Pioneer Athletics Hall of Fame
Elise Wilhelmsen is the first women’s water polo player ever inducted into the Pioneer Athletics Hall of Fame. A Milpitas native, she competed for two seasons as the team’s starting goalkeeper and still ranks fourth in school history with 657 career saves. After leading the Pioneers to fourth place at the 2007 Collegiate III National Championship tournament as a junior, Wilhelmsen returned the following year for her senior season and helped Cal State East Bay reach the pinnacle of its sport. In 2008, she earned First Team All-America honors, captained the Pioneers to a 19-13 overall record, and led CSUEB to its first national championship in program history. In the national title game, Wilhelmsen held defending champion Cal Lutheran scoreless through the third and fourth overtime periods to help East Bay claim a thrilling 7-6 victory. She was subsequently named Most Valuable Player of the national championship tournament.
