BRIDGEPORT, Pa. – The Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) named McKendree graduate student utility players Michael Rojas (Cali, Colombia/Salem University) and Uros Pelemis (Belgrade, Serbia/Fresno Pacific) to its 2021 Division II All-American Team, on Wednesday. Rojas garnered first team honors, while Pelemis was named an honorable mention selection.
 
With his honor, Rojas becomes the third Bearcat men's water polo player to earn First-Team ACWPC All-American honors, while Pelemis is the third Bearcat to earn Honorable Mention All-American honors.
 
Rojas, who was also named a First-Team MAWPC All-Conference selection this season, earns his first team All-American honor after scoring 24 goals and recording 19 assists for a total of 43 points and tallying a .453 shooting percentage in 20 games played. His 24 goals were fourth most on the team, while his 19 assists were a team high.
 
With his first team All-American honor, Rojas joins fifth-year senior Matthew Haygood (Chino Hills, Calif./Chino Hills) and Joseph Mahan as McKendree's all-time ACWPC All-Americans. Haygood was a first team selection in 2019 and Mahan earned honors in 2018.
 
Meanwhile, Pelemis was tabbed an Honorable Mention All-American after scoring a team-best 47 goals and adding two assists for 49 points. Additionally, Pelemis recorded a .516 shooting percentage and had seven steals in 20 games played for the Bearcats.
 
Pelemis is the third different Bearcat to earn honorable mention honors as Haygood was recognized in 2020 and Mahan was tabbed in 2019.
 
Along with releasing the 2021 ACWPC Division II All-American Teams, the ACWPC also announced its individual award winners as Fresno Pacific's Bodhi Bowden was named the Player of the Year, while Gannon's Shane Unger was named the Coach of the Year.
 
Rojas and Pelemis helped lead McKendree posted an 11-9 overall record and went 4-0 in the MAWPC-West Region and claimed its second straight regular season title and fell 15-13 to Gannon (Pa.) in the championship game of the MAWPC-West Region Championships.
 
2021 ACWPC Division II All-America Team
First Team
Clay Maroney (Goalie), Fresno Pacific
Bodhi Bowden, Fresno Pacific
Kenny Wulf, Biola (Calif.) University
Jeff Runyan, Concordia (Calif.) University
Robert Bolmanski, Gannon (Pa.) University
Michael Rojas, McKendree
Jonathan Wong, Ottawa (Ariz.) University
Nikola Krstonosic, Salem (W.Va.) University
 
Honorable Mention
Mitchell Carpenter (Goalie), Biola University
Vlad Mickic, Gannon (Pa.) University
Drago Marjanovic, Gannon (Pa.) University
Thilo Popp, Fresno Pacific
Uros Pelemis, McKendree
Ivan Zivojinovic, Salem University