Xavier Prep's Niamh Cooper and Maggie Benson headline 2023 All-DEL girls' water polo team

Andrew L. John, Palm Springs Desert Sun
·1 min read
Xavier Prep's Niamh Cooper (10) passes the ball during the first quarter of their game at the Palm Desert Aquatic Center in Palm Desert, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023.
Xavier Prep's Niamh Cooper (10) passes the ball during the first quarter of their game at the Palm Desert Aquatic Center in Palm Desert, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023.

Maggie Benson and Niamh Cooper of Xavier Prep were named co-players of the year in the Desert Empire League for the winter water polo season, headlining an all-league squad that recognized a number of Saints.

Joining Benson and Cooper as first-team selections were teammates Olivia Kim, Daisy Armstrong and Lauren Thoman.

Other players named to the first team include Palm Desert’s Karly Kovaleff and Samantha Schuessler, Indio’s Mia Buelena, Reece Speer of Palm Springs and Kamryn Mercado of La Quinta.

Players named to the all-league second team were Abby Eldridge and Gabby Elbaz of Xavier Prep, Nadia Frutkin and Holly Thomas of Palm Desert, Izzy Roman of Cathedral City, Destiny Garcia of Rancho Mirage, Arianna Osuna from Indio, Kay Pivonka and Paloma Alvarez from Palm Springs and Leyna Jaster from La Quinta.

Honorable mentions included Xavier Prep’s Witney Benson and Madie Quaid, Palm Desert’s Hayden Trent and Maggy Jahries, Cathedral City’s Valencia Hernandez and Gemma Garcia, Jennifer Rawlings and Bella Williams of Palm Springs, Sienna Rodriguez and Sophia Munoz of Indio and Eliana Padrón and Adeline Valenzuela of La Quinta.

The first and second teams and honorable mentions were compiled by league coaches.

Maggie Benson of Xavier Prep shoots and scores against Palm Desert in the Desert Empire League title match in Cathedral City, Calif., Feb. 2, 2023.
Maggie Benson of Xavier Prep shoots and scores against Palm Desert in the Desert Empire League title match in Cathedral City, Calif., Feb. 2, 2023.

Benson was the lone player from the league to earn All-CIF honors. She received the recognition for her play in the Division 4 playoffs.

[Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that La Quinta took third place in the DEL instead of Palm Springs. We regret this error.]

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: 2023 All-DEL girls' water polo: Niamh Cooper and Maggie Benson headline