Senior attacker Zach Fales and freshman utility Riccardo De Simon were dubbed All-America Honorable Mention Wednesday by the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches, giving the Santa Clara University men's water polo program multiple All-American honorees for the second consecutive year.
 
The honor is the second in Fales' storied career at Santa Clara after also earning the nod in 2023. De Simon capped his breakout rookie collegiate season with the accolade after landing on the all-West Coast Conference Honorable Mention list and being tabbed the WCC Newcomer of the Week on three separate occasions.
 
Fales closed his SCU career with a standout senior season that saw him named to the all-WCC first team and placed on the prestigious Cutino Award Watch List. He led the team in goals (61), assists (43), and points (104), all career highs, while starting in all 24 games for the Broncos. He also ranked second in steals (41) and added 10 field blocks and 23 exclusions drawn.
 
Fales tallied multiple goals in 20 games and multiple assists in 11. He scored a career-high eight goals against George Washington on Sept. 21 and six at LMU on Nov. 2. He also dished out a career-high five assists twice in back-to-back games and maintained a streak of eight consecutive games with multiple steals.
 
De Simon burst onto the collegiate scene with an exceptional freshman campaign. De Simon made an immediate impact while starting 23 games, finishing second on the team in points (77) and goals (51), while leading the WCC in steals (57), sprint wins (47), and field blocks (22).
 
De Simon's season highlights included a five-goal effort versus Bucknell (Sept. 14) and back-to-back four-goal performances to close the season against Air Force and California Baptist. He showed his versatility with multiple steals in 20 games, multiple goals in 15, and multiple assists in nine. De Simon's debut set the tone for his season, as he recorded three goals, three steals, and two sprint wins in his first collegiate game against Fresno Pacific on Sept. 7.
 
Fales and Chase Raisin were named All-America Honorable Mention by the ACWPC in 2023. Before that, the Broncos' most recent honors were in 2019.