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Megan Thomson returns for her third season as the head coach of the Pacific women's water polo team in 2009, guiding the Tigers along their first season transitioning from the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation to the newly formed Big West Conference. In her first year with the team, during the 2005 season, Thomson reshaped the Tigers with a young squad that featured seven freshmen and only one senior. She then led the Tigers to an overall record of 5-25, just one season after the team completed the 2006 season with a record of 0-22. In 2008, the Tigers finished with a 4-27 record, highlighted by a 10-9 victory over Colorado State on Mar. 16, 2008. Thomson was brought to Pacific after four seasons as an assistant coach at Hartwick College, where she helped lead her team to two appearances in the NCAA Championships. Megan guided the team to its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Championships at the final four hosted by Stanford in 2004. Two years later, Thomson and the Hawks returned to the NCAA Championships. Thomson played two years (2001-02) as the starting center at Hartwick College under former Pacific men's water polo coach Mike Maroney. She led the Hawks to a 48-23 record, two Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Northern Division Championships, two CWPA New York Region Titles and one Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship (2002). She was named to the American Water Polo Coaches Association All-America Team after her junior and senior seasons, and was honored as the CWPA Northern Division Player of the Year in 2001 and 2002. In addition, Thomson was named to the AWPCA All-Academic Team in both of her seasons with the Hawks. A native of Wellington, New Zealand, Thomson finished her career with 234 points (182 goals, 52 assists) and 180 drawn ejections. She led the Hawks to a second-place finish at the 2002 CWPA Championships, losing, 7-6, to the University of Michigan in sudden-death overtime in the final. Hartwick would have advanced to the NCAA Championships (Final Four) that year, had they defeated the Wolverines in that contest. Hartwick College named Thomson its Female Athlete of the Year in 2001 and 2002. She was inducted into the College's Athletic Hall of Fame on Oct. 12, 2002. Thomson played for the New Zealand National Team at the 2001 FINA World Championships in Japan as she finished among the top 20 goal scorers in the championships. She was the captain of the New Zealand Development Team in 2000, and played on the New Zealand Under-20 National Team from 1996-99. She was also the co-captain of the New Zealand Senior Women's team at the Commonwealth Game Championships in Perth, Australia in January 2006, finishing with a bronze medal. Thomson captained the national squad at the 2003 Olympic Qualification Series, and was a member of the national team that competed in the Olympic Qualification Tournament in Italy. Thomason earned her bachelor's degree in business in 2002 from Hartwick. In 2008, she graduated from the NCAA Women's Coaches Academy. |
 
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