former U.S. Olympic team member and silver medalist, Bernice Orwig.
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
player from Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, who played for the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
from 1999 to 2002, and on the Hungarian National Team in the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in Athens, Greece. In 2000, Pelle received the Peter J. Cutino Award
Peter J. Cutino Award
The Peter J. Cutino Award, named after former college water polo player and UC Berkeley coach Peter J. Cutino, is considered the most prestigious individual award in American collegiate water polo...
as the nation's top women's collegiate water polo player.
Aniko Pelle was USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
's top offensive threat as a 1999 freshman, scoring a team-high 52 goals, leading to All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
honors. With a 3.44 GPA, Pelle made the 1999 American Water Polo Coaches Association All-Academic team. After recording a team-leading 64 goals as a sophomore in 2000, she earned the Peter J. Cutino Award as the nation's top female water polo player. In her 2001 junior season, she was second on the team with 81 goals and again earned All-America honors. Pelle set a school record at USC as a 2002 senior with 254 career goals. Pelle graduated from USC with a degree in business.
Pelle has played with the Hungarian National Team since 1995, with various club teams in Europe, and participated in several FINA
Fina
Fina may refer to:*Fina, a character in the Skies of Arcadia video game*FINA, the International Swimming Federation*FINA, the North American Forum on Integration...
World and European Championships. She has placed second twice and third three times at the Hungarian Championships, and was the top scorer in 1998. Pelle's 13 tournament goals, 3 in the final game, led her Hungarian National Team to the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
at the women's 2005 World Water Polo Championship in Montreal, Canada.
Aniko Pelle was among the first of an increasing number of international players competing in U.S. collegiate women's water polo. Because of water polo's increased popularity globally, the influence of international coaches like USC's Jovan Vavic (of the former Yugoslavia) and Canadian Michel Roy at Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
, and the perks of attending an American college, international players are attracted to the premier US colleges. She is friends with former U.S. Olympic team member and silver medalist, Bernice Orwig.