Coralie Simmons
Encyclopedia
Coralie Denise Simmons is an American water polo
player, who won the silver medal
at the 2000 Summer Olympics
. In 2001, she won the Peter J. Cutino Award
, presented annually to the top American collegiate water polo player. Simmons is currently the women's water polo coach at Sonoma State University
.
Simmons joined other UCLA Bruins
, Natalie Golda
(2005), Kelly Rulon
(2007), and Courtney Mathewson
(2008), as the school's four woman Peter J. Cutino Award
winners, all coached by Adam Krikorian
. She was also named as an assistant coach to the USA Water Polo Women’s Senior National Team
for the 2009 FINA World Championships.
At Hemet High School, Simmons was girls' water polo team captain and Outstanding Defensive Player for her senior year in 1994. She also lettered
four years in varsity
swimming, received four-time team MVP and two-time league champions. In 1995, Simmons set a California Interscholastic Federation
(CIF) record in 100 breaststroke
and 100 freestyle
, and was recognized as CIF Outstanding Female Swimmer. Coralie Simmons played three years in soccer under coach and mother Debbie Simmons.
Coralie Simmons was a two-time National Player of the Year at UCLA. In her final season with the Bruins
in 2001, UCLA captured its fourth national title in the inaugural NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship
. Simmons scored with just 1:28 remaining in the final period to give the Bruins a 5-4 win, and was named the tournament MVP. She owns three of UCLA’s four offensive records in women's water polo, including career and season goals.
In June 2001, Simmons graduated from UCLA with a degree in geography
and environmental studies
.
UCLA Career Scoring
(*school record)
From 2001-2005, Simmons played for two different professional water polo teams in Athens, Greece. Her squads won three Greek Championships and one European Cup. In 2005, Coralie Simmons began her first year as an assistant coach on the University of Hawaii
water polo staff.
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, who won the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Water polo at the 2000 Summer Olympics
The water polo competition at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia saw Hungary’s return to the gold medal platform and the introduction of the women’s tournament...
. In 2001, she won 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...
, presented annually to the top American collegiate water polo player. Simmons is currently the women's water polo coach at Sonoma State University
Sonoma State University
Sonoma State University is a public, coeducational business and liberal arts college affiliated with the California State University system. The main campus is located in Rohnert Park, California, United States and lies approximately south of Santa Rosa and north of San Francisco...
.
Simmons joined other UCLA Bruins
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...
, Natalie Golda
Natalie Golda
Natalie Golda is an American water polo player. Considered one of the greatest women's water polo players of all time, her senior leadership helped guide the 2005 UCLA Bruins to their seventh national championship. In May 2005 Golda received the Peter J...
(2005), Kelly Rulon
Kelly Rulon
Kelly Rulon is an American water polo player for the UCLA Bruins and the US National Team, who won the bronze medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics...
(2007), and Courtney Mathewson
Courtney Mathewson
Courtney Mathewson was born September 14, 1986. in Orange, California. She played water polo for the University of California, Los Angeles Bruins during their four-consecutive NCAA National Champion Women's Water Polo championships, and was named to the All-Tournament first team...
(2008), as the school's four woman 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...
winners, all coached by Adam Krikorian
Adam Krikorian
Adam Krikorian is the water polo head coach for UCLA. He has won 14 national championships as player, assistant coach and head coach. And on March 27, 2009, he was named the head coach of the USA Women’s National Team...
. She was also named as an assistant coach to the USA Water Polo Women’s Senior National Team
United States women's national water polo team
The United States women's national water polo team represents the United States in international women's water polo competitions and friendly matches. It is one of the leading teams in the world since the late 1990s....
for the 2009 FINA World Championships.
National
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
four years in varsity
Varsity team
In the United States and Canada, varsity sports teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against the principal athletic teams at other colleges/universities, or in the case of secondary schools, against...
swimming, received four-time team MVP and two-time league champions. In 1995, Simmons set a California Interscholastic Federation
California Interscholastic Federation
The California Interscholastic Federation is the governing body for high school sports in the state of California. It mirrors similar governing bodies in other states; however, it differs from some of the others in that it covers most high schools in the state of California, both public and...
(CIF) record in 100 breaststroke
Breaststroke
The breaststroke is a swimming style in which the swimmer is on his or her chest and the torso does not rotate. It is the most popular recreational style due to its stability and the ability to keep the head out of the water a large portion of the time. In most swimming classes, beginners learn...
and 100 freestyle
Freestyle swimming
Freestyle is an unregulated swimming style used in swimming competitions according to the rules of FINA. The front crawl stroke is almost universally used during a freestyle race, as this style is generally the fastest...
, and was recognized as CIF Outstanding Female Swimmer. Coralie Simmons played three years in soccer under coach and mother Debbie Simmons.
Coralie Simmons was a two-time National Player of the Year at UCLA. In her final season with the Bruins
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...
in 2001, UCLA captured its fourth national title in the inaugural NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship
NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship
The NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship has existed since the 2001 season. Three conferences have teams competing in women's water polo, the Collegiate Water Polo Association, the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference...
. Simmons scored with just 1:28 remaining in the final period to give the Bruins a 5-4 win, and was named the tournament MVP. She owns three of UCLA’s four offensive records in women's water polo, including career and season goals.
In June 2001, Simmons graduated from UCLA with a degree in geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
and environmental studies
Environmental studies
Environmental studies is the academic field which systematically studies human interaction with the environment. It is a broad interdisciplinary field of study that includes the natural environment, built environment, and the sets of relationships between them...
.
UCLA Career Scoring
| Year | Goals | Attempts | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 60 | 68 | 88 |
| 1997 | 60 | 91 | 66 |
| 1998 | 74* | 115 | 64 |
| 2001 | 41 | 62 | 66 |
| Totals | 235* | 336 | 70 |
Olympics and international
While still in high school, Simmons was chosen to join the U.S. Senior National team. She redshirted the 1999 and 2000 seasons at UCLA to play on the U.S. Women's National Team, helping the team qualify for the Olympic Games in the qualification tournament in Sicily by scoring a team-leading eight goals. The US women won silver medals at both the Pan-American Games in 1999 and then the Olympics in Sydney in 2000, where Simmons tied for the team lead in scoring with nine goals. In 2001, she took home silver at the 2001 FINA World Water Polo Cup and led the team in scoring.From 2001-2005, Simmons played for two different professional water polo teams in Athens, Greece. Her squads won three Greek Championships and one European Cup. In 2005, Coralie Simmons began her first year as an assistant coach on the University of 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...
water polo staff.