Annika Dries

Annika Madsen Dries (born February 10, 1992 in La Jolla, California) is an American water polo player. She won the national championship with Stanford University in 2011, and went on to win the gold medal with the United States in the 2012 Summer Olympics. She stands at 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall.

High school

Dries played water polo for Laguna Beach High School in Laguna Beach, California, before graduating in 2009. She was the team's captain in her junior and senior years. She also started playing for the U.S. junior national team in 2006 and was named a Junior Olympics All-American in 2007 and 2008.

College

Dries enrolled in Stanford University and played on the water polo team in 2010 and 2011. As a freshman, she was tied for third on the team with 35 goals. The following season, she led the team with 65 goals and scored five times in the national championship game against California, which Stanford won. She was named MVP of the NCAA championships. She also won the Peter J. Cutino Award as the nation's top female collegiate player.

Dries took a leave of absence from school in 2012 so she could train with the U.S. national water polo team.

International

In 2010, Dries helped the U.S. win the FINA World League Super Final and the FINA World Cup. The following year, she scored eight goals in the Pan American Games, as the U.S. won the tournament and qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics. The U.S. went on to win the gold medal at the Olympics, as well.

Dries was born in La Jolla (a neighborhood in San Diego, California), to Eric Dries and Pamela Madsen. She plays volleyball and tennis. She is an advocate for breast cancer awareness and research.