Women’s Water Polo: Warde named UCI’s top student-athlete.

UC Irvine senior women’s water polo star Danielle Warde was among 18 campus luminaries honored at the 45th annual Lauds & Laurels ceremony sponsored by the UCI Alumni Assn.

Warde, a three-time All-American and four-time All-Big West Conference honoree, was recognized at the banquet as UCI’s Outstanding Student-Athlete. She was among 18 campus faculty, staff, and students who were honored.

Warde captained the Anteaters to a No. 5 national ranking in the final poll, the highest for the program, and a fifth-place finish in the NCAA Tournament last month.

Since 1971, the UCI Alumni Assn. and its board of directors has presented Lauds & Laurels, the association’s highest honor, at a formal ceremony each spring. Lauds & Laurels is the university’s oldest awards ceremony, a tradition that has recognized more than 750 members of the UCI community for their service to the university, the community or their profession.

The Outstanding Student-Athlete award recognizes a student-athlete who has excelled academically, participated in and made significant contributions to their sport and/or team and exhibited outstanding sportsmanship.

A humbled Warde reflected on the ceremony. “I’m honored to have been surrounded by such an incredible group of individuals, and was honored to have received such a prestigious award, especially to be recognized for academics,” she said.

— From staff reports